McDonald Jones Homes partners with Venues NSW on Naming Rights for Hunter Stadium
Friday 7 October 2016 10:12am
Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said the new sponsorship deal will be a welcome addition to football fans of all codes with funding to be reinvested back into operation of the 33,000 capacity venue.
"Hunter Stadium has played host to international and domestic football greats from all codes, from David Beckham and LA Galaxy in 2010 to the Qantas Wallabies and AFC Asian Cup teams last year and now the stadium is linked to one of the region’s most successful local builders.
"The NSW Government has invested more than $100 million redeveloping the Western and Eastern Grandstand and installing a new playing surface and now this naming rights deal will ensure McDonald Jones Stadium continues its hosting capabilities for many years to come.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said more than 1.2 million fans have attended spectacular events at Hunter Stadium in the past four years.
"These massive crowd numbers are testament to the passion of fans and the pulling power of Hunter Region’s two biggest home sides, the Newcastle Knights and Newcastle Jets," Mr MacDonald said.
"McDonald Jones Stadium will be one of the venues which benefit from planned work to develop great sporting precinct which includes the $10 million new Hockey Centre of Excellence.
"The planned precinct improvements are expected to have major benefits for people accessing McDonald Jones Stadium, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre and Showground and District Park.
"This means better commercial and community sporting and entertainment facilities for Newcastle and more great events for our region," Mr MacDonald said.
Venues NSW chairman John Quayle said having a local company take up the naming rights sponsorship was a great outcome.
"This sponsorship, I believe, is also a sign of the positive future this sporting precinct has for Newcastle and the Hunter," Mr Quayle said.
