Hickinbotham Oval
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Noarlunga | |
Glenelg, 6 May 1995 | |
Field size | 170m x 135m |
---|---|
Surface | Grass |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 1994 |
Opened | 1995 |
Tenants | |
South Adelaide Football Club (SANFL) (1995–present) |
Hickinbotham Oval (currently known as Flinders University Stadium, and originally Noarlunga Oval) is an
South Adelaide decided to move to the southern suburb of
The club played two games at the
The Panthers' clubrooms and administration offices, previously located on
History
SANFL
The stadium has a capacity of 12,000 people, with seating for up to 1,000 in the
The stadium is located at the top of a hill, and is known for its cold southerly wind and wet weather coming straight from the nearby Gulf St Vincent, something which is generally unpopular with spectators as only the grandstand and a roofed standing-room-only area in front of the change rooms offer any protection from the weather.[citation needed]
Flinders University Stadium's dimensions are 170×135 m, giving it the widest playing surface in the SANFL.[4] To entertain fans, the South Adelaide Football Club has introduced a gas powered fireball that shoots up at the start of all four-quarters of Panthers night games. The fireball, located in the south east corner of the ground near the scoreboard, also ignites every time the Panthers league team kicks a goal.
The venue was renamed from Noarlunga Oval to Hickinbotham Oval in 2005 to honour former Panther captain-coach and successful property developer Alan Hickinbotham.[5] In 2018 the strong partnership between South Adelaide and Flinders University reached the next level, with the club announcing that the ground would be re-named Flinders University Stadium, as part of a five-year deal with Flinders University.[3]
Along with the Norwood and Richmond Ovals, Flinders University Stadium is one of only three SANFL grounds not used for cricket during the summer months. This generally means that the centre squares of these grounds (where the cricket pitches would be located) are not as susceptible to becoming a mud patch after rain during the football season, and these ovals are generally regarded as having the better surfaces in the SANFL.[citation needed]
In late 2010 the South Adelaide Football Club obtained permission from the
The oval is the only SANFL venue where spectators can park their cars around the ground itself on the northern and eastern sides of the ground, giving it a country feel with people often watching games from inside their car or on top of the bonnet – large nets are in place behind the northern goals to protect cars from footballs kicked there.[citation needed] Other than the Jim Deane Grandstand, the main spectator areas are the north western grassed bank, while the grassed area behind the southern goals is a non-smoking and alcohol-free family area.
The first official SANFL night game was played at the oval on 21 April 2011, with the Panthers defeating
Southern Football League (SFL)
As Flinders University Stadium has the largest spectator capacity, and has the most modern facilities, of any outdoor sports venue in the southern suburbs [citation needed], it has been used as the Grand Final venue for the Southern Football League since 2005.
Jimmy Deane's Entertainment Venue
Opened in 1995, Flinders University Stadium is the newest suburban ground used by the SANFL by some 30 years. The oval has also been extensively redeveloped in recent years[when?] with the Panthers opening including entertainment and dining establishments such as Jimmy Deane's.
Access
Flinders University Stadium is easily accessed by both road and public transport. The oval is located approximately 600 metres south of Noarlunga Centre railway station which is serviced by both bus and rail, with the rail line having been upgraded in 2013, and an extension beyond Noarlunga Centre to Seaford which opened in February 2014.
Unfortunately, attendances at the oval for SANFL games still suffer because of its location:[citation needed] Flinders University Stadium is located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi)[8] km south of Adelaide, with most clubs located closer to the city, and the nearest club is Glenelg (15 km). As such, non-Panthers supporters have shown a reluctance for travelling the distance to the venue by road or public transport, especially as football is played in the winter and Noarlunga’s reputation for being cold.[citation needed]
Another issue is the club's small fan base, which is further exacerbated by the Panthers' poor results in recent history.[citation needed] South Adelaide has not won the SANFL premiership since 1964 - the longest current premiership drought in the league and elite Australian Rules football - and has not played in the Grand Final since 1979.
The
References and notes
- ^ "Flinders University Stadium". Austadiums. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Prior to 1995, the South Adelaide Football Club's home ground was Adelaide Oval.
- ^ a b Club, Author: South Adelaide Football. "Flinders University and South Adelaide take partnership to the next level". The Official South Adelaide Football Club Website - The Panthers. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
{{cite web}}
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has generic name (help) - ^ "Hickinbotham Oval (Flinders University Stadium)". Stadium Base. 4 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Alan Hickinbotham Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine, fullpointsfooty.net
- ^ Panthers match fixture Archived 15 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine, safc.com.au
- ^ Storer, Mark. "No more night games in 2015 at Noarlunga after failure of Hickinbotham Oval lights". ABC.
- ^ Google (1 April 2022). "Hickinbotham Oval" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Hickinbotham Oval at Austadiums