LEDs could be used in football stadium overhaul

LEDs could be used in football stadium overhaul

One of Europe’s top football grounds has been earmarked for some radical changes to improve atmosphere; with LED lamps heavily involved in the plans

For years fans and officials at Manchester United have complained that the all important match day atmosphere at Old Trafford has been lost as the ground has grown bigger over the years and now a team of experts, who were behind the design of the new Wembley Stadium, have been consulted on what could possibly be done to improve things.

The doubling in size of the capacity, along with the requirement for the stadium to be all-seated, following the Taylor Report of 1989, has meant that many fans feel that something is now lacking at an arena once called the “theatre of dreams.”

One of the ideas put forward by Populous is to use huge double-sided LED screens inside the ground to keep fans updated with team news, scores and tactical changes, while LED lighting woven into the pitch could be used to trace the movement of the players for everyone to see.

“It’s about bringing the information that you get at home into a three-dimensional arena,” explained architect and company owner Christopher Lee, who has designed 30 stadia internationally.

The sound cloud and other suggested modifications were ‘very feasible’, he said, adding: “Nothing we’re talking about here is prohibitively expensive.”

Some of the other more radical suggestions include a “Fan Zone” in the roof of the stadium, where supporters gather before and after the game, along with a “sound cloud,” which is basically a mesh that hangs across the whole stadium and keeps the atmosphere and noise bottled up.