Glasgow Academy unveils new £300,000 Olympic-standard hockey pitch

-Chair of the 2014 Commonwealth Games organising company Lord Smith of Kelvin and Academy Director of Sport Rhona Simpson open new facility which will be used as a 2014 training base –
A new £300,000 elite water-based, all-weather hockey pitch, built to Olympic standard and to be used as a Commonwealth Games training base, was officially opened at Glasgow Academy last week.
Chair of the 2014 Commonwealth Games organising company Lord Smith of Kelvin and Academy Director of Sport Rhona Simpson, herself a two-time Olympic hockey player, unveiled the new facility which will be played on by around 350 young players every week.
Situated at Windyedge Sports Fields in Glasgow’s west end, the new pitch is said to be one of the most modern in the world and an exact replica of the pitches being used at next year’s Games.
Constructed in just 12 weeks by WH Malcolm, the pitch is designed in Glasgow Academy’s colours with sprinklers which can be raised from beneath ground level to water the surface to provide livelier and quicker playing conditions, help improve technical skills and restrict injuries.
Lord Smith of Kelvin said: “This new Olympic-standard pitch is a terrific investment by Glasgow Academy and one which provides a truly world class playing surface for training and competition.
“This standard of facility helps both the Academy provide the very best for hockey players within its current roll and also supports Scotland and Great Britain’s ambitions to compete on a world stage in the future.”
The inspiration for the pitch came from Academy visits to Holland, home of some of the greatest hockey facilities in the world, as well as feedback from surfaces and conditions at London 2012.
Rhona Simpson, who represented Great Britain at two Olympic Games and Scotland at three Commonwealth Games, said: “All the top games in world hockey are now played on water-based pitches so this fantastic new asset allows Glasgow Academy and Scotland to provide an elite training and playing experience for many of the country’s top young players.
“Our pupils absolutely love it and it is testament to the quality of the pitch that it will be used by Scotland for training for three weeks ahead of next year’s games.
“With 14 teams and some 350 pupils using the pitch every week the value of providing such a world class facility is clear already. It all adds up to a very exciting new chapter for hockey at the Academy, in Glasgow and for Scotland.”

Chair of the 2014 Commonwealth Games organising company Lord Smith of Kelvin and Academy Director of Sport Rhona Simpson open new facility which will be used as a 2014 training base.

A new £300,000 elite water-based, all-weather hockey pitch, built to Olympic standard and to be used as a Commonwealth Games training base, was officially opened at Glasgow Academy last week.

Glasgow Academy Facility

Chair of the 2014 Commonwealth Games organising company Lord Smith of Kelvin and Academy Director of Sport Rhona Simpson, herself a two-time Olympic hockey player, unveiled the new facility which will be played on by around 350 young players every week.

Situated at Windyedge Sports Fields in Glasgow’s west end, the new pitch is said to be one of the most modern in the world and an exact replica of the pitches being used at next year’s Games.

Constructed in just 12 weeks by WH Malcolm, the pitch is designed in Glasgow Academy’s colours with sprinklers which can be raised from beneath ground level to water the surface to provide livelier and quicker playing conditions, help improve technical skills and restrict injuries.

Lord Smith of Kelvin said: “This new Olympic-standard pitch is a terrific investment by Glasgow Academy and one which provides a truly world class playing surface for training and competition.

“This standard of facility helps both the Academy provide the very best for hockey players within its current roll and also supports Scotland and Great Britain’s ambitions to compete on a world stage in the future.”

The inspiration for the pitch came from Academy visits to Holland, home of some of the greatest hockey facilities in the world, as well as feedback from surfaces and conditions at London 2012.

Rhona Simpson, who represented Great Britain at two Olympic Games and Scotland at three Commonwealth Games, said: “All the top games in world hockey are now played on water-based pitches so this fantastic new asset allows Glasgow Academy and Scotland to provide an elite training and playing experience for many of the country’s top young players.

“Our pupils absolutely love it and it is testament to the quality of the pitch that it will be used by Scotland for training for three weeks ahead of next year’s games.

“With 14 teams and some 350 pupils using the pitch every week the value of providing such a world class facility is clear already. It all adds up to a very exciting new chapter for hockey at the Academy, in Glasgow and for Scotland.”

 

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