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Wembley turn to Irish to solve problem pitch
 IT’S
supposed to be the jewel in Britain’s sporting crown but management
at the new Wembley Stadium have turned to Ireland to try and solve an
ongoing headache.
Sligo man George Mullan has been called in to try to improve the multi-million
pound stadium’s problem pitch.
Officials believe George’s SIS Support in Sport Ltd firm are just
the people to cure the rutted track.
And they could just be right.
For George and his team have worked on soccer pitches in stadium around
the world including at David Beckham’s old club Real Madrid’s
Bernabeu, Barcelona’s Camp Nou, Manchester United’s Old Trafford
and Celtic Park and Ibrox Park in Glasgow.
Now the company has won the contract to construct a new pitch for Wembley.
And it’s certainly needed.
When the stadium re-opened earlier this year after a six-year rebuilding
programme the ground itself received huge plaudits but within
a few games the state of the pitch was such that top players were complaining
about the huge divots that came up.
The pitch was also widely blamed for the poor quality of the 2007 FA Cup
final between Manchester United and Chelsea.
George grew up in Sligo and spent five years working in the United States,
three in South America and another three in Amsterdam before setting-up
SIS.
Now back living in Sligo with his wife Jo and their two children he is
excited about the Wembley project and proud of the way his hometown
has developed.
He said: “Sligo has totally changed over the last 20 years. It’s
fantastic to see.
“People are walking around the town smiling and there is a lovely
atmosphere here.
“The development of the town has been great and there are so many
sport facilities for the kids. They are involved in rugby, tennis and
sailing camps.”
SIS is believed to be unique in the sports turf construction world as
it offers
both natural and synthetic installations.
The company has a presence in seven countries around the world including
new ventures in Shanghai and Sydney. |
