*This story has been corrected to remove an inaccurate reference to the rugby club's 100 year-history at the stadium.
There are three proposals open for public consultation on the future of Western Springs Stadium. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Ponsonby Rugby Club faces losing its home at Auckland's Western Springs Stadium if the space becomes the new base for the city's football team Auckland FC.
Public submissions on the stadium's future open on Monday.
One is a privately funded venue focused on football. It is backed by rich lister Anna Mowbray and her husband, former All Black Ali Williams.
It is the preferred option of the council's economic and cultural agency, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, with plans to turn it into a new 12,500 to 15,000-seat stadium that would be home for Auckland FC, as well as a concert venue.
But the Ponsonby Rugby Club wants the stadium to remain in community hands.
Tātaki Auckland chief executive Nick Hill told Midday Report it is difficult to accommodate what Ponsonby Rugby Club want and need, with what is being proposed.
"We are all working to make sure whatever happens there is a home for Ponsonby Rugby," he said.
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica said a stadium like the option being touted would be "amazing", but questioned whether it would be big enough, considering the big crowds the team is drawing at the moment.
"Obviously, down the track that's the plan to have a home and training facility in one," Corica told Morning Report.
A third option is for Auckland Council to do nothing or explore other ideas.
Tātaki Auckland and the city's Mayor, Wayne Brown, declined an interview with Morning Report this morning.
Former All Black Sir Bryan Williams has spent much of his life at Ponsonby Rugby Club.
He said it was important to preserve public access to one of Auckland's most iconic community spaces.
"It's a natural amphitheatre Western Springs and as far as I'm concerned and others, many others, it needs to be preserved."
The venue had been home to speedway and concerts, he said.
"I remember you know watching the Rolling Stones at Western Springs and an exhibition fight with Mohammed Ali, I saw Peter Snell create a world record, I think it might of been for 2000 metres back in the day."
Sir Bryan said they were proposing to have a community facility at Western Springs that would provide club rooms for Ponsonby but also be available for use by the community.
They had also worked in with concert promoters CRS Records and Eccles Entertainment, he said.
"They would build a permanent stage at Western Springs and it'd still be open obviously to holding large concerts."
Sir Bryan said having both a community facility and the ability to hold large concerts at Western Springs would meet Auckland Council's objectives.
Their proposal would definitely require some public funding, he said.
Sir Bryan said the key reason for opposing the alternative proposal was that it would mean that Ponsonby Rugby Club and the public would not have access.
"It would be a concrete stadium with apparently commercial spaces, people would have to pay for access to those facilities."
But the history of Western Springs is that it had been a fantastic community facility for concerts, sports and community use, he said.
Ponsonby Rugby Club was 150 years old and had served the public for a long time, he said.
There would be a lot of obstacles such as parking and getting a liquor licence to it finding another suitable venue, he said.
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