Lang Park

Origins edit

The site of Lang Park was originally the North Brisbane Cemetery, and until 1875 was Brisbane's primary cemetery. By 1911, the area was heavily populated, so the Paddington Cemeteries Act (1911) was introduced, and the site was redeveloped as a recreational site. In 1914, it was fenced off and named Lang Park after John Dunmore Lang.^[9][10]

The ground was leased by the Queensland Amateur Athletics Association (QAAA) in the 1920s. In 1935, the Queensland Soccer Council (QSC) became a sub-tenant of the QAAA, with a view to using it as the home ground for Brisbane soccer fixtures (leaving its former home, the Brisbane Cricket Ground).^[11] The Latrobe Soccer Club, in turn, became a sub-tenant of the QSC, using the ground for its home games (see image below).

However, by 1937, the QSC was considering sub-leasing Lang Park to "another code of football" (most likely Western Suburbs Rugby League) as it "was not satisfied with the financial returns ... under the sub-lease to the Latrobe-Milton club".^[12] Latrobe in turn responded that "'If no action Is taken to introduce the Ipswich clubs into the Brisbane competition this' season ... the Latrobe-Milton Club cannot accept an increase in rental for Lang Park. Give us competition play with Ipswich and my club will hold the ground as headquarters for the code."^[13]

On 11 February 1950, the official opening of the Lang Park Police Citizens Youth Club took place and youth activities commenced because of the concerns with the increase of juvenile delinquency. Activities such as boxing, wrestling, basketball and gymnastics all occur at these premises to this day.Contemporaneous records are scant, but it appears the QSC did not renew the lease the ground after the intervening World War II. In 1953 the Brisbane Rugby League (BRL) amalgamated with the Queensland Rugby League (QRL). QRL secretary Ron McAullife negotiated a 21-year lease of Lang Park from the Brisbane City Council in order to give the QRL a financially viable base of operations. The park had only the most basic facilities, and the QRL contributed £17,000 to its development. Lang Park hosted its first game of first grade rugby league during the 1930s, with regular BRL games commencing there in 1955. In 1958, it hosted its first Brisbane rugby league grand final in which Brothers defeated Valleys 22 points to 7.^[14] A record crowd of 19,824 saw Northern Suburbs defeat Fortitude Valley at Lang Park in the BRL grand final in September 1961.^[15]

In the 1960s, Fonda Metassa famously burst from the back of an ambulance to return to the field after being carted off injured in a match for Norths against Redcliffe. As the ground was used increasingly by the QRL, it became no longer viable for use as a public recreation facility due to spoilage of the running track.^[16] In 1962, the Lang Park Trust was created under an act of Parliament. This allowed for the construction of the Frank Burke Stand (1962), Ron McAuliffe Stand (1975), and the Western Grandstand (1994). The Trust had on its board one member from the Queensland Government, one member from the Brisbane City Council, two members from the Queensland Rugby League and one member from the Brisbane Rugby League.^[17]

From the 1960s, Lang Park hosted interstate and international rugby league, including the inaugural State of Origin match. Up until 1972, it was the home ground of the Western Suburbs Panthers.

NSWRL/ARL years edit

In 1988, the Brisbane Broncos entered the NSWRL Premiership along with the Gold Coast Chargers and the Newcastle Knights. The Broncos played out of Lang Park from 1988 until 1992, when they moved to the 60,000 capacity ANZ Stadium, the stadium for the 1982 Commonwealth Games. The move occurred due to a dispute over the Broncos sponsor, Power's Brewery, being a competitor of the QRL's sponsor XXXX.

In 1995, professional rugby league returned to the ground when the South Queensland Crushers entered the newly formed Australian Rugby League premiership. The Crushers had a fairly average first season, winning six of 22 games and finishing 16th out of 20. Their second season in 1996, began with promise. The team won their first two games and after losing round 3, led big brother Brisbane 8–6 at half time in front of their biggest ever home crowd, 34,263. But the Broncos scored 4 tries in the second half to see the Crushers lose. They only won two more games that year (rounds 13 & 14) and received the wooden spoon, a terrible ending to a season starting with so much promise. Their final season, 1997, saw them compete in the ARL's half of 1997's split competition and they won another wooden spoon, finishing 12th of 12. They were liquidated at the end of 1997 after merger talks with the Gold Coast Chargers broke down.^{[citation needed]}

In 1994, the stadium's name was changed to Suncorp Stadium, when naming sponsorship was attained by Queensland financial institution, Suncorp. The venue is currently managed by AEG Ogden. On 25 May 1997, the 1996/1997 National Soccer League Grand final was played in front of then a capacity crowd of 40,446, where the Brisbane Strikers FC defeated Sydney United FC 2–0.^{[citation needed]}

Redevelopment edit

Lang Park was heavily redeveloped in the early 2000s into a 52,500 all-sater state of the art rectangular stadium. The final game held at the venue before the development was game one of the 2001 State of Origin series on 6 May 2001. The Brisbane Broncos returned to the stadium as a home tenant after over a decade based at ANZ Stadium. The first game held at the redeveloped stadium was the Round 12 match between the Broncos and Newcastle Knights on 1 June 2003. ^{[citation needed]}

The stadium is now a 52,500 state of the art all-seater rectangular stadium, significantly larger than the former Lang Park oval with two grandstands set back from a perimeter road. The only remaining stand from before the redevelopment is the Western Grandstand. The extension of the facility resulted in the demolition of a number of buildings along Milton Road, including the former Brisbane City Council trolley-bus depot.^{[citation needed]}

During their relocating year, the Broncos only recorded one win at the venue, against the Sydney Roosters in Round 16, 2003, unlike one loss at ANZ Stadium in Round 5, 2003, against the New Zealand Warriors.^{[citation needed]}

Following its redevelopment, questions were raised about the standard of the surface, which was soft underfoot and sandy and was blamed for a spate of injuries to rugby league players using it (temporarily earning the stadium the nickname "Sandcorp Stadium" [1]). Prior to the redevelopment, the stadium was known as "The Cauldron", and Queensland fans developed a reputation for vocal support of their teams, adding to this mythology.^{[citation needed]}

Lang Park suffered significant damage during the 2010–2011 Queensland floods with the entire playing field being covered by flood water.^[18] An electrical fire started in a transformer room due to water ingress, however there was no major damage from the fire.^[19] Brisbane Roar's match with Wellington Phoenix, originally scheduled for the weekend of 14–16 January, was postponed until 26 January, and the remaining Brisbane Roar home matches were moved to Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. The stadium was out of action until late February, but restored just in time for the commencement of the 2011 NRL season. Temporary change rooms were set up as the original change rooms were damaged as a result of the floods. The original change rooms were restored in time for the commencement of the 2012 NRL season.^{[citation needed]}

Today edit

Although the stadium has been the traditional home of rugby league in Queensland, it has also become the state's premier venue for soccer, as well as rugby union. The re-developed stadium first hosted rugby union games at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and in 2005, the stadium became the new home of the Queensland Reds Super Rugby team when they moved from their former home at Ballymore Stadium.[2] This move caused some disquiet amongst rugby traditionalists, however was accepted by Queensland Rugby Union CEO Theo Psaros, who said that "our hearts may be at Ballymore but our heads say it's time to move.".^[20] The year before the Reds' move, the newly established football team Queensland Roar of the A-League also elected to play their home games at Suncorp Stadium.^{[citation needed]}

New Zealand rugby journalist Wynne Gray called Suncorp Stadium perhaps the best rugby stadium in the world. "It is so intimate you can hear the smack of bodies, the boot on leather, you feel the power and rhythm of the games."^[21]

The stadium has also been favourably compared to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and London's Twickenham Stadium.^[22]

On 29 July 2006, the Bledisloe Cup clash between the Wallabies and the All Blacks returned to Brisbane for the first time in over a decade for the 2006 Tri Nations Series. Though Australia narrowly lost the match, the game saw a new ground record set.

A month later on 7 October the stadium hosted a 1–1 friendly soccer game between Australia and Paraguay in which Tony Vidmar, Stan Lazaridis, Zeljko Kalac and goal scorer Tony Popovic all retired from international soccer.

On 8 November 2006, a crowd of 44,358 saw the Great Britain national rugby league team play against Australia for the last time.

On Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 December, the stadium hosted its first music concert since the 1980s and the stadium's redevelopment when Robbie Williams performed in front of two 52,413 sell-out crowds during his "Close Encounters" tour of Australia, and was the venue for the U2 360 tour in December 2010. That same month the stadium hosted Bon Jovi as part of The Circle Tour.

The Stadium was also the site of the 2011 A-League Grand Final, drawing a crowd of over 50,000. The match was one of the most dramatic in A-League history, with the Brisbane Roar scoring two goals in the last five minutes to level the scores with the Central Coast Mariners after several hundred home supporters had left the stadium early, many returning after hearing the stadium erupt while waiting for the train. The Roar went on to win 4–2 in the penalty shootout, making for an incredible victory.

The stadium is also home to the Lang Park Police Citizens Youth Club.

American Singer-Songwriter Taylor Swift played at Suncorp Stadium for her Red Tour on 7 December 2013.

In September 2016, it was announced that the video screens, originally installed in 2003, would be replaced.^[23] Construction started on the new video screens in March 2017 and was finished in early May 2017 in time for an NRL double header.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019, the stadium hosted the NRL's inaugural Magic Round, in which all eight matches in a single round are played at the one venue.^[24]

In 2020, the Melbourne Storm played their "home" finals at the venue, as it was not possible for the team to play them at its regular home ground, AAMI Park, due to the state of Victoria being locked down during the state's second wave of coronavirus infections.^[25]

On 26 June 2021, the Queensland Maroons played at home against the New South Wales Blues in the State of Origin series. Queensland lost the game 26–0, and henceforth the series.^[26]

Due to a COVID-19 lockdown in New South Wales, which began on 26 June 2021 and was still in effect into October, the stadium hosted twenty one extra games on top of its normal commitments to the Brisbane Broncos as well as Magic Round, including the 2021 NRL Grand Final on 3 October 2021.^[27][28] This was the second time that a rugby league premiership Grand Final was played outside of Sydney, following the 1997 Super League Grand Final.^[29]

In 2023 the stadium hosted several matches of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Average attendance per team edit

In the 1980s, Brisbane rugby league icon Wally Lewis became known as The Emperor of Lang Park after his performances in State of Origin matches played at the ground. Brisbane-based beer XXXX, which is brewed at the nearby Castlemaine Brewery, ran a television advertisement celebrating this title in song:

Here's to Wally Lewis for lacing on a boot

Sometimes he plays it rugged, sometimes he plays it cute

He slices through a backline like a Stradbroke Island shark

There's glue on all his fingers, he's the Emperor of Lang Park

— Castlemaine Perkins XXXX advertisement^[17]

In 2006, Queensland Minister for Sport, Tom Barton introduced the Stadium's Sports Media Hall of Fame which honours the achievements of media representatives who have covered the two major football codes (Rugby league and Rugby union) played at this historic ground over the past 40 years.^[30] So far, there are five inductees: rugby league commentator George Lovejoy, rugby league journalists Jack Reardon and Steve Ricketts, Gerry Collins and Frank O'Callaghan.

Statues edit

There are bronze statues outside the stadium. So far, all of them are of rugby players.^[31] There have been suggestions to include a statue of Clare Polkinghorne^[32]

• Wally Lewis (Rugby league)^[33]
• Darren Lockyer (Rugby league)^[34]
• Mal Meninga (Rugby league)^[35]
• Arthur Beetson (Rugby league)^[36]
• John Eales (Rugby union)
• Allan Langer (Rugby league)^[37]

In 2009, as part of the Q150 celebrations, Suncorp Stadium (Lang Park) was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "structure and engineering feat".^[38]

Controversially, the redevelopment was the first major sporting facility in Australia with no car parking, primarily due to concerns with traffic congestion in the surrounding residential neighbourhood. Instead, the stadium's is surrounded by pubs, restaurants, cafes, bars and the XXXX brewery. This together with dedicated pedestrian links to Milton railway station and Brisbane CBD adds to the match day experience and is seen as a model for new stadiums and large entertainment venues. The stadium redevelopment has been the catalyst for the Barracks urban renewal development at Petrie Terrace midway along the dedicated pedestrian link to the CBD.

On Saturday, 16 June 2011, The Weekend Australian revealed that Suncorp Stadium was in danger of either losing the hosting rights to all Queensland based NRL finals matches to Sydney, or having its capacity limited to 25,000 seats, due to a condition included in the legislation regarding the Stadium's redevelopment that only 24 'special events' (i.e. with attendance in excess of 25,000) a year can hosted at the venue. This number of special events was reached when the Brisbane Broncos faced the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in Round 26 of the 2011 NRL Telstra Premiership Season. On 6 September 2011, legislation was passed to lift the crowd capacity limit to 35,000 for those 24 events, enabling the Broncos to host finals matches should they progress that far.^[63]

The stadium's grass quality was criticised by coaches and players during 2015 AFC Asian Cup.^[64]

The venue has hosted forty-one Australia internationals. The results were as follows;^[65]

Game #	Date	Opponents	Result	Attendance	Part of
1	30 July 1962	Great Britain	10–17	34,766	1962 Ashes series
2	22 June 1963	New Zealand	13–16	30,748	1963 Trans-Tasman Test series
3	20 July 1963	South Africa	34–6	10,210
4	4 July 1964	France	27–2	20,076
4	16 July 1966	Great Britain	6–4	45,057	1966 Ashes series and pre redevelopment attendance record
5	1 July 1967	New Zealand	35–22	30,122	1967 Trans-Tasman Test series
6	1 June 1968		31–12	23,608	1968 World Cup
7	8 June 1968	France	37–4	32,664	1968 World Cup
8	6 June 1970	Great Britain	37–15	42,807	1970 Ashes series
9	15 July 1972	New Zealand	31–7	20,847	1972 Trans-Tasman Test series
10	1 June 1975		36–8	12,000	1975 World Cup
11	22 June 1975	France	26–6	9,000	1975 World Cup
12	18 June 1977	Great Britain	15–5	27,000	1977 World Cup
13	15 July 1978	New Zealand	38–7	14,000	1978 Trans-Tasman Test series
14	16 July 1979	Great Britain	35–0	23,051	1979 Ashes series
15	18 July 1981	France	17–2	14,000
16	3 July 1982	New Zealand	11–8	11,400	1982 Trans-Tasman Test series
17	9 July 1983		12–19	15,000	1983 Trans-Tasman Test series
18	26 June 1984	Great Britain	18–6	26,534	1984 Ashes series
19	18 June 1985	New Zealand	26–20	22,000	1985 Trans-Tasman Test series
20	29 July 1986		32–12	22,811	1985-88 World Cup and 1986 Trans-Tasman Test series
21	21 July 1987		6–13	16,500
22	28 June 1988	Great Britain	34–14	27,130	1988 Ashes series
23	31 July 1991	New Zealand	40–12	29,139	1989-92 World Cup and 1991 Trans-Tasman Test series
24	3 July 1992	Great Britain	16–10	32,313	1989-92 World Cup and 1992 Ashes series
25	30 June 1993	New Zealand	16–4	32,000	1993 Trans-Tasman Test series
26	23 June 1995		26–8	25,309	1995 Trans-Tasman Test series
27	14 July 1995		46–10	20,803	1995 Trans-Tasman Test series
28	11 July 1997	Rest of the World	28–8	14,927	Only test match played for the ARL test team for 1997
29	9 October 1998	New Zealand	30–12	18,501
30	22 October 1999	Great Britain	42–6	12,511	1999 Tri-Nations
31	25 April 2005	New Zealand	32–16	40,317	2005 Anzac Test
32	5 May 2006		50–16	44,191	2006 Anzac Test
33	18 November 2006	Great Britain	33–10	44,358	2006 Tri-Nations
34	20 April 2007	New Zealand	30–6	35,241	2007 Anzac Test
35	23 November 2008		20–34	50,599	2008 World Cup final. Record Test attendance at Lang Park
36	8 May 2009		38–10	37,152	2009 Anzac Test
37	13 November 2010		12–16	36,299	2010 Four Nations Final
38	25 October 2014		12–30	47,813*	2014 Four Nations
39	3 May 2015		12–26	32,681	2015 Anzac Test
40	23 Nov 2017	Fiji	54–6	22,073	2017 Rugby League World Cup Semi-Final
41	2 Dec 2017	England	6–0	40,033	2017 Rugby League World Cup final

It also hosted three non Australia matches. Incidentally, they were all England matches. The first was a 1975 Rugby League World Cup match against Wales on 10 June 1975 with 6,000 in attendance and lost 12 - 7. The second was a 2008 Rugby League World Cup match against New Zealand on 15 November 2008 with 26,659 in attendance and lost 32 - 22. The third and final to date was a 2014 Four Nations match between against Samoa with 47,813 in attendance and was a double header which was followed by the Australia New Zealand match. England won 32 - 26.

Suncorp Stadium will host two matches of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. The venue will play host to the first semi-final on 24 November and the tournament final on 2 December.

Suncorp Stadium was the host of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn fight for the WBO welterweight championship with 51,052 people in attendance.^[66]

• List of rugby league stadiums by capacity
• Lists of stadiums

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lang Park (sports venue).

• Official website
• Lang Park at Austadiums