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The architect of the Sydney Football Stadium says its imminent demolition represents a shift away from stadiums designed for the people and a move towards sporting elitism.
For 30 years the SFS has hosted rugby league, rugby union, football, concerts and events like the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
But tonight the arena will host its final event before being torn down to make way for a new venue — a moment Philip Cox is avoiding because it's "too heartbreaking".
Photo:
Philip Cox designed the Sydney Football Stadium, which opened in 1988. (Supplied: Philip Cox)
"It was a very different brief for what a new stadium is today; it was meant to be a very egalitarian stadium," said Mr Cox, who's credited with designing iconic Sydney structures such as the National Maritime Museum and the Olympic Stadium and Aquatic Centre.
"It didn't have all of the facilities that contemporary stadiums have today with bars and restaurants."
"It was very much satisfying the requirement of football which was generally played on a Saturday afternoon and not really in the evening when you require the support facilities like food and beverage.
"There weren't any boxes and there weren't any elite areas or club areas at that stage."
Mr Cox said his proposal to create "the people's stadium" stemmed from his desire to build a space that brought people close to the game — something he believed he achieved.
"You feel very intimate when you're in that venue, you feel as if you're a part of the game, and that was the good thing about that stadium.
"It's considered worldwide as one of the examples of great stadium design. It's become very much an icon for Sydney."
'Tragedy' to lose these buildings
Despite the accolades, the SFS has had issues with access, in-venue facilities, protection from the elements, transport and safety — many of which led to calls for its replacement.
The stadium isn't the first project of Mr Cox's to be flattened, with the Darling Harbour Sydney Exhibition Centre demolished in 2014.
"There's a tragedy in that we're losing a lot of the buildings that were put up for the Bicentenary," he said.
Some footy fans are also devastated at the prospect of the stadium's destruction.
"Hubby and I had member's seats for 12 years with Sydney Football Stadium at row HH23 and 24," Amanda Harrison texted to ABC Sydney.
"Both our surnames start with H and we met at age 23 and 24. We'll miss our seats. Goodbye Moore Park."
Bill from Darlinghurst is a member of the SFS and said he attended its opening ceremony.
"The acoustics have never been amazing there, but some great football — probably the highlight would've been Darren Albert scoring the try for Newcastle in the last minute when they won the premiership," he said.
"We had a little a terrace in Paddington, and I have four kids, and that was the backyard we never had.
"Hard to believe that Saturday will be the last time the Sydney Football Stadium ever hosts a sporting event," Terence Porter tweeted.
"For so many years it has been a site of triumph and tragedy for me.
"If I am lucky enough to be there in the crowd on Saturday as a neutral for the Roosters vs Rabbitohs game, I know I will shed a tear on my final approach to the ground."
But not all memories were positive.
"I went to the first game - the Dragons and Eastern Suburbs and it poured," Michael from Menai told ABC Radio Sydney's Breakfast program.
"My mate and I were not able to sit in the seats because we were being drenched, and we had to stand back where the food outlets are and watch the game in the gap between the concrete.
"To make it worse, the Dragons lost."
The stadium will be rebuilt as a 45,000-seat venue, with completion expected by 2021.
Topics: sport, architecture, human-interest, community-and-society, sports-organisations, rugby-league, rugby-union, design, sydney-2000