From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EnergyAustralia Stadium
ISC
Location	Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Broke ground	1967
Opened	1970
Owner	New South Wales Government
Operator	Hunter International Sports Centre Trust
Surface	Grass
Architect	Various
Former names	International Sports Centre Marathon Stadium
Tenants
Newcastle Knights (NRL) (1988 - ) Newcastle United Jets (A-League)
Capacity
26,126

EnergyAustralia Stadium is a football stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the ground of the Newcastle Knights (NRL) and Newcastle United Jets (A-League) teams. It is owned by the New South Wales government and administered by the Hunter International Sports Centre Trust.

Work began on the stadium on December 1, 1967, and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II of Australia on the April 10, 1970. It was originally known as the International Sports Centre, and is still part of the ISC complex to this day.

The Knights secured a lease on the stadium in 1986, and converted it from an oval to a rectangle layout. In the early 1990s, local tyre outlet Marathon Tyres became the naming rights sponsor for the stadium, and it was renamed Marathon Stadium. Towards the end of 2001, energy supplier EnergyAustralia took over naming rights, and thus the stadium became EnergyAustralia Stadium.

Before redevelopment, the stadium had a capacity of 28,000, including 5,000 in the main grandstand. The ground attendance record is 32,642, which was set when the Knights took on the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in July 1995. Despite a lack of incidents, police subsequently asked for the allowed capacity to be lowered for reasons of safety.

Following the retirement of former Knights captain Andrew Johns, the new eastern grandstand was renamed The Andrew Johns Stand in front of a packed crowd before the Knights vs Brisbane Broncos NRL match on Sunday 22 April 2007.

The non-commercial name for the venue is simply Newcastle. The name is used primarily by those who wish to mention stadiums by their non-commercial names, such as non-commercial organisations like the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The stadium underwent redevelopment during the years 2003-2005, funded mostly by local and state government grants.

Factors that brought on the redevelopment included:

• non-compliance of NRL stadium criteria, especially the dressing rooms;
• failure to attract major sporting events to the area;
• inadequate and ageing spectator and corporate facilities;
• covered seating capacity well below best practice and NRL standards;
• minimal areas within the grandstand to increase members' patronage both during a sporting event and on non-match-days;
• poor facilities for media officials; and
• unsatisfactory temporary spectator facilities to the north and south of the western stand;
• the perceived need for the incumbent State Labor government to contribute to the public infrastructure in a region of safe seats^[1][2].

The first stage of the redevelopment was completed in early 2004. This consisted of:

• The construction of the lower level of the Eastern Stand (brought into operation for the 2004 NRL season and Anzac Test between Australia and New Zealand). This level holds 7,700 people.
• The relocation of corporate boxes and seating to the North and South stands.

The second stage of construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2005. This consisted of:

• The construction of the Eastern Stand's second level of seating and corporate boxes;
• a new video screen; and
• remedial work for the Western Grandstand, including updating the media facilities.

During the 2007 NSW Election campaign, the Premier Morris Iemma promised $30 million towards an upgrade of the stadium, conditional on the Federal Government matching the funds.[1]

• Hunter International Sports Centre Trust
• EnergyAustralia Stadium at Austadiums
• EnergyAustralia Stadium page at newcastleknights.com.au

Coordinates: 32°55′8.52″S, 151°43′38.06″E