Leaked documents have thrown another twist into the war of words between Port Adelaide Football Club (PAFC) and the authority running the publicly owned Adelaide Oval.

PAFC last week told a parliamentary inquiry that it was all but forced to abandon its popular game-day village (GDV) outside the oval in 2014 and 2015 due to a disagreement with the Stadium Management Authority (SMA) over beer prices.

SMA chief executive Andrew Daniels told ABC Radio Adelaide he "honestly had no idea" why PAFC chief executive Keith Thomas made the claims and said he considered them the "most scurrilous, outrageous, disgraceful accusation I have ever heard in my entire career".

But an email seen by the ABC, sent from Mr Thomas to Mr Daniels in February 2018, showed beer prices were a sticking point in negotiations for the SMA to take over the running of the village.

Mr Thomas wrote there was "a need for beer prices to be lower outside than inside the arena" for the village to remain credible.

"Not $5, but also not $9.40," he said.

"We think a price around $7.50 and $8 probably hits the mark from a GDV credibility point of view."

Prices under attack

Patrons have been critical of drink prices at Adelaide Oval. ( ABC News )

The SMA has long been criticised by the public, and even the former state government, for selling beer, water and food inside the stadium at inflated prices.

Locally brewed labels such as West End are sold for more than $9, and other commonly available labels such as James Squire go for more than $10.

The game-day village and other alternatives outside the grounds consequently proved popular for patrons, with many remaining as long as possible before play began.

"We want people to think that it is the GDV (authentic), and part of that offering is cheaper beer," Mr Thomas wrote in February 2018.

"... it all seems pretty uncontroversial to me ... and certainly not the firebrand outlet it seemed when we first opened in 2014."

It appears the issue was resolved, because another document, which looks like an unsigned recommendation to the SMA board dated March 19, 2018, recommended the village go ahead.

The SMA negotiated to take over the village and run it as a PAFC-branded event, as well as negotiate rent with Tennis SA and retain all revenue (about $40,000 a year).

It issued a statement today in relation to the documents.

"Adelaide Oval together with the Port Adelaide Football Club delivered the game-day village in 2018, and we look forward to doing this again in 2020, following the redevelopment of Memorial Drive."

An artist's impression of the hotel planned for the oval's east wing. ( Supplied )

Long-standing beer stoush

Local news website Indaily has reported that in 2014, SMA general manager Darren Chandler sent an email to PAFC saying it would not allow access to the area directly off the oval's Southern Plaza unless a series of issues surrounding the GDV were addressed.

The issues included that:

All branding should be removed from this area.

All branding should be removed from this area. Lion-made beer and cider must be the only such products sold from this area; any other products for sale must be approved by the SMA.

Lion-made beer and cider must be the only such products sold from this area; any other products for sale must be approved by the SMA. The pricing must be the same as that of Adelaide Oval.

In February 2016, two years after the dispute began, the SMA wrote to Tennis SA saying it had no objections to PAFC acquiring a liquor licence for the game-day village.

The parliamentary inquiry into Adelaide Oval's financial management and its returns to state football and cricket leagues and two AFL clubs was prompted late last year after it announced plans to build a hotel on the site.

The controversial $42 million development on the eastern side of the oval is to be funded by a loan underwritten by the State Government, which supports the plan.

Opposition treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan said the SMA had been "successful in cowering Port Adelaide Football Club into submission over the game-day village".

"Port Adelaide ran it for two years ... and then they were told they could only run it if they paid the profits to the SANFL and the SMA," he said.