Norwood Oval

Last updated

Norwood Oval
The Parade
Norwood Oval NAB cup.jpg
View from the northern end, March 2015
Norwood Oval
Locationcnr The Parade and Woods St, Norwood, South Australia
Coordinates 34°55′11″S138°37′50″E / 34.91972°S 138.63056°E / -34.91972; 138.63056
Owner Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council
Operator Norwood Football Club
Capacity 22,000 [1]
Record attendance20,280 – Norwood vs Port Adelaide, 1971
Field sizeFootball: 165 m × 110 m (541 ft × 361 ft) [2]
Baseball:
Left Field – 320 feet (98 m)
Center Field – 390 feet (119 m)
Right Field – 290 feet (88 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundLate 1890s
Opened27 April 1901
Tenants
Norwood Football Club ( SANFL) (1901–present)

Adelaide Crows ( AFLW) (2017–2019, 2021–present)

Adelaide Bite ( ABL) (2009–2016)
View towards the grandstands from the park on The Parade, January 2012 OIC norwood oval 1.jpg
View towards the grandstands from the park on The Parade, January 2012

Norwood Oval (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from the Adelaide-based Coopers Brewery) is a suburban oval in the western end of Norwood, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. The Oval has a capacity of 10,000 people, with grandstand seating for up to 3,900. Norwood Oval was built in 1901 and began hosting events from that year but was officially opened in 1906 to host football matches. [3]

Contents

It is owned by Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council but managed by the Norwood Football Club. Though mainly used for Australian rules football, the oval has been used for a variety of other sporting and community events including baseball, soccer, rugby league and American football. It is the home ground for the Norwood Football Club ("The Redlegs") in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the primary home ground of the Adelaide Crows in AFL Women's (AFLW).

The oval is one of two sporting venues in Adelaide to carry the name of Coopers Stadium. The other is the soccer specific Hindmarsh Stadium which also has naming rights sponsorship from Coopers Brewery.

Ground Opening

On Saturday afternoon 27th April 1901, [4] [5] [6] in the presence of about 900 people, the Norwood Oval was declared open. There was a representative gathering at the opening, including Sir Edwin Smith and Lady Smith, Messrs. P. W. Conybeer and J. Darling, jun., member for the district, the mayor, aldermen, and councillors, and other leading residents. Mr. A. W. Piper, chairman of the committee, asked Lady Smith to declare the recreation ground open for public use. [7]

Australian rules football

Use of Norwood Oval for football dates back to 1901, the year of its official opening. The first game being Norwood against the newly formed Sturt Football Club on 4 May 1901. [8]

Norwood vs Port Adelaide in front of 10,000 spectators in 1906 Norwood vs Port in front of 10000 spectators from The Critic 25 July 1906 pg 14.png
Norwood vs Port Adelaide in front of 10,000 spectators in 1906

A match between Norwood and Port Adelaide in 1906 attracted a packed out 10,000 fans. [9] The ground record crowd was set in 1971 when 20,280 watched an SANFL match between Norwood and its traditional SANFL rivals Port Adelaide.

Norwood Oval's dimensions are 165m x 110m, making it the narrowest ground in use in the SANFL.

In the 1950s the Norwood Football Club received permission from the then City of Kensington & Norwood to install six light towers at the oval.[ citation needed ] This allowed Norwood to host not only night football matches but also night baseball.[ citation needed ] Regular night SANFL night series matches were played at the oval until 1984 when all night games were transferred to the SANFL's own Football Park when construction of light towers at that ground was completed.

In 1973, the SANFL introduced a five-team finals series for the first time and Norwood Oval holds the distinction of hosting the first SANFL elimination final when home-team Norwood defeated rivals Port Adelaide by six goals.[ citation needed ] The first semi final was also held at Norwood in 1973 when reigning premiers (and 1972 Champions of Australia North Adelaide), led by three-time Magarey Medallist Barrie Robran, defeated Norwood in a close match, bringing an end to the Redlegs 1973 season.[ citation needed ]

Norwood Oval was also the scene of Norwood's triumph over East Perth in the 1977 National Football League grand final.[ citation needed ]

Night football returned to Norwood Oval during the early 2000s and Friday-night games at the oval (mostly featuring the Redlegs, although in 2013 Sturt also used the venue for night games after previously using the Adelaide Oval) have been a regular feature of the SANFL ever since. With the popularity of Friday-night matches, other clubs installed lights at their grounds including Elizabeth Oval (Central District), Richmond Oval (West Adelaide), Hickinbotham Oval (South Adelaide) and Glenelg Oval (Glenelg). Woodville-West Torrens also played selected night games at the Thebarton Oval (the former home ground of West Torrens) after the oval's six original light towers were replaced with four modern ones by the ground's major tenant, the South Australian Amateur Football League.

The light towers were upgraded at Norwood Oval in 2010.[ citation needed ] The six light towers that had been in place since the 1950s[ citation needed ] were replaced with four light towers of television standard positioned at the "corners" of the oval.

The Adelaide Crows women's team played one game at the venue in the AFLW's inaugural 2017 season; the other two games held in Adelaide were played at Thebarton Oval.[ citation needed ] All three home games held in Adelaide during the 2018 and 2019 seasons were played at Norwood Oval.[ citation needed ] No AFLW games were held at Norwood Oval in 2020 due to redevelopment works at the ground but the Crows returned to playing the majority of their games at Norwood Oval in 2021.

The oval hosted two senior Australian Football League matches as part of Gather Round in each of 2023 and 2024.

Baseball

Norwood has also hosted Baseball since 1951 with the South Australian Baseball team being tenants until 1988.[ citation needed ] Between 1951 and 1988 Norwood Oval hosted the Claxton Shield competition on six occasions (1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976 and 1981) with the winners being NSW (1951), Victoria (1956 and 1981) and SA (1961, `66, `71 and `76).[ citation needed ]

The original Australian Baseball League (ABL) started in 1989 with Adelaide represented by the Adelaide Giants.[ citation needed ] The ABL ran from 1989 until it folded in 1999 with the Giants playing all of their home games at Norwood Oval with most being under lights.[ citation needed ] During their time in the ABL the Giants were affiliated, as were every other team in the league, with a team from Major League Baseball.[ citation needed ] In a massive coup the Giants managed to get themselves affiliated with the 1988 World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers with the team receiving 3-4 'import players' a season from the Dodgers Minor League system to complement their array of 'local' talent.[ citation needed ] During the ABL the Giants never made the ABL's championship series.[ citation needed ]

Following the collapse of the ABL after 1999 and the short lived International Baseball League of Australia (IBLA) which ran from 1999-2000 until the 2002 the Claxton Shield was revived in 2003 with South Australia playing their games at the Thebarton Oval before moving back to Norwood Oval in 2009.[ citation needed ]

In August 2010 it was announced that there would be a new Australian Baseball League and that Norwood Oval would be the home ground of Adelaide Bite, the team representing Adelaide in the ABL. [10]

Prior to 2009, the baseball diamond at Norwood Oval was located closer to the Wood Street stand.[ citation needed ] The third base line ran almost parallel to the stand, with the first base line running east towards the outer side of the ground.[ citation needed ] The diamond was then moved to its present position in 2009.[ citation needed ]

As of February 2012 Norwood Oval's field dimensions for baseball are: [11]

Left Field - 320 feet (98 m)
Centre Field - 390 feet (120 m)
Right Field - 290 feet (88 m)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Adelaide Football Club</span> Australian rules football club

Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia. The club's senior men's team plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), where it is nicknamed the Power, while its reserves men's team competes in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), where it is nicknamed the Magpies. Since its founding, the club has won an unequalled 36 SANFL premierships and four Championship of Australia titles, in addition to an AFL Premiership in 2004. It has fielded a women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition since 2022 (S7).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Australian National Football League</span> Australian rules football competition

The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL, is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football Park</span> Former Australian rules football stadium in Adelaide, South Australia

Football Park, known commercially as AAMI Stadium, was an Australian rules football stadium located in West Lakes, a western suburb of Adelaide, the state capital of South Australia, Australia. It was built in 1973 by the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and opened in 1974. Until the end of the 2013 AFL season, it served as the home ground of South Australia's AFL clubs, the Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club. It also hosted all SANFL finals from 1974 to 2013. Demolition of the stadium's grandstands began in August 2018, and finished in March 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Oval</span> Stadium in Adelaide, South Australia

The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby league, rugby union, soccer, and tennis, as well as regularly being used to hold concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central District Football Club</span> Australian rules football club in SANFL

Central District Football Club is an Australian rules football club that plays in the South Australian National Football League. Based at Elizabeth in the City of Playford about 25 km north of Adelaide, South Australia, the club's development zones include the outer Adelaide northern suburbs of Salisbury, Elizabeth, Golden Grove, Greenwith, Township of Gawler, One Tree Hill and Barossa Valley Districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Adelaide Football Club</span> Australian rules football club

West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Nicknamed the Bloods and commonly known as the Westies, the club's home base is Richmond Oval. The Oval is located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwood Football Club</span> Australian rules football club

Norwood Football Club, nicknamed the Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club competing in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in the state of South Australia. Its home ground is Coopers Stadium, which is often referred to as "The Parade". It is one of the two traditional powerhouse clubs of the SANFL, the other being Port Adelaide, who together have won half of all SANFL premierships. The club has won 31 SANFL premierships and 1 SANFLW premiership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Torrens Football Club</span> Australian rules football club

West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) from 1895 to 1990. In 1991, the club merged with neighbouring Woodville Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberton Oval</span>

Alberton Oval is a sports oval located in Alberton, a north-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It has been the home of the Port Adelaide Football Club since 1880. The ground is a public park and is exclusively leased to Port Adelaide for Australian rules football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian rules football in South Australia</span>

In South Australia, Australian rules football is traditionally a popular participation and spectator sport. It is governed by the South Australian Football Commission which runs the South Australia National Football League in the capital Adelaide, the highest profile competition among the 24 spread across the state. Participation has fallen substantially in recent years to a current rate of 4.1% and 63,969 adults and 28,692 children less than a quarter of which are female. Prior to 2019 it was the most participated team sport in the state, however it dropped to third after both basketball and soccer there surpassed it in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hickinbotham Oval</span>

Hickinbotham Oval is an Australian rules football stadium in Noarlunga Downs, an outer-southern suburb of Adelaide. It has been the home of South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club South Adelaide Football Club since 1995. In 2018 the ground was re-named Flinders University Stadium as part of a five-year sponsorship deal with Flinders University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Oval (South Australia)</span> Australian rules football oval

Richmond Oval is an Australian rules football oval in Richmond, a western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It has been the home of South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club West Adelaide for training since 1956 and home games since 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in South Australia</span> Overview of sports in South Australia

Sport plays an important role in the business, community, social and cultural life in the state of South Australia.

Garry McIntosh is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Norwood Football Club in the South Australian Football League (SANFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thebarton Oval</span>

Thebarton Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia currently used for a variety of sports including Australian rules football. It was the home ground of South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club West Torrens between 1922 and 1989, and since 2008 has been the home of the South Australian Amateur Football League (SAAFL) now called the Adelaide Footy League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Adelaide–Norwood rivalry</span> Australian rules footballs oldest rivalry

The Port Adelaide–Norwood rivalry is Australian rules football's oldest and one of its most intense rivalries. It is contested between the Norwood Football Club and the Port Adelaide Football Club. Together, Port Adelaide (36) and Norwood (31) have won 66 South Australian National Football League (SANFL) premierships since the founding of the competition in 1878, 48.9% of all SANFL grand finals as of the 2023 SANFL Grand Final. As the SANFL competition has been suspended due to war, only 132 seasons have been played, therefore together Norwood and Port Adelaide have won exactly half of all SANFL premierships awarded. The two clubs have met in finals 50 times, with 17 of those grand finals including two war-time grand finals.

The 1983 South Australian National Football League season was the 104th, since 1877, of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Australian rules football competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Li</span> Australian rules footballer

Sophie Li is a retired Australian rules footballer. She played in the AFL Women's (AFLW) for Carlton and for Adelaide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Scheer</span> Australian rules footballer

Chloe Scheer is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Geelong Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL Women's)</span> Australian rules football club

Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL Women's) is a professional Australian rules football team based in Alberton, South Australia. The team plays in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. The team is part of the Port Adelaide Football Club.

References

  1. ↑ "Norwood Oval". Austadiums. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Atkinson, Cody; Lawson, Sean (15 June 2022). "From the SCG to Kardinia Park — do ground sizes contribute to the end result in AFL games?". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NORWOOD OVAL". Observer . Vol. LXIII, no. 3, 364. South Australia. 24 March 1906. p. 27. Retrieved 16 April 2023– via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56068433
  5. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4834095
  6. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4835075
  7. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/161770715
  8. ↑ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/161771257
  9. ↑ "MATCH BETWEEN NORWOODS AND PORTS". The Critic . Vol. IX, no. 459. South Australia. 25 July 1906. p. 14. Retrieved 16 April 2023– via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ Stockman, Jennifer (6 August 2010). "Adelaide takes a BITE at new ABL". Adelaide Bite. Australian Baseball League. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  11. ↑ Norwood Oval baseball dimensions
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.