View source for Western Springs Stadium

{{Short description|Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2016}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Western Springs Stadium
| image = [[File:Boxing Day Speedway 06.JPG|300px]]
| location = Stadium Rd, Western Springs, [[Auckland, New Zealand]]
| coordinates = {{coord|36|51|55|S|174|43|34|E|region:NZ_type:landmark|display=it}}
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| owner = [[Auckland Unlimited]], [[Auckland Council]] (indirectly through Auckland Unlimited)
| operator = [[Auckland Stadiums]] (division of [[Auckland Unlimited]])
| construction_cost = 
| former_names = 
| tenants = [[Ponsonby RFC]]
| capacity = Sports: 20,000<br>Concerts: 49,000
}}
'''Western Springs Stadium''' is a stadium in [[Auckland]], New Zealand. Built within a natural [[amphitheatre]], it is primarily used for [[rugby union]] matches during the winter and for [[Dirt track racing in New Zealand|speedway]] racing during the summer. It is also occasionally used for large concerts and festivals.

Western Springs Stadium has a crowd capacity of 20,000 for sports and 49,000 for concerts.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} It is located {{convert|4|km|abbr=out|spell=in}} west of the city centre in the suburb of [[Western Springs (Auckland suburb)|Western Springs]].

==History==
Western Springs Stadium was built on land purchased from the Motion family by Auckland City Council in 1875 in order to build the Western Springs reservoir and pump station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Streets/78.detail|title=Streets: Motions Road|publisher=[[Auckland Museum]]|access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref> Situated in a [[natural amphitheatre]], concrete terracing was constructed. It was designed and modelled on European stadiums which included a banked concrete cycling track, a [[cinder track|cinder running track]], and a grassed centre area for football and sports. The original design included a covered grandstand which would fill the gap between the concrete terraces, the [[cycling track]] finishing straight was designed and built to start and finish in front of the proposed grandstand (where the pit area now is). The stadium was never completed.

In 1929, the stadium built by Relief Labour was opened to serve cycling, athletics and football sports. The cycling track was over 500 yards in circumference as the European tracks were then. The cinder all weather Athletic 440-yard running track was the first of its type in NZ and it with the overall stadium would have easily compared to the famous [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] in England. Some conjecture has been made when motorcycle speedway commenced on Western Springs. Saroway Park Newmarket was being used at the time. Previously, the Mt. Albert volcanic crater had been used. It was not until 1935 Motorcycle broadsiding  commenced on the cinder running track (as they did on Wembley). On Christmas Day December 1937 [[midget car racing]] was introduced at a special international meeting, it included NZ pioneers Ron Roycroft and Geo Smith. The first official season then followed in January 1938. Speedway was still being raced at the previous venue at the [[Epsom Showgrounds]]. Athletics disappeared from Western Springs as a result and New Zealand's only all weather Athletics track was replaced by the traditional grass tracks until the late 1960s. When the first of the new style [[running track|all weather athletics tracks]] were built Western Springs was already many years ahead of its time with an all weather cinder surface laid in 1929.

The 1950s saw promoters "take over" with the blessing of the [[Auckland City Council]] pleased to receive a monetary return. The early promoters combined Cycling, Motorcycle Speedway and Speedway Cars who all raced together on the same programme with a large following. The war intervened and in 1944 Speedway became a huge entertainment and the formula of Cycling, Speedway Bikes and Midgets reached international heights.

Speedway previously had competed on Epsom Showgrounds, Blanford Park on the old cycling track around the soccer field (now under the [[Grafton Gully]] motorway) and Olympic Park (Saraway Park) in [[Newmarket, New Zealand|Newmarket]].

[[Stock car]] promoters raised the height of the speedway/running track introducing stock cars and forcing [[speedway motorcycling]] out, who relocated to [[Rosebank Road]]. Speedway cars were affected at this time by a conflict with Stock Car promoters. During the 1960s, cycling was forced out of the stadium as the promoters in tandem with the Auckland City Council made access difficult and later impossible under the requirements of the speedway track. The Auckland City Council had little regard for Amateur sports such as Cycling and Athletics, nor for the stadium itself, never completing the complex and building the Grandstands. Neglect reached its nadir when the main concrete terraces slipped away during the 1960s, almost taking the cycling track with it. It took months to effect repairs; under strong public criticism they finally did some thing to re-instate the damaged terraces. The surrounding stadium grounds deteriorated into a Council yard with derelict equipment and buildings littering the boundary of the site which spread to the adjoining Lake and Pump House and abandoned relief campsite. Speedway Cars resurged into a new golden era when stock cars went to Gloucester Park and finally [[Waikaraka Park]].

Because cycling was forced out, the cycling track was never able to be used again, so it was removed to widen the new speedway midget race track; at the same time, smaller cycling [[velodrome]] track sizes became the International requirement.

The 1960s saw a brief return of what the stadium concept originally was; this was assisted by the Speedway promoter who laid the athletic track. On the success of [[Peter Snell]]s' Olympic victories an International Athletic and Cycling event was held with the largest crowd recorded for the stadium. It was larger than the [[1950 British Empire Games]] cycling events and Closing Ceremony.

In February 2007, the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] Road To [[Wrestlemania 23]] Tour came to Western Spring attracting over 12,000 WWE fans.

==Speedway==
Western Springs Stadium has been used for [[Dirt track racing in New Zealand|speedway]] since 30 November 1929<ref name="MoonNewZealand">{{cite book |last1=Desplaces |first1=Jamie Christian |title=Moon New Zealand |date=19 October 2021 |publisher=Avalon Publishing |isbn=978-1-64049-410-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kEgNEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22western+springs+speedway%22+1929&pg=PT88 |access-date=8 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> when motorcycling (broad siding) was introduced. Midget Car racing started in December 1937 with an International race including New Zealand pioneers Ron Roycroft and Geo Smith. The first full speedway season started in January 1938. With the war years, there was a break until 1944 when speedway with cycling, motor cycling and midget cars became the major entertainment event during the summer months in Auckland.

The site has hosted many significant events, including qualifying rounds of the [[Speedway World Championship]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dlprezes.pl.tl/SPEEDWAY--_--Indywidualne-mistrzostwa-%26%23346%3Bwiata-----------k1-World-Speedway-Championship-k2-.htm |title=World Championship |website=Metal Speedway |access-date=3 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/ |title=World Championship  | website=Speedway.org |access-date=3 February 2024}}</ref> and the [[New Zealand Solo Championship]] on 15 occasions from in 1931 to 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/indmnz.php |title=HISTORYCZNE ZESTAWIENIE WYNIKÓW 1929-2023 |website=Speedway History |access-date=3 February 2024}}</ref>

On 31 March 2012, Western Springs Stadium played host to the opening round of the [[2012 Speedway Grand Prix]], the first time the [[Speedway Grand Prix]] (SGP) has ever been held in New Zealand.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111009060231/http://www.speedwaygp.com/event/2012-newzealand-speedwaygp NZ SGP]}}</ref> The {{convert|413|m|yd|abbr=off}} long track was one of the longest tracks ever used in the SGP series. The SGP of New Zealand was held in [[2012 Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand|2012]], [[2013 Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand|2013]] and 2014 before being cut from the [[2015 Speedway Grand Prix]] series. The speedway announced that 2020/2021 season races are being streamed live on the internet to subscribers of United States–based [[FloRacing]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Truex |first1=Tim |title=Western Springs Speedway Kicks Off 2020/2021 Season November 7 |url=https://www.floracing.com/articles/6811631-western-springs-speedway-kicks-off-20202021-season-november-7 |website=[[FloRacing]] |access-date=7 November 2020 |language=en |date=4 November 2020}}</ref>

In 2024, the venue celebrated its 95th year of speedway but due to noise complaints and legal action from a local residents group, speedway events have been limited to 12 per season.<ref name="MoonNewZealand" />

==Rugby==
Between late March and early October, the stadium is used by the [[Ponsonby RFC]] for training and games.

==Concerts==
[[File:Guns N Roses at Western Springs Stadium.jpg|thumb|Guns N Roses at Western Springs Stadium]]
Two concerts held at the stadium were the largest concerts ever in New Zealand at the time. On 26 November 1983, one of the final dates of [[David Bowie]]'s [[Serious Moonlight Tour]] was attended by either 74,480 fans (according to bootleg recordings) or by 83,000 (according to the promoter years later).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=162300|title=Mr Show Business (Hugh Lynn) takes stock|last=Hoby|first=Katherine|date=29 November 2000|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref> On 14 March 1987, over 80,000 fans saw the concert by [[ZZ Top]].

Other artists who have performed at the venue range from Six60 (2019, 2020), [[Led Zeppelin]] (1972), [[Bob Marley & The Wailers]] (1979), [[Elton John]] (1971, 1974, 1982, 1984 and 1990) to [[AC/DC]] (2010 and 2015). Including shows by Deep Purple 13/11/75, Alice Cooper 4/4/77, Rod Stewart 22/2/79, ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) 29/1/78, KISS 3/12/80, Fleetwood Mac 6/11/1977 and 22/3/80, Stevie Wonder 11/4/81 (weather delayed Monday), [[Slippery When Wet Tour|Bon Jovi]] 19/09/87, David Bowie 28/11/87, [[A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour|Pink Floyd]] 22/01/88, Mick Jagger 5/11/88, The Rolling Stones 17/4/95, [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] 23/11/86, Paul McCartney 27/3/93, Bruce Springsteen 28/03/03.

At the top of the hill that forms the amphitheatre is a street of houses – the residents have a view into the stadium from their back gardens. This has often been referred to by the artists on stage, who have often encouraged the residents to donate money to charity in lieu of an entrance fee –  notably, [[Bono]] from [[U2]] (1989) and [[Robbie Williams]] (2003). In 1993's [[ZooTV]] show, Bono made a mid-performance phone call to one of the neighbouring properties with a [[grandstand]] built in the backyard overlooking the stadium, and earlier in the day the band had sent up a selection of tour merchandise to attempt to sell to the viewers.

In January 2014, Western Springs was the venue for the [[Big Day Out]], with a reported 40,000+ in attendance.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Big-Day-Out-Australia-facing-huge-losses/tabid/418/articleID/330486/Default.aspx|title=Big Day Out Australia 'facing huge losses'|date=31 January 2014|work=3 News|access-date=7 February 2014}}</ref> It was the festival's first return to Auckland since [[Mount Smart Stadium]] in 2012 but the final time the Big Day Out was held in Auckland.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Big-Day-Out-back-to-stay-at-Western-Springs/tabid/418/articleID/328934/Default.aspx|title=Big Day Out back to stay at Western Springs|last=Hutchison|first=Jono|date=18 January 2014|work=[[3 News]]|access-date=7 February 2014|archive-date=21 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221143724/http://www.3news.co.nz/Big-Day-Out-back-to-stay-at-Western-Springs/tabid/418/articleID/328934/Default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schulz |first1=Chris |title=Troubled final days of the Big Day Out laid bare in new podcast |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/117023893/troubled-final-days-of-the-big-day-out-laid-bare-in-new-podcast |website=Stuff |publisher=Stuff Limited |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref>

On 15 February 2014, rapper [[Eminem]] performed at the venue for an estimated 55,000 fans. It was his first in the country and is the first to be headlined by a rap act in the venue's history.

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.speedway.co.nz Speedway New Zealand - Governing Body] 
*[http://www.wsspeedway.co.nz Western Springs Speedway]
*[https://www.aucklandstadiums.co.nz/our-venues/western-springs-stadium Western Springs Stadium - Auckland Stadiums]
*[http://www.ponsonbyrugby.co.nz/ Ponsonby Rugby Club]

{{Cricket Grounds NZ}}
{{Motorcycle speedway tracks in New Zealand}}
{{Western Springs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1929 establishments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Rugby union stadiums in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Speedway venues in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Auckland]]
[[Category:Culture in Auckland]]
[[Category:Cricket grounds in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Defunct cricket grounds in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Western Springs (Auckland suburb)]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games cycling venues]]