NFL fans worried 173-year-old stadium has fatal flaws before $1.4bn renovation: ‘Should be demolished’

The NFL is heading Down Under for the first time ever.

Australia’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is hosting an NFC West showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

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Opened in 1853, the MCG predates Soldier Field — the oldest stadium in the NFL — by 71 years.

Capable of holding over 100,000 people, only the Dallas Cowboys‘ AT&T Stadium is bigger after setting a regular-season record with 105,121 fans in 2009.

But size isn’t everything, and the MCG is best known for hosting cricket, which explains its giant oval playing surface.

The NFL field will bet set up in the middle and some local fans are doubtful about the viewing experience.

“I’m still hoping to go but noone should be fooling themselves that this is going to be a good viewing experience for most people in attendance,” wrote one to stir up the debate.

“If I get tickets, I’m bringing binoculars,” replied another.

“It’s a terrible arena and should be demolished to be replaced with a state of the art facility,” noted a third.

Others pointed put that the majority of cricket action takes place in a far smaller area than an NFL field and highlighted that rugby and soccer fans still pile into catch the action.

The MCG underwent renovations in 1992 and 2006 and another is in the pipeline.

A $1.4 billion proposal is aiming to upgrade the Shane Warne Stand, which opened in 1992, and improve facilities.

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Cricket fans still enjoy the view despite the action happening on a small patch[/caption]

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Plans included restaurant-style dining capable of holding 2,000 people with open-air decks and glass replacing the current concrete walls.

Capacity would be increased to 105,000 and improved facilities would included better seats, lighting and a hotel.

Construction is expected begin in 2030 at the earliest and take two to three years.

NFL has grand designs in Australia

There are 7.5 million NFL fans in Australia, per the league, and the stadium is sure to be a sellout.

The Rams are the home team and hold international marketing rights in the country.

The world champion Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles are their competitors for the attention of locals.

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“Since we first secured marketing rights to the country in 2021 and more recently since the announcement of this game last year, we have seen tremendous excitement for our team from fans both in Australia and across the world,” Rams president Kevin Demoff said.

“We look forward to spending this offseason continuing to deepen our connection with the Melbourne community leading up to the game this fall.”

The Niners will end up making two trips overseas after giving up a home game.

They will host a game in Mexico City at Estadio Banorte, per ESPN’s John Sutcliffe.

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