Norwood Oval
Encyclopedia
Norwood Oval is a suburban oval in the western end of Norwood
, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide
, South Australia
. Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council own the Oval but rent it, for a peppercorn rental, to the Norwood Football Club
. It has been used for a variety of sporting and community events including baseball
, soccer, rugby league
and American football
, but its main use is for Australian rules football. It is the home ground for the Norwood Football Club ("The Redlegs") in the South Australian National Football League
(SANFL).
The Oval has a capacity of 22,000 people, with grandstand seating for up to 3,900. The ground record crowd was set in 1971 when 20,280 turned up to watch an SANFL match between Norwood and their traditional SANFL rivals Port Adelaide
. Norwood Oval's dimensions are 160m x 110m making it the narrowest ground in use in the SANFL.
In the 1950s the Norwood Football Club received permission from the then City of Kensington & Norwood to install six light towers at the oval. This allowed Norwood to host not only night football matches but also night baseball. Regular night SANFL night series matches were played at the oval until 1984 when all night games were transferred to the SANFL's own Football Park.
In 1973 the SANFL introduced the 5 team finals for the first time and Norwood Oval holds the distinction of hosting the first ever SANFL Elimination Final when home team Norwood defeated rivals Port Adelaide by 6 goals. The First Semi-final was also held at Norwood in 1973 when reigning premiers (and 1972 Champions of Australia
North Adelaide
, led by 3 time Magarey Medallist Barrie Robran
, defeated Norwood in a close game bringing an end to the Redlegs 1973 season.
Night football returned to Norwood Oval during the early 2000s and Friday night games at the oval (all featuring The Redlegs) have been a regular feature in the SANFL ever since. With the popularity of the Friday night games, other clubs have started installing lights at their grounds with Elizabeth Oval
(Centrals
), Richmond Oval
(West Adelaide) and Noarlunga Oval
(South Adelaide) all having installed lights while Woodville-West Torrens are upgrading the lights at Thebarton Oval
in a bid to play SANFL night games at the venue for the first time since the mid-1980s.
The light towers were upgraded at Norwood Oval in 2010. The six light towers that had been in place since the 1950s were replaced with 4 light towers of television standard positioned at the 'corners' of the oval.
Nowrood Oval was also the scene of Norwood's triumph over East Perth in the 1977 National Football League grand final.
being tenants until 1989, then followed by the Adelaide Giants
in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) from 1989 till its folding in 1999. In 2009 the SA Baseball team moved from Thebarton Oval
back to Norwood Oval to play their Claxton Shield
games. In August 2010 it was announced by the Australian Baseball League that Coopers Stadium at Norwood Oval would be the new home ground of Adelaide Bite
, the team representing Adelaide in the ABL.
Norwood, South Australia
Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide, about 4 km east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, the oldest South Australian local government municipality, with a city population over 34,000.-History:...
, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council own the Oval but rent it, for a peppercorn rental, to the Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
. It has been used for a variety of sporting and community events including baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, soccer, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, but its main use is for Australian rules football. It is the home ground for the Norwood Football Club ("The Redlegs") in the South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SANFL).
The Oval has a capacity of 22,000 people, with grandstand seating for up to 3,900. The ground record crowd was set in 1971 when 20,280 turned up to watch an SANFL match between Norwood and their traditional SANFL rivals Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
. Norwood Oval's dimensions are 160m x 110m making it the narrowest ground in use in the SANFL.
In the 1950s the Norwood Football Club received permission from the then City of Kensington & Norwood to install six light towers at the oval. This allowed Norwood to host not only night football matches but also night baseball. Regular night SANFL night series matches were played at the oval until 1984 when all night games were transferred to the SANFL's own Football Park.
In 1973 the SANFL introduced the 5 team finals for the first time and Norwood Oval holds the distinction of hosting the first ever SANFL Elimination Final when home team Norwood defeated rivals Port Adelaide by 6 goals. The First Semi-final was also held at Norwood in 1973 when reigning premiers (and 1972 Champions of Australia
Championship of Australia
The Championship of Australia was the name given to an Australian rules football tournament which was contested between football clubs from the Victorian, South Australian and West Australian football leagues. The Championship took place three times in the 19th century and then from 1907 to 1914...
North Adelaide
North Adelaide Roosters
North Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club, who play in the South Australian National Football League.- History :Formed in 1888 as Medindie, in 1893 the club renamed itself to North Adelaide. It is the fourth oldest club still in operation in the SANFL...
, led by 3 time Magarey Medallist Barrie Robran
Barrie Robran
Barrie Charles Robran MBE is a former Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League , widely acknowledged as a champion in his sport....
, defeated Norwood in a close game bringing an end to the Redlegs 1973 season.
Night football returned to Norwood Oval during the early 2000s and Friday night games at the oval (all featuring The Redlegs) have been a regular feature in the SANFL ever since. With the popularity of the Friday night games, other clubs have started installing lights at their grounds with Elizabeth Oval
Elizabeth Oval
Elizabeth Oval, , is an Australian rules football stadium located in Elizabeth, a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia....
(Centrals
Central District Bulldogs
Central District Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the city of Elizabeth about 25 km to the north of Adelaide, South Australia.-Origins and Background:...
), Richmond Oval
Richmond Oval (South Australia)
Richmond Oval is an Australian rules football oval in Richmond, a western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia...
(West Adelaide) and Noarlunga Oval
Noarlunga Oval
Hickinbotham Oval is an Australian rules football oval in Noarlunga Downs, South Australia, a southern suburb of Adelaide...
(South Adelaide) all having installed lights while Woodville-West Torrens are upgrading the lights at Thebarton Oval
Thebarton Oval
Thebarton Oval was formerly the home ground of SANFL club West Torrens who played their last game at the ground in on 2 September 1989 ending a run of 68 seasons at Thebby Oval...
in a bid to play SANFL night games at the venue for the first time since the mid-1980s.
The light towers were upgraded at Norwood Oval in 2010. The six light towers that had been in place since the 1950s were replaced with 4 light towers of television standard positioned at the 'corners' of the oval.
Nowrood Oval was also the scene of Norwood's triumph over East Perth in the 1977 National Football League grand final.
Baseball
Norwood has also hosted Baseball since the 1950s with the South Australian Baseball teamSouth Australia (Baseball Team)
South Australia compete in the Claxton Shield Baseball Championship in Australia. They were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed until 1988 where the Claxtion Shield was thereafter awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League until 1999 when they were...
being tenants until 1989, then followed by the Adelaide Giants
Adelaide Giants
The Adelaide Giants were one of the foundation members of the now defunct Australian Baseball League. They competed in all 10 seasons but however never once made the leagues final playoff series...
in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) from 1989 till its folding in 1999. In 2009 the SA Baseball team moved from Thebarton Oval
Thebarton Oval
Thebarton Oval was formerly the home ground of SANFL club West Torrens who played their last game at the ground in on 2 September 1989 ending a run of 68 seasons at Thebby Oval...
back to Norwood Oval to play their Claxton Shield
Claxton Shield
The Claxton Shield was the name of the premier baseball competition in Australia held between state-based teams, as well as the name of the trophy awarded to the champion team...
games. In August 2010 it was announced by the Australian Baseball League that Coopers Stadium at Norwood Oval would be the new home ground of Adelaide Bite
Adelaide Bite
The Adelaide Bite are a professional baseball team who plays in the Australian Baseball League and is one of the six founding teams of the league. Their home ballpark is Coopers Stadium at Norwood Oval which is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia...
, the team representing Adelaide in the ABL.