ARTIFICIAL SURFACES
From the ground up :
65 years of supporting sport
pecialising in sports
S pitch construction , O ’ Brien Contractors Ltd , has supported the development of sports facilities at all levels ; from Premier League side Aston Villa Football Club and the Old Saltleians RFC , through to where sporting journeys begin at Northampton Boys College , and Solihull School St . Martin ’ s campus . With the right combination of time , experience and touch , each project has helped support the development of the environment that shapes international sports stars and those in training alike , helping generations of sporting professionals .
In celebration of O ’ Brien Contractors 65th year , we look at some sporting highlights :
Aston Villa Football Club
O ’ Brien Contractors were instructed by one of the country ’ s most prestigious Premier League football clubs , Aston Villa , to deliver a complete earthworks and ground remediation strategy . The team worked as the principal contractor to design and complete the side ’ s £ 14m training ground .
With the site originally used as a sand and gravel quarry , there was an opportunity to use repurposed existing material throughout the works , bringing down costs and simultaneously minimising the overall carbon impact . Additionally , the site was surrounded by
Aston Villa FC
important biodiversity features , including protected lakes and pools for wildlife breeding and an ancient woodland . This required protection measures to be put in place to ensure that the natural surroundings were not adversely affected .
Best in class results require experience and knowledge . From taking measures to protect watercourses and planting nappies to prevent oil or fuel dripping into the ground , to only undertaking vegetation clearance outside of nesting season unless a certified ecologist was present , O ’ Brien Contractors ’ nature-conscious approach reflects its commitment to the natural environment right from the start . Due to the success of this project , O ’ Brien Contractors was awarded a further design and build contract to deliver the complete Academy Club building , alongside additional
upgrades to the club ’ s grounds . This included constructing a 1,000m ² steel frame clad building , track facilities , pitch floodlighting and a player monitoring system , all in line with the top-level requirements of the Premier League side , resulting in a world-class facility .
Old Saltleians RFC
A Sports and Play Construction Association ( SAPCA ) winning project , O ’ Brien Contractors worked as principal contractor on the development of a new clubhouse and rugby ground , spanning a total 17 acres .
54 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | January / February 2024