Kestrel News
All the 3's for Kestrel
Everything comes in 3's!
- Kestrel have just completed their third stadium pitch construction in the last three years
- In three different areas of the country - the South West, West Midlands and the North West
- For three different sports - rugby union, football and rugby league.
- Using three different types of specification
For Exeter Chiefs RFC it was the beginning of a new era in 2005 when their much awaited new stadium and training ground facility was completed. The project was given a proud seal of approval, when the England A rugby team adopted the venue as home for all of their matches.
The project involved not only a sand slit ameliorated topsoil onto a stone carpet in the stadium, but also two new training pitches and a full size 3G artificial surface. Kestrel carried out all of the works in house and the project was instrumental in the company becoming members of the pitch division of SAPCA
Rolling on from this, they were appointed in 2006 to construct the stadium for Shrewsbury Town FC who were finally moving from their famous Gay Meadow Stadium. The project involved working closely with the main contractors Hall Construction, who were building the stadium and its infrastructure.
The clients brief was to produce a surface which could not only handle football but also cope with a prerequisite number of rugby union games. The decision was made to build a perched water table pitch with a rootzone than had been stabilised with Loksand fibres. The first match at the new ground was an 'All-Stars' friendly game which included the likes of ex Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola. Encouraged by their new pitch, Shrewsbury Town ran out 4-0 winners.
Further to the initial success, the Shrewsbury Town grounds man has recently been awarded the Football League 2 grounds man of the year award. A big congratulations from all at Kestrel Contractors.
So pleased were the main contractors with the quality of the Shrewsbury Town project, Kestrel were invited to price the new Leigh Centurions RFC rugby league stadium. Working to a STRI specification, which included undersoil heating, the seeding has now been completed and the club are now champing at the bit to begin playing on the already verdant surface.
“It has been a challenging few years” said Will Buxton, Kestrels Contracts Director. “However, once the first fixture gets up and running it all becomes worthwhile. Every project seems to bring its own set of problems, but by carrying out the majority of the works with our in house personnel and management teams, all issues can be addressed and resolved instantly as the buck stops with us. It continues to underline our position as one of the market leaders in sports turf construction in the UK, whatever the sport, be it natural or synthetic”
So three cheers for Kestrel Contractors
Kestrel (Contractors) Ltd teamed up with ex-Everton and Wales goalkeeper Neville Southall at Windsor Racecourse for this year’s IOG Saltex Exhibition.
A 600 sq metre inflatable ‘Stadium’ provided by the Football Foundation housed a football pitch which played host to a penalty shoot out where guests were invited to test their skills against the legendary keeper.
Kestrel awarded a trio of artificial pitch construction projects.
Kestrel are celebrating a highly successful recent period which culminated in securing 5 lucrative contracts within the last week.
Kestrel were awarded a trio of synthetic sports pitch projects for schools in Buckingham, Fareham & Leatherhead, a 3rd Generation training area for Exeter Chiefs RFC & Shrewsbury FC's new stadium pitch.
