PROMOTING EXCELLENCE

SportsNation reports from a special, one-day conference that charted the future of sports facilities in Northern Ireland

SAPCA and Sport Northern Ireland partnered to host a one-day conference at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort in September. The event – titled Promoting Excellence in Sports Facilities – attracted more than 120 delegates and provided an opportunity for sports facility stakeholders to engage and discuss the issues around the provision of fit-for-purpose sports facilities in Northern Ireland.

Learning opportunities

The conference programme featured a number of topics and key speakers, ranging from the sports facility funding, testing, recycling and construction sectors.

Chris Barry, Football Foundation’s Head of Technical, gave an insightful talk on the foundation’s test site in Sheffield, where pitch systems of the future – utilising alternatives to rubber crumb infill – are being studied. Having opened in November 2023, at a project cost of around £3m, the test hub features seven pitches with seven differentsystems. The systems being tested feature alternative infills such as corn, olive, cork and wood.

At Sheffield’s £3m test hub, seven new pitch systems are being trialled with alternative infills such as corn, olive, cork and wood

The three-year research programme looks to evaluate player experience and evaluate durability and longevity of the new systems, as well as determine their economic viability and assess their environmental footprints. Barry told delegates how the next stage of the process will see two full-size pitches being built, using pitch systems which have been deemed most suitable to be tested in an 11-a-side format.

Niall MacPhee, Director at Sports Labs, then presented some of the data that the company had compiled on Northern Ireland’s 3G pitch facility stock. According to Sports Labs, there are a total of 72 3G pitches in the region and the average age of a pitch is currently 6,5 years.

The projected investment to upgrade the full, current stock of 241 pitches, is around £41m.

Sustainable practices

Luke McGeechan, Group Commercial Director of Sportex Group, then offered his views on the advances made – as well as challenges faced – in recycling synthetic turf. Delegates learnt how Sportex has become the first (and so far, only) UK company offering a full 360-degree service, from providing a playing surface and maintaining it to, ultimately, replacing and recycling it. He also explained how recycling processes are being developed further, including coming up with solutions to deal with new types of pitch systems.

Event review

McGeechan also outlined the challenges faced by the industry when recycling synthetic pitches. These include the variability of end-of-life turf materials, the degradation and contamination from usage and poor maintenance practices, as well as the somewhat limited knowledge of recycling technologies in a developing market.

There was also a thought-provoking session on making facilities more inclusive, featuring two speakers – Kevin O’Neill, CEO of Disability Sport NI and consultant Susannah Walker from In Her Place.

Walker argued that much of the facility provision is currently designed and provided for sports and predominantly caters for men and boys. She then provided data that showed how two thirds (68%) of girls felt there was nothing for them to do in parks, while more than half (59%) felt unwelcome because the spaces were dominated by boys.

Two thirds of girls felt there was nothing for them to do in parks, while 59% felt unwelcome as spaces were dominated by boys

Walker said that, to bring down barriers for girls to take part, those developing facilities should “seek people out at the design phase, not just talking to existing users”.

“Women and girls are experts in their own spaces and needs,” Walker said. “But, at the same time, they need to understand the possibilities. The way to do that is to talk to them – engage with the groups you want to become the end users of facilities.”

O’Neill then told delegates how the inclusive design of sports facilities had improved greatly in Northern Ireland in recent years, with some excellent facilities catering for disabled people.

“However, many sports facilities do not meet the sporting needs of disabled people, particularly smaller community facilities,” O’Neill added, emphasising the need for further improvement in the planning and design processes.

The event was the latest in SAPCA’s programme of events, which look to cater for regional audiences. Previously, the association held a similar, one-day conference at Hampden Park in Scotland. For more about SAPCA events, visit: [sapca.org.uk/events](https://sapca.org.uk/events)