by Brad Forrest
December 7, 2000, St. George Leader
Plans are well advanced for a redevelopment of St. George Soccer Stadium that would see the St. George Illawarra Dragons playing out of Barton Park within three years.
The plans to bring St. George soccer and league together have been endorsed in principle by leading officials of St. George Soccer Club, the St. George-Illawarra Dragons and their major shareholder, the St. George Rugby League Football Club.
The proposed new Arncliffe sporting complex is a logical solution to the Dragons’ homeground problems since the abandonment of the ageing Kogarah Oval two years in favour of a shared Sydney Football Stadium and WIN Stadium Wollongong arrangement.
"It is a good opportunity to support an initiative at all levels of the community - government, council, management and Dragons’ supporters" said Dragons chief executive Peter Doust yesterday.
The Leader understands a Barton Park development was initially mooted about five years ago by football officials.
However, the plans remained on the back-burner until major financing arrangements could be put in place, which was done over the past two years.
"We’ve been working hard on this and with a bank backing it, the development is ready to move" said soccer president Bill Bariamis yesterday.
"We hope to have plans drawn up before Christmas for a stadium with a 20,000 capacity. We would do anything to have the Dragons back in the St. George district and this stadium would serve soccer in the summer and league in the winter."
Doust, also a club director, said soccer officials attended a recent meeting of St. George Football Club requesting the Dragons 'agree in principle' to play home games at Barton Park when and if a new stadium is built.
"The football club recommended to St. George Illawarra Dragons' board we play Sydney home games at Barton Park if a future ground is built and meets the NRL criteria - and the board agreed."
Dragons' board chairman Warren Lockwood added: "We are excited by the plans, because we never wanted to leave the St. George district in the first place."
"If our support helps the project to move forward, meets the NRL criteria and commercial rates required, we’ll be the first in the new complex."
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R2K endorses the Barton Park project and commends Bill Bariamis from the St. George Soccer Association for his efforts to return the Dragons to the St. George district. |
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