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Issued:23/11/12
The iconic blue and pink Olympic hockey pitch will have a new home in Yorkshire, with Abbeydale Sports Club chosen to receive the turf following a comprehensive bidding process. In partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, which is one of only four National Performance Centres for hockey, the club will have the turf re-laid at its Abbeydale Sports Club.
The blue artificial turf with its brilliant pink surround, nicknamed the ‘smurf turf’, was one of the stand-out images of the London 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford and it will now make the 163 mile journey north from the Riverbank Arena to its new home.
The pitch will be used by students from the University for both performance and recreational hockey. The Sainsbury’s 2013 School Games will be the first major event to be hosted on the blue pitch at Abbeydale Sports Club.
Head of sport services at Sheffield Hallam, Dan Porter, said: "We couldn't ask for a better example of the Olympic legacy in action. Our students will benefit greatly from the Olympic hockey pitch. It is obviously a world-class facility, and I'm sure they will feel inspired when they play and compete for the University on the iconic blue turf."
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The search for a new home for the Olympic pitch began shortly after the London 2012 Games with over 40 applications submitted by providers in a position to install a specialist hockey surface. The applications were assessed by an experienced capital group, which included representatives from across Great Britain Hockey.
Roger Lomas, director of Abbeydale Sports Club, said: “This is tremendously exciting. We look forward to users of our facility being inspired by playing on the very turf used at the 2012 Olympic Games. We are grateful for the financial support of Sport England, England Hockey and Sheffield Hallam University and the ongoing support from the suppliers Sports Technology International and LOCOG in making this possible for us.”
For press information contact: Joe Field on 0114 225 2074 or email pressoffice@shu.ac.uk
