Wellington’s Sky Stadium and Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium have been voted by the players as the top two venues throughout the 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
The voting process, conducted by Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), requires players to provide feedback via weekly surveys on both pitch quality and atmosphere at every Isuzu UTE A-League fixture.
With the season concluded, the PFA has aggregated the responses. Sky Stadium was voted the best stadium in the league for pitch quality, and Coopers Stadium trumped all other venues for stadium atmosphere.
Pitch quality
Players rate stadiums each week on a number of factors: pitch hardness, smoothness, pace and overall quality.
Sky Stadium’s pitch rated a perfect 5/5 after the aggregation of player votes. Sky Stadium marketing manager Alex Bargh said: “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.
“It’s fantastic to hear that the players have voted our pitch the top in the league.”
Some of the top contenders in the pitch quality vote included Coopers Stadium, AAMI Par, Allianz Stadium, CommBank Stadium and Auckland’s Go Media Stadium – the home of the A-Leagues’ newest club which hosted one game in the 2023-24 season (Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne City in November)
Pitch quality ratings
- Sky Stadium, Wellington: 5/5
- Coopers Stadium, Adelaide: 4.4/5
- Go Media Stadium, Auckland: 4/5
- Ironbark Fields, Tarneit: 4/5
- AAMI Park, Melbourne: 3.8/5
Atmosphere
Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium has been named the best in the Isuzu UTE A-League for atmosphere with a score of 4.2/5 after the aggregation of player votes.
Adelaide CEO Nathan Kosmina said: “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.
“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.”
Atmosphere ratings
- Coopers Stadium, Adelaide: 4.2/5
- Sky Stadium, Wellington: 3.8/5
- Allianz Stadium, Sydney: 3.7/5
- AAMI Park, Melbourne: 3.3/5
- CommBank Stadium, Western Sydney: 3.1/5
