LONDON: Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur maybe taking long in building its new stadium but is trying to ensure that it creates a viewing experience worth remembering for its fans. One of the ways to do that is developing the world’s first integrated pitch grow lighting system in partnership with SGL, SCX and Hewitt Sportsturf. This is expected to perfectly support the new pitch laid out. Grow lighting systems are used to create an optimum growing environment when there is limited direct sunlight getting to the grass, as is the case in most large stadia.
The revolutionary moving structure weighs approximately 120 tonnes with 864 individual lights covering a total of 7,525 square metres. It will be operated from a dedicated storage room underneath the North Stand of the new stadium. From here, the structure is lifted hydraulically onto rails mounted permanently on the east and west pitch trays and then seamlessly rolls from one end of the pitch to the other. This enables full coverage of the pitch without equipment ever coming directly into contact with the grass surface.
There is even enough distance between the pitch and the grow lighting system to enable ground staff to continue to tend to the grass even when the system is in use. An irrigation system is fitted on top of the structure so that the grass can be watered from above when the units are in use. In addition, the SGL Analyser System measures all pitch and growth conditions 24/7 and displays data to the ground staff on the online SGL Portal.
The aim of this system is to replace the older one at White Hart Lane that had to be operated on a slower basis due to traditional ‘wheeled-in’ units having to be rolled onto the pitch and manoeuvred into position.
Spurs’ head of playing surfaces and estates Darren Baldwin said: “We are proud that a collaborative approach between the Club, SGL, SCX and Hewitt Sportsturf has resulted in an innovative design. “The Club is striving for excellence throughout the stadium and this technology could be a trendsetter for pitch care in stadia across the world.”
The grow lights system follows on from another world-first at the stadium – just over a year ago, the Club and SCX revealed its design for a groundbreaking dividing retractable pitch, making the stadium the first of its kind in the UK to have two pitches inside the same bowl to create a truly world-class multi-use venue.
The fully retractable grass surface will be used for football matches whilst the artificial pitch underneath will be used for NFL matches, music concerts and a range of other events, protecting the integrity of both playing surfaces.
