Crowd numbers didn’t hit the highs of 2014, but when the Penrith Panthers did battle with the Canberra Raiders on Saturday afternoon at Carrington Park, there was a slight improvement on last year’s attendance figure.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The match was the third game played as part of a five-year deal between the Panthers and Bathurst Regional Council.
More than 6700 people passed through the gates on the day, up slightly from the disappointing 6240 recorded in March last year, which was attributed to the Bathurst game being scheduled too early in the rugby league season.
Mayor Gary Rush said council was happy with its decision to move the game to April and thought this year’s crowd figure was an achievement.
“I thought the crowds [numbers] were quite good,” he said.
“To have nearly 7000 people in attendance at any sporting event in Bathurst is quite an achievement.”
The big positive to come out of Saturday’s game, however, was the feedback from the teams on the quality of the grounds.
The Panthers were able to snatch victory away from the Raiders by a single point, with the home team finishing on 19 points.
Cr Rush said the Panthers had only good things to say about the field at Carrington Park, which came under scrutiny in the first year of the deal, and that the players were starting to see Bathurst as their second home.
The fantastic response didn’t end there.
Football fans were also impressed by the display of athleticism at Carrington Park and were thankful for another opportunity to watch a game of National Rugby League in the Central West.
Bathurst resident Cameron Brown and his sports mad family, including wife Alana and son Connor, wouldn’t have missed the game for the world.
“It’s all Connor and his mates have been talking about for weeks,” Cameron said yesterday. “We were going to be there rain, hail or shine and luckily the weather was kind to the spectators.
“Even better was the result, with the Panthers kicking that field goal at the end to win by a single point. It sure did go down to the wire.”
Mr Brown said Bathurst was lucky to have a football match played here every year thanks to the deal between council and the Penrith-based club.
“We’ve been to all the matches Penrith have played in town and we’ll be back again next year when they venture over to our side of the Mountains. It’s good for rugby league in Bathurst but, for anyone who loves sport, it’s one of those matches you really don’t want to miss,” he said.
“You only had to look around the ground to see all the kids who came along with their parents to realise what a family-friendly day it’s all been.”
After great community support and good feedback from players, Cr Rush expects council will be able to extend the deal with the Panthers.
“There is another two years to run on the deal, but both organisations don’t see an end to the relationship,” he said.
