Facilities, Stadia and the Environment - Essay Example

Noel Moitra ID 12865 Steve Morans March 13, 2008 Facilities, Stadia and the Environment 2 Sports enthusiasts in today’s fast track world aremainly interested in games that can give them high doses of excitement in short bursts of time, like Boxing, Motor Racing, Soccer, 20-20 Cricket, American Football, Basketball and Baseball, among others. The massive popularity of such games has led to unbelievable pay packets for the major players, with winners of World Championship Boxing bouts getting £ twenty-five million or more, to cite an example. Formula 1 racing car drivers also pick up hefty sums, as do most leading Soccer, Basketball and Baseball players. In Asia, games tend to be less physical than in the Western world, though Soccer and Field Hockey are hugely popular. One game that does draw crowds in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England is Cricket. The traditional form of this game, viz, the five-day Test Match has been overtaken in popularity by the one-day format. The latter, where each team gets fifty overs to bat in, is now under serious threat by the latest version, the 20-20 or twenty-overs per side matches, which last exactly three hours. These short but intense matches are generally played at night, under lights, so that people returning from office and school-going teens can drop by for a fun-filled and exciting outing, with a casual dinner thrown in. The economic aspects of popular sporting events are a challenge in themselves. If players are to be paid huge sums of money, the organisers have to be able to attract even more money. Media rights are sold by the Sports Boards of hosting nations for astronomical sums and this money is recovered through expensive prime-time audio-visual advertisements. The arena hosting the match also has to make enough money to pay the players while making a profit for itself, if it is to remain solvent. The obvious requirement is for a large audience, leading, in turn, to a large yet manageable stadium, with tickets to suit every pocket. At the highest levels of the game, the average Soccer stadium must be able to accommodate at least fifty thousand paying spectators, if not more. The crux of the matter is that the paying spectator would like a certain minimum level of comfort, so that he (or she) actually enjoys the game and would not mind coming back for other matches in the future. In this short case study, I will look at a very popular stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia; its history and how it reached its position of eminence; pitch and ground management; sport and crowd control techniques employed; ticketing and merchandising; implementation of mandatory safety standards and the facilities it provides. With so much money at stake, more and more is being spent on the infrastructure related to stadia worldwide and the amenities provided. The Melbourne Cricket Ground, or the MCG, is no exception. In fact, it is considered to be one of Australias greatest assets in the field of sport. Built in 1853, it has been recognised with time as a venue uniquely symbolic of Melbourne, Victoria and Australia generally. Not dedicated to just one game, like Lord’s in London, U.K., the MCG is an extremely busy venue, hosting International Cricket, Australian Rules Football, Rugby League and Union, Soccer, as well as non-sports activities like Concerts, Dinners and other major functions. September 23, 2003 saw the MCG celebrate its 150th anniversary, with the Melbourne Cricket Club’s contribution to the milestone being the renowned MCG Tapestry, seven metres wide and two metres high. Melbourne Cricket Ground Chronology – last updated November 3, 2004. More details are available MCG’s official Website. The MCG is within 15 minutes walking distance of the city centre and has two nearby railways stations, water taxis and tramway and bus links with all suburbs. The surrounding parkland accommodates about 6,000 vehicles. Vehicles with accessible parking permits can access parking at any of the entrances to Yarra Park. Easy access notwithstanding, dispersal of the spectators post-event can be tiresome and requires further detailed analysis and a solution. The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) was the first club in Port Phillip District, now Victoria (1838), shifted venue three times due to flooding of the Yarra every year before settling at its present site; hosted the first match between Victoria and New South Wales in 1856; the first match against an English XI in 1862, on New Years Day before a crowd of more than 25,000, post which the England captain said the ground was better than any in England and the best cricket pavilion in the world. Piesse (2003). Piesse adds that Cricket is the reason for MCG’s existence and its history is Cricket oriented. The greatest exponents of the game have graced its hallowed MCG turf - from Dr. W.G.Grace, Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Leonard Hutton, Sir Garfield Sobers to Sachin Tendulkar and other batting champions. Bowlers too showed their talents, like Pakistans Sarfraz Nawaz capturing 7-1 to steal victory in 1978-79. Indias’ B. Chandrasekhar captured 6-52 in each innings of the 1977-78 series for match winning figures of 12-104. The club launched football, introduced state and national bowls and tennis classics, staged a Davis Cup tie, promoted cricket tours to and from England, hosted the 1956 Olympic Games, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, encouraged visits by international baseball teams and provided a venue for such diverse sporting pursuits as track cycling, flying and lacrosse. An added advantage is that Australia, like New Zealand and South Africa, is located in the Southern hemisphere. Thus most teams from the Northern hemisphere move South to play ‘down under’, cheating winter. According to Piesse, the MCG arena is approximately 20,290 square metres in area (174 x 149 metres). The length of a cricket pitch is 22 yards (20.12 metres). The biggest stadium in Australia with a capacity of just under 100,000, it is currently undergoing a major upgrade that calls for re-building just over half of the ground. Once complete, the stadium will initially have seats for 95,000 spectators, with 3-5,000 spaces reserved for standees. The ultimate aim is to seat 100,000 people, achieving 100 per cent seating, a world record. The cost is estimated at close to one hundred million Australian dollars. The MCG light towers, set up in December 1984, were first used for an event on 17th February 1985, a World Series Cup one-day international between Australia and England. Average illumination is more than sufficient for the demands of colour TV broadcasting, as stated in the MCG official Website. What this implies is that more and more games will be played on the arena, some by day and others by night. The ground and the pitch are thus likely to take a relentless battering from the spiked boots of the players. In preparing the central square on which the pitches are going to be laid, the first requirement is the right kind of soil to provide a good playing field. It must meet stringent criteria of binding, thereby providing movement off the seam once the ball lands and also true bounce. With continuous play over three days, the pitch starts to crack as the grass roots snap, letting the ball spin nicely, a desirable factor. After an experiment carried out over four years to test Cricket Pitch Performance, the findings were that balls pitching six feet short of the stumps should impact them at close to half their height; balls pitching six feet short of the popping crease should hit the stumps close to the top and those pitching ten feet short of the popping crease should sail six to twelve inches over the bails. A special test called the Motty test, developed by Drs. Stewart and Adam in 1969 is used to test the binding quality of the soil. Small lumps of the soil to be tested are kneaded and rolled into one-inch balls using water to bind them. After four days of baking at normal temperatures, pressure is applied on them, simulating the rolling of the pitch. Silt, which appears similar to clay, does not have the latter’s binding qualities and is crushed at very low pressures. Only Motties that are crushed at pressures between 70-90 Kg.(150 to 200 pounds) are suitable for the square on which the pitch will be laid. Dury (1982) also developed the Terry Keeling Pitch Tester, though results of tests conducted were not published. An updated version of Cricket Pitch Performance is now available on the net. Once the pitch is laid, a mixture of hardy couch and rye grass seeds are sown on it. The virtues of rye grass are extolled in an article available on the omnipresent internet. The grass on the remainder of the ground is also of the same variety. Evans (1991). The MCG holds 96 sprinklers and the fall of the ground is 1%, the outward slope helping rapid water drainage when required. Pathiravithana says that the average person does not see how much work goes into the preparation of a good wicket. He explains that when the grass is planted, it has to root itself naturally. If the rooting process is shortened, the roots would have not caught on properly. The result is that when the grass is shaved off there is very little root matter to bind the clay – so the ball starts to spin early, sometimes on the first day itself. The grass roots must be allowed to expand in a web-like shape, to grip the soil. This is followed by systematic nursing of the grass along with the rolling and shaving processes, using pitch cutters and not lawnmowers. Lawnmowers have six blades and a normal pitch cutter has double that which helps in getting an even cut. Motor driven heavy rollers (3 tonnes) are required, along with hand-drawn light rollers. Good and easy-to-spread covers are also required to cover the pitch after playing hours or before rain sets in. The first experimental portable pitch was tested in October 1996, when a 32 tonne pitch was installed to provide better wickets for cricket, minimising the muddy centre square for football in winter and for relief for the pounding it took from hundreds of hefty players. On Boxing Day 2000, the MCG set a precedent when a Test match was played on a one-piece portable pitch for the first time anywhere in the world. Six 34-tonne pitches, prepared over a two-year period, were lowered into place in early November 2000. The new wicket area covers 700 square metres over a giant concrete rectangle. All six centre-wicket pitches are 3.05m wide, differing in length between 24.4m and 22m. Practice pitches are laid outside the stadium. The arena is seeded twice a year at 35 grams/m² and 3,000 square metres of the centre corridor is re-laid every year. Approximately 350 man-hours are spent per week maintaining the turf. The grass is cut daily in summer (12 mm) and twice a week in the winter (25mm) as recommended by Puhalla, Krans & Goatley (1999). The taller grass in winter is most suited to physical contact games like Rugby and Australian Rules Football, contributing significantly in reducing abrasive injuries. Watering of the MCG turf complies with the guidelines laid down by the relevant water authorities. Attendance figures are governed by bar code scanning turnstiles and other devices at all entry points around the ground. Depending on the entry point, attendance figures are broken up into various categories, which are used for statistical information and future reference. The turnstile or access control system was provided by Ticketmaster, the worlds leading ticketing company, providing ticket sales/ resale services, marketing and distribution through one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet and installed in 1999. Getting tickets is not much of a problem, as a tentative yearly programme is published every year. Advertisements start to appear three months ahead of scheduled dates. Every Boxing Day Test Match is held there. An entire section is dedicated to ticketing, which can be electronic e-tickets or simple card tickets which are sold at booths and tobacconists in the city, or at the gates open for current booking. Tickets bought in advance show the entry gate number, reducing congestion to the minimum. The access control software registers each patron entering the ground as their ticket is scanned and calculates the actual attendance figure. The official attendance figure is then posted onto the scoreboards towards the end of the event. The MCGs sophisticated emergency management plan, fine-tuned by ground management over the past few years, is kept ready for implementation. The system is designed to provide the maximum possible protection in any actual or perceived emergency situation, after extensive consultation with police, ambulance, fire brigade and State Emergency Service officers. Managed by the MCC, it is used for two days a week, with over 90 days of cricket and football each year. The construction of the Great Southern Stand in 1991-92 brought state-of-the-art comfort, convenience and hospitality facilities to all levels of Melbournes sporting society, setting many benchmarks for other sporting stadia in Australia. The Stand incorporates many of the worlds most advanced design features including two huge video display screens and also provides for disabled people, perhaps the first of its genre. One such measure is the Companion card, where the companion of an invalid or seriously debilitated person is allowed free access. This card is accepted at all ticket sellers at the venue. Customers pre-purchasing event tickets can also book a Companion Card through Ticketmaster. Further details are available on the MCG’s Website. Food Outlets have been placed behind seating sections at regular intervals throughout the stadium. These facilities use red and white signage and are accessible to the public, Australian Football League (AFL) Members and MCC Members at different locations. The MCC, as ground manager of the MCG, is aware of the issues and complications surrounding the provision of alcohol at the ground. To help ensure everyone at the MCG has a pleasurable experience, the MCG management, along with their contractor partner, Spotless Services Limited, has introduced strategies to regulate responsible supply and service of alcohol. Alcohol is a part of Australian life style and society, and part of the way many Australians choose to relax. Used in moderation, there are minimal problems, but used irresponsibly….. this is perhaps the weakest link in Australian Event Management as authorities often turn a blind eye towards excessive drinking, leading to boorish behaviour as witnessed a fortnight ago, when India soundly thrashed Australia, the self-professed invincibles of World Cricket. Moreover, toilet facilities are adequate, but could be improved further, as catering to close to 100,000 spectators is no mean task, particularly when alcohol has been imbibed in generous measure. The MCG has been a smoke-free venue since 1999 and smoking is now banned in all parts of the ground. These messages are displayed on the MCG scoreboard at regular intervals and on signage at bars and other serving areas. The penalty is eviction. There are a number of security and surveillance cameras around the venue. These are used for protection of property and assets and for the purposes of crowd control on event days, when the cameras are monitored by the Police in the upper levels of the stands and are used to detect inappropriate crowd behaviour. As Environment Management has become a raging issue, the MCC utilises best practice waste management to meet public expectations. It continually tries to improve its performance in this sphere, by reducing non-recyclable waste, re-using materials where possible, promoting recycling by providing appropriate infrastructure, etc. It has introduced other environmental initiatives such as timer controlled taps in public toilets and hand dryers to reduce paper towel waste. Lighting and air conditioning are controlled via a management system at the ground to come on only on when required. Other environmental initiatives are also being looked at, like maximising the use of natural ventilation and daylight. The MCC reminds attendees to think about protection from the sun. Anybody’s skin can suffer permanent damage after 2 hours of sun exposure. A prominent signboard asking questions like: “Do you have a broad brimmed hat? Sun Screen ? Lip Balm? Clothing protection? Sun glasses?” is displayed at all entrances and those who do not have the recommended items are invited to the Australian Gallery of Sport shop outside the pavilion entrance. Curios and other gift shops are seen along entrance pathways to the MCG, selling memorabilia and other items. The official MCG Super Store is open on non-event days and the range of items is available online on the MCG’s website. The National Sports Museum is to be opened to the public on 13th March 2008. To reach the inner sanctum of the MCG, a location repeatedly described as ‘hallowed turf’ the visitor will bypass displays dedicated to lesser activities such as golf, tennis, motor racing, rugby, even the Olympics and the AFL, walking down a long, green corridor devoted to cricket. At its end is a small room with a glass wall behind which are 22 objects looking like a semicircle of pumpkins, arranged to face a similar object that sits on its own in a separate display conveying the impression that they are all paying homage to this single one. The revered object is a green baggy cap that once covered Sir Donald Bradman’s head. The Australians claim that no major stadium in the world is better situated than the MCG to promote sport and to serve the community through easy access and superior spectator facilities. With the presence of almost 100,000 spectators endorsing this fact, MCG’s claim to fame is indubitably justifiable. Word count: 2,950 words. Reference List and Bibliography Evans. R.D.C.,1991. Cricket Grounds: The Evolution, Maintenance and Construction of Natural Turf. STRI Ford. P., Thomas,G., 2002. Drainage Design. Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE Lawson.D.M.,1991. Fertilisers for Turf. STRI Piesse, K., 2003. Cricket’s Colosseum: 125 Years of MCG Test Cricket, Friday, September 19, 2003. Hardie Grant Books. Puhalla. J., Krans.J. & Goatley.M., 1999. Sports Fields: A Manual for Design, Construction and Maintenance. John Wiley and Sons, also Ann Arbor Press. Melbourne Cricket Ground Chronology – last updated November 3, 2004. http://www.mcg.org.au/content/document/00000206-src.pdf Barenbrug Unveils Grass Solutions For Climate http://www.cricketworld.com The Pleasures of Rye Grass, http://www.allaboutlawns.com/, accessed on March 6, ‘08 S.R. Pathiravithana, National Curator, Sri Lanka Cricket Board. Soil, Grass & Wickets, The Sunday Times Online, Sunday, July 29, 2007, Internet July 29, 2007 available at sundaytimes.lk/070729/Sports/sp204.html Australian sports museum to open at MCG, Geoff Strong, The Age 8/3/08 Official MCG Website: http://www.mcg.org.au/ Related Website: http://www.melbourne.com.au/ http://www.stadiumturf.com/cricket_pitch_performance.htm http://www.iac.com/index/businesses/businesses_detail_ticketmaster.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticketmaster Read More