Loftus in race to be first for 2010

15 September 2006

Loftus Versfeld is set to undergo a multi-million rand facelift - including a roof over the east stand - to prepare it for the 2010 World Cup and could become the standard bearer for all stadiums for the tournament.

Proposals to the World Cup Organising Committee by the Blue Bulls Company envisage a major improvement over and above soccer world governing body Fifa's requirements for the tournament that will turn the rugby superstadium into a massive, modern sporting complex.

The organising committee must now decide whether or not to approve the changes and release money to start the renovation work, which could begin as early as January next year.

If everything goes to plan, Loftus Versfeld will be the first stadium in South Africa to be finished and ready for the World Cup and this could be as soon as the end of next year.

The Bulls would not release details of the cost of the proposed changes and artists' impressions will be made available only after the changes are approved. But plans are that the precinct that surrounds the big stadium will become a state-of-the-art sports centre that will be the envy of all.

The proposals include the erection of a massive roof over the eastern stand to help the stadium meet the requirements that Fifa has asked for in terms of floodlighting.

"According to the requirements we were given, our lights have to operate at 1 500 lux and at the moment they operate at 1 000 lux," stadium manager Hugo Kemp said.

"There are two ways we can overcome this. One is to tear down our current lighting and replace it with new pylons, or to build a roof over the eastern stand and put lights in the roof. We would obviously prefer the second approach as it has more long-term benefits for the stadium."

There are other proposals which will improve the stadium in terms of hosting the showpiece tournament. All have taken into account that the changes should not be just cosmetic, but also useful in rugby terms after the tournament ends.

For one, the current turnstiles are set to be replaced by modern, electronic gates that not only automatically count the people entering, but also have bar code scanners to scan tickets and stop fake tickets and people entering without the correct tickets. This will be backed up with a modern access control system with obvious advantages in terms of database management and payment history.

The ticket offices will be upgraded as well as the parking bays while the current northern suites in the main grandstand, which house press facilities, television commentator boxes and coaching seats as well as a few suites, will be removed to create a multipurpose conferencing venue that can be used for other meetings during the week.

Other parts of the stadium to be upgraded include the toilets on the eastern stand, the television camera positions and walls and fences surrounding the ground. The food and drink kiosks will also be replaced with modern facilities while Loftus will get two new big scoreboards.

Every seat in the stadium is also due to be replaced while a cover will go on to the dugout where the players run out on to the field. Two lifts will be installed in the north-east and north-west ends of the stadium to help alleviate congestion while the Venue Operations Centre, which houses the cctv cameras and from which the entire stadium can be controlled in an emergency, will also receive a substantial upgrade.

"We've done our cost assessments and given these to the World Cup Organising Committee. They are far above the Fifa recommendations, but we feel there is a lot that needs to be done. As soon as we get the go-ahead, we will start the major building work," Kemp said.

Source: IOL