McArdle Sport Tec completed a challenging 3G pitch installation in February; after partners TigerTurf won a competitive tender for Dorothy Hyman Sports Centre in Barnsley.
The schedule of works included refurbishment and extension of an existing sand dressed pitch to build a new community 106 x 70m 3G pitch. The previous artificial pitch had been decommissioned in 2012 after it had been deemed unsafe. The new pitch layout includes an extension to the footprint playing area, as well as replacing the existing floodlighting and installing ball stop perimeter fencing.
Once groundworks had begun, it was soon discovered that the foundations needed extensive works to remove 2000 cubic meters of solid rock formation inhibiting the progress of the planned works. Once this minor set back had been overcome, and foundations had been established, TigerTurf’s FIFA Quality Atomic Pro 60 was laid over the engineered macadam base.
This facility was made possible due to a grant of £361,598 awarded by the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund, which is delivered by the largest sports charity in the UK, the Football Foundation. Funds are generated by the Premier League, The FA and Government via Sport England making these grants available to develop new and refurbished grassroots sporting facilities.
The pitch was officially opened on the 9 March by Premier League assistant referee Scott Ledger, and joined by Darren England, Stephen Lodge & Sir Stephen Houghton CBE. Attending guest of honour was Olympic sprinter Dorothy Hyman which the sports centre is named after, who represented GB in the 100m and 200m events in the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games in 1960 and 1964.
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