Bury Football Club – Gigg Lane

Artificial Football Pitch Stadium Conversion

Gigg Lane Stadium, the home ground for Bury Football Club, is one of the UK’s largest and oldest stadiums; with the first recorded match dated the 12^th of September 1885 against Wigan Football Club.

Bury Football Club, however, were facing significant issues with the natural turf pitch. Inefficient drainage, exacerbated by the deteriorating surface frequently disrupted training sessions and matches. Gigg Lane’s natural turf pitch simply wasn’t fit for purpose anymore and was negatively impacting performance and the clubs’ overall operations. The requirement for a reliable and durable surface became crucial to meet the clubs’ objectives and expectations.

A decision was made to convert the existing natural turf at Gigg Lane Stadium into a state-of-the-art 3G pitch. Naturally, we were delighted when Bury Football Club appointed McArdle Sport Tec to undertake the works. The sports pitch installation was completed two weeks ahead of scheduled despite facing adverse weather conditions.

The new 3G pitch provides the club with a high-quality, reliable playing surface, allowing consistent training sessions and smooth uninterrupted matches, regardless of the weather conditions; players can focus on their performance rather than worrying about the condition of the surface.

Bury FC’s men’s first team have always trained and hosted games at the home ground, but, the new 3G pitch has already started transforming the way club operates. The new 3G pitch provides a permanent home for the women’s and junior teams who now train and play at Gigg Lane; last year the women’s team had to play at nine different venues. Furthermore, the club now have capacity to accommodate commercial partners, which is bringing in a new revenue source, and have even introduced a new Under-21s team.

David McNabb – Bury Football Club’s First Team Manager

“The club’s new 3G pitch installation is a fantastic development for Bury FC and the wider community. It’s not just an artificial sports surface, the new 3G pitch is an asset located right in the heart of the Bury community which will have a lasting impact. People can train and play on the artificial pitch, as well as watching the games as spectators.”

Neil Sears – CEO for Bury Football Club

“The 3G pitch has not only provided a reliable playing surface but has also increased the club’s revenue potential. It’s an asset that goes beyond just football, it brings the community together, offers stability to our teams, and provides a space for commercial activities. Any club looking to enhance their facilities should seriously consider it.”

“Working alongside McArdle’s has been fantastic. Throughout construction, the communication has been excellent; we are delighted.”

“Working alongside McArdle’s has been fantastic, a dedicated site manager Anthony was on-site every single day, we had an allocated Contracts Manager Geoff who was available at the end of the phone. Throughout construction, the communication has been excellent, any issues including bad weather has been explained thoroughly with any impacts on the build, the programme and time scales were consistently communicated throughout. In the end the project was two weeks ahead of schedule, we are delighted.