Managing director John Nixon on the floodlight upgrade at Brunton Park
Managing director John Nixon today confirmed that the first phase of the floodlight improvement programme here at Brunton Park has been completed with significantly improved results recorded.
“The floodlight situation is much improved from where we were a year ago,” he said. “We have increased the floodlighting level by approximately 15% and we’re very happy about that.
“We’ve installed 18 new floodlights on the north and south columns and we have to say a big thank you to Sunderland for their help with that. It was work we needed to do and it’s given us a better position to work from as we look to complete the project either later this year or during the quieter summer months.”
“The work done so far has greatly improved the lighting levels on the west side of the pitch,” he explained. “The levels have remained the same in four other areas so we’re heading in the right direction.
“However, we do have to say the overall lighting level isn’t quite at the standard we want it to be. We have more lights to fit to the east side of the stadium because the disappointing thing we have discovered is a drop in quality of lighting levels provided from those lights and lamps which were fitted back in 2008.
“We hoped the new lights fitted on the west side of the stadium would complement those already on the east stand but, unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. We’re now looking to revamp that side of the ground by relamping those lights which have reduced in standard over the years.
“It also appears that some of them have moved which has resulted two or three of them pointing in the wrong direction. They will now be reset and relamped and that will help to improve things further once that part of the process is completed.”
“It looks like we will also take action to add another nine new lights to the underside of the east stand roof,” he commented. “That should take away the shadow which is visible once the lights go on. That shadow actually rests off the side of the pitch but, because it’s there, it gives an impression of affecting the playing areas.”
“Having done the first part of the job, we are currently 16% below the standard we want to be at,” he said. “As I say, this is a massive improvement on where we were. We hope to do the remedial work at some stage mid-season but, if that can’t be done, it’s something we will complete during the closed season next summer.
“I have to say, with all of this in mind, the work the Carlisle United Supporters’ Groups are doing in raising funds for this project is vital. The additional work, with the hire of equipment and everything that goes with it, is likely to cost us another £10,000 – possibly a little bit more. That means the full job, to get us up to the standard we’re looking for, will cost in the region of £35,000.”
“We’ve had John Heaney from PK Electrical in working with us on this and he has been fantastic,” he told us. “Everything he’s done has improved the situation for us and Mark Wilkinson, from Edmondson’s, did an excellent job on the design. The good thing is we still have a lot of spare lights from Sunderland to use and we know that will take us to where we want to be.”
