the specialists in vehicle tracking systems, we have created a system that works rather like Tom-Tom and 'directs' drivers by showing in red the hotspots to avoid. The system is accu- rate to within two centimetres! "The system can of course, be used to track
the route of every vehicle; it can even record when, where and how much fertiliser, for ex- ample, has been applied or, indeed, how much vertidraining has been carried out. This is a very interesting technology which we will use post-Games to restore the site and, going for- wards, could well prove useful for other proj- ects." LOCOG is 'renting' the sites and where
appropriate also paying for any upgrading after selecting them using criteria that in- cluded their location (to the Olympic tourna- ment venues) and available facilities. Between them the sites boast 24 pitches and the quality of these is being 'overseen' by the STRI team, which includes Lee Penrose. Explaining that each pitch is being regu- larly assessed (at least once each month) to STRI's industry-recognised standards in terms of, for instance, strength of turf, firm- ness of ground, amount of grass cover, and ball bounce and roll, Lee highlights how the standard is being applied at these existing fa- cilities "that are largely based on natural soil pitches [the exception is the Long Lane FC site, which had been completely refurbished by Speedcut Contractors. These are not pro- fessional football stadia, so LOCOG, STRI and the grounds teams at each location are striving to achieve the best possible playing surfaces under the circumstances and within budget." He continues: "We started work at each
ground last autumn 2011, beginning the process by assessing each site and its playing regimes, then bringing the groundsmen and LOCOG together here at STRI's Bingley headquarters, for two days 'training'. This in- cluded a visit to Burnley FC's stadium and training grounds where our visitors could put their Olympic training pitches into perspec- tive against Burnley's superb surfaces. "Some of the eight sites needed upgrades to the irrigation systems (one had no ability to irrigate) and this included, at one site, the in- stallation of a fully automated system (by MJ Abbott) and at another the installation of a temporary, travelling system. Other sites needed basic adjustment to drainage, while others needed general surface upgrading/reno- vation." In April each pitch underwent a full reno-
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vation program of scarification, aeration, seed- ing and fertilisation. ■
www.stma.org SportsTurf 25
