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Touchline | 5
the future of stadia
TECHNOLOGY
Naturally, technology will be the thin
edge of the coming changes in how
stadiums are operated and enjoyed.
Mobile technology is relatively cheap
to integrate, but goes far in making the
match day experience more personalised
and interactive. Already, many clubs have
match-ready apps which the fans can plug
straight into.
Across America, fans at matches can now
personalise their experience. If you want
to spend the entire match keeping one eye
on the coaching bench, tap the option on
the official game day app and it can be so.
Cameras placed all over the stadium allow
fans to zoom on contentious decisions,
rolling it back to super-slo-mo, making the
lives of the officials even worse than ever
before.
The applications for mobile technology
are only limited by the imagination.
Leaving your seat for snacks is one of the
great stadium love/hates. Today, point
of service technology allows the fans to
summon hotdogs and popcorn to their
very seat. Gone are the days of waiting in
line.
Toilet breaks are another inconvenience
made more palatable through technology.
Many stadiums have screens installed in
the bathrooms so fans don’t miss a single
piece of the action. Hopefully they are
splash-proof.
The Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco
was opened a few years ago, and took
technology to a new level by including a
Fantasy Football Lounge as a complement
to the executive boxes. This room comes
complete with HD screens, high speed
internet and is powered by Yahoo.
Screens are a big part of the stadiums of
tomorrow. Gone are the heavily pixilated
boards of the past. Jordan-Hare stadium
at Auburn University has a 190-foot HD
screen, which makes it ¾ of the size of the
actual field.
Teams use these screens for all manner
of information dissemination, and a fan
favourite has become the channeling of
Go-Pro content. In a fantastically American
play, the Houston Texans strapped one to
a bald eagle and beamed what was literally
a bird’s eye view down to their screens.
DESIGN
Stadiums have always had an impact
on urban planning, and some even
incorporate stylish contemporary designs
to augment their practical purposes. But
for the most part, stadiums have been
utilitarian, designed less for looks than for
purpose.
But given the fact that they are
increasingly seen as the signature of a
club, the design is becoming more and
more flamboyant. Olympic stadiums
have become something of a marker of
the host countries’ brand, but now many
franchises impose cutting edge design on
their buildings. The update of Wembley
was hugely expensive, but has resulted in
a graceful stadium which retains some of
its original features.
Ultra-modern design makes Bayern
Munich’s Allianz Arena the stand out
European structure, with its swirling
panels and sheer girth.
Moving ahead, and with new types of
building material becoming available,
stadiums will become more elaborate
and may even be comparatively cheaper.
Chelsea’ new Stamford Bridge will end up
costing half a billion pounds, and will be
a soaring Gothic-inspired stadium. While
hardly cheap, building a new stadium
from scratch in the centre of London for
the price of five Paul Pogbas doesn’t seem
like such a bad deal.
Retractable roofs have been part of
stadium design for decades, but are
becoming even more common-place
as they guarantee games can go ahead
despite the winteriest of days, and add
marketability to the building as it is
enhanced as a multi-purpose venue.
Technology also deals with one of the
problems with these roofs: how to get
enough sunshine onto the pitch. Over
in America, the University of Phoenix
Stadium has a retractable field to go with
the roof. At the end of each match, the
two-acre tray in which the pitch sits is
slowly rolled out and under the stands,
and is allowed to soak up those sweet
Arizona rays.
AMENITIES
Stadiums have become about the entire
experience, rather than merely a place to
gather to yell at men throwing or kicking
a ball. Traditionally, beyond watching a
match, fans had their options limited to
going to the kiosk, the toilet or the bar.
Today, Detroit’s Comerica Park has a
Ferris wheel.
Many clubs have ambitions to introduce
a range of amusement park-style rides to
their stadiums to keep people engaged
and on-site: and most importantly,
generating revenue.
The kiosk has long been another
important money-spinner, but a lack of
competition traditionally resulted in soggy
pies and plastic-flavoured hotdogs. Food
suppliers are now branching out. Self-
serve soda and popcorn machines have
been introduced, while even sushi bars
have started to appear in the bowels of
some stadiums around America.
Beer is a casualty of our advance into the
future. To the relief of the security forces,
but the chagrin of many punters, mid-
strength has replaced regular beer and
the stewards have the right to reject any
fan looking a little wonky.
Baby-sitting
services
have
been
introduced in some stadiums, which allow
fans to enjoy the match should they feel
encumbered by a small person.
THE DISTANT FUTURE
Most of the innovations mentioned are
already in play: their implementation on
a large scale is merely a manner of will
and wealth. They make the match-day
experience fun and personalised.
In the not-too-distant future, two
advances are coming that could change
everything. Firstly, self-driving cars will
nullify the worst part about going to a
sporting event: getting there and leaving.
Simply get out of the car at the gate and it
will go and park itself.
And in a win at the turnstiles, hologram
technology will soon make away games
watchable at the home stadium.