Wellington’s Sky Stadium and Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium have been voted the top A-League Men Stadiums of the Season by the players, rating first for pitch quality and atmosphere respectively.
Each season, the PFA administers weekly surveys following A-League games, gathering feedback from players representing both home and away teams throughout the campaign.
Upon the conclusion of the regular season, the PFA aggregates the responses, with Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United’s home grounds emerging with the highest average over a minimum of five games.
Stadium ratings are based on pitch hardness, smoothness, pace and overall quality, with a separate rating provided by players for stadium atmosphere.
Sky Stadium’s pitch rated a perfect 5/5 rating, and had the second best average for atmosphere at 3.8 out of 5.
“The Sky Stadium turf team put a lot of pride into ensuring the pitch is to the highest standard ahead of every A-League match,” Sky Stadium Marketing Manager Alex Bargh said.
“It’s fantastic to hear that the players have voted our pitch the top in the league.”
Wellington turned Sky Stadium into a fortress of sorts this season, where they only lost once during the regular season en route to a club-best second-placed finish.
A record 33,297 fans packed into the stadium to see the Phoenix take on Melbourne Victory in their second leg semi-final, where they fell just short of a place in the Grand Final.
“Our fans are the best in New Zealand sport,” Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome added.
“I’ll never forget the incredible buzz when Oskar Zawada scored the 99th minute equaliser to send the semi-final to extra time. It was spine tingling!
“And even when Sky Stadium isn’t packed the Yellow Fever create an incredible atmosphere that lifts our players.”
Meanwhile, Coopers Stadium once again finished as the best rated atmosphere in the competition at 4.2 out of 5, and also had the second best average for pitch quality at 4.4 out of 5.
Despite missing the finals, fans continued to pack into Coopers Stadium throughout the season, providing a tremendous atmosphere each and every Reds home game.
“We are incredibly proud to be recognised for the second consecutive year by the PFA for having the best A-League Men atmosphere at Coopers Stadium,” Adelaide United CEO Nathan Kosmina said.
“Coopers Stadium is undeniably the best football venue in the country, and I want to thank our passionate fans who create an electric atmosphere every match day.
“A special thank you to Adelaide Venue Management, whose investment and ongoing collaboration ensures that every match at the venue is delivered to a world class standard. I also must extend congratulations to the Adelaide United staff and our match day partner, Max Events Team, who all contribute to adding to the best game day experience in the country.
“Together, we believe we set the standard for what football atmosphere should be, and we look forward to continuing this tradition in the seasons to come.”
The stadium was also voted the best stadium in the A-League Women this season, scoring a perfect 5/5 for the pitch, along with a 4.8/5 for atmosphere.
General Manager of Coopers Stadium, Kate Russo added: “We’re delighted that Coopers Stadium has once again been voted ‘best atmosphere’ by the A-League Men players for the second consecutive year.
“We take great pride in not only our facilities and playing surface, but our role in helping facilitate a memorable football experience for fans and players alike. Whilst we may not be the country’s largest stadium, our design ensures a unique fan experience, with the proximity of the crowd to the players creating an atmosphere that is unmatched in the A-League, as confirmed by the players themselves.
“It’s particularly exciting to receive this accolade on the heels of also being named best ALW venue. We’re already looking forward to the 2024/2025 season.”
Other stadiums to to rate highly include Melbourne’s AAMI Park that averaged a 3.8/5 for pitch quality and 3.3/5 for atmosphere, Sydney’s Allianz Stadium which averaged 3.5/5 for pitch quality and 3.7/5 for atmosphere, along with Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium which averaged 3.8/5 for pitch quality and 3.1/5 for atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Auckland’s Go Media Stadium – which will host new A-League Men’s side Auckland FC’s next season – had a 4/5 average for pitch quality and 3/5 for atmosphere when Wellington took on Melbourne City on November 25 2023.
The new home of Western United – the Regional Football Facility – also rated highly from the three matches held in Tarneit, with a pitch quality of 4/5 and atmosphere of 3/5.
