Carrara Stadium
The financial backer of the Bears, Christopher Skase, spent $1 million redeveloping Carrara Oval over a 10-week period at the beginning of 1987, which included upgraded player facilities, seating for 6000 spectators and new electronic scoreboard.On 19 April 1987, the Fitzroy Lions defeated the Brisbane Bears in the first VFL game played at Carrara Oval, before a crowd of 17,795.Liquidators attempted to extract money from the Gold Coast City Council for the lights but, after an unsuccessful trial, it was found cheaper to leave the floodlights in place at Carrara Stadium.The Gold Coast Clippers[7] played their 1989–1990 Australian Baseball League season at Carrara before changing their name to the Daikyo Dolphins and moving to nearby Palm Meadows.[12] The ground was owned by the Shire of Albert, which transferred to the Gold Coast City Council when the two local authorities amalgamated in 1995.They continued to use the ground until the end of the 1998 NRL season when they were excluded from the competition as a part of the rationalisation of the National Rugby League.Following the conclusion of the 2007 NRL season, Titans managing director Michael Searle warned the AFL that if a team were to be started on the Gold Coast it would disappear into the Carrara 'black hole' within five years.On 7 December 2007 the newly appointed Kangaroos chairman James Brayshaw announced the club would not be moving to the Gold Coast permanently and would continue to be based out of Melbourne.The AFL released North Melbourne from the final year of a three-year contract after they drew just 6,354 spectators to their first home match at Carrara for the 2008 season.[42] The Gold Coast District Cricket Club was formed in 1990 and shared tenancy of Carrara Stadium with the Brisbane Bears.Controversy fell over the ground when touring English players David Gower and John Morris chose to go for a joy-ride in two Tiger moth biplanes without telling the England team management and buzzed the stadium in the middle of play.[48] The stadium remains a potential future home ground for a Gold Coast-based Big Bash League side that enters the competition.[49][50] Carrara Stadium was selected to host all Brisbane Heat home finals in the 2023-2024 Big Bash League season.Former KISS lead guitarist and foundation band member Ace Frehley revealed in his 2011 autobiography that he punched then-tour manager Tommy Thayer in the jaw while in the dressing room at the conclusion of the Gold Coast concert in 2001.[53] The stadium served as the venue for the last leg of the Kiss Farewell Tour and Thayer would later replace Frehley as the lead guitarist in the band.[54] The third and final night of the long weekend saw the Anthony Mundine-Timo Masua boxing match take place at Carrara.[55] Queen + Adam Lambert played at the stadium on 29 February 2020 in the final concert of their Australian leg of The Rhapsody Tour and pulled a record crowd of 40,000 attendees.A taxi rank also operates in front of the adjacent Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre on match days.
CarraraQueenslandCoordinatesQueensland GovernmentCapacityCricketPopulousGold Coast SunsNorth Melbourne KangaroosBrisbane BearsBrisbane LionsAustralia cricket teamBrisbane HeatMelbourne StarsGold Coast ChargersARL/NRLGold Coast TitansNerang BullsRugby UnionEast Coast AcesGold Coast ClippersDaikyo DolphinsEast Coast CougarsGold Coast CougarsAustraliaSouth AfricaWest Indiesnaming rightsGold CoastAustralian rules footballAustralian Football LeagueBig Bash LeagueVFL/AFLthe Gabbarugby leaguebaseball2018 Commonwealth Gamesathletics2032 Summer OlympicsInternational Olympic CommitteeGold Coast Sports PrecinctNerang Bulls Rugby Union ClubNerangVictorian Football League1987 VFL seasonPaul CroninChristopher SkaseFitzroy LionsfloodlightsQintexGold Coast City CouncilGeelong CatsBrisbane Cricket GroundTouch Football World CupAustralian Baseball LeaguePalm MeadowsBrazilian football team2000 Summer OlympicsShire of AlbertGold Coast Seagulls1998 NRLNational Rugby LeagueRobina StadiumNorth Melbourne Football ClubNAB CupQueensland State League2007 NRL seasonMichael Searle2007 AFL seasonJames BrayshawCarltonRichmondSt KildaSydneyhorseshoe-shapedhigh-definition video boardWatpacInternational rules footballIrelandCollingwoodinaugural Grand FinalAFL Women'sAdelaide CrowsQClash2020 AFL seasonCOVID-19 pandemic2011 AFL seasonGeelong2010 premiersGreater Western SydneySydney SwansGary Ablett Jr.Lance FranklinGold Coast District Cricket ClubRobinaEnglandDavid GowerJohn MorrisTiger moth biplanesTwenty202018–19 Big Bash League season2023-2024 Big Bash LeagueAustralia vs West IndiesSydney SixersAce FrehleyTommy ThayerKiss Farewell TourAlice CooperAnthony MundineFoo FightersBig Day OutTravis ScottDean LewisCarly Rae JepsenQueen + Adam LambertThe Rhapsody TourGuns N' Rosesathletics eventsSouthportMetricon HomesHeritage BankPeople's Choice Credit UnionAdelaide, South AustraliaQueensland Railrailway stationGold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre