Colchester FC say ‘Thank You’ to the Sports & Stadia team and praise the MacLeod Covering System service retained by The FA for the FA Cup live televised ties.

Nigel,

Thought I would drop you a line now the game is played and done with,to thank you and your staff for your most valuable input into this event.

With about a week to go your  support and back up started with site visits,weather reports and general dialogue,and carried right through to the day ensuring whatever the weather may do,we were going to make sure the game played. As a groundsman I don’t mind telling you that the week building up to a league game can be a nervous thing,wondering whether to cover or not, watching every update of forecast,listening to rain hitting your window at night etc. The bigger the game the higher the stakes. It was nice to know that other experienced people, were with you, ensuring the right decisions could be,and were made.

We decided to cover in the end ,a decision that was sensible and took all fear of problems away, James and your staff were very competent,efficient and professional in both deploying and uncovering ,without allowing a drop of the significant rainfall to hit the pitch. I and everyone else who witnessed it were most impressed. It is a great covering system.

Once again I would like to thank all concerned for this fantastic service,it really does eliminate any panic there may be regarding the condition of the pitch on what is a very big day. I look forward to being in a position to use this service again.

Many thanks

David Blacknall

Head Groundsman
Colchester United Football Club,
Weston Homes Community Stadium,
Colchester,
Essex, CO4 5UP