The future of nib Stadium is "under a cloud" after A-League side Perth Glory Owner Tony Sage threatened to move football to Optus Stadium "over a pricing and scheduling dispute," according to Kim Macdonald of THE WEST AUSTRALIAN. Sage said that next year he would end his VenuesWest contract, which requires Perth Glory to play 14 league games a year at nib Stadium, if the management company did not "reduce its price and allow the club to play some games at Optus Stadium each year." Sage said that "if fans embraced the new Optus Stadium during an A-League game likely to be played there in March, and if the price was right," he would move football permanently to the venue. Sage: "If the deal is better, and the fans like it, we will move (exclusively) to the new stadium." Optus Stadium's costs will be higher than the A$100,000-A$110,000 (($77,300-$85,000) charged for every game at nib, but Sage claimed "the bigger venue would ensure more ticket sales," just as Perth Arena had for National Basketball League club Perth Wildcats after it moved from Challenge Stadium. Sage said that Perth Glory ticket sales "could top 40,000 for a final but nib Stadium had a capacity of only 20,500" (THE WEST AUSTRALIAN, 12/25).
