News PROTECTING SPORT STADIUMS 08/12/2022
Sports stadiums house a hive of activities. From training sessions and strategy meetings during the week, to match day excitement where fans support their teams, to international games where large crowds descend on the stadium to join in on the big event.
To accommodate all of these different activities, large stadiums typically have extensive infrastructure: offices, training fields, stadium grounds etc. Stadium authorities need to consider the security requirements of all the different areas to ensure the safety of their athletes, spectators and staff.
From a security perspective, sports stadiums can be categorised into four distinct zones:
Each of these zones has different security requirements.
Effective perimeter security ensures that only authorised people are able to access the stadium and its grounds - whether this is staff on a daily basis, or fans on match day. The perimeter fence needs to clearly demarcate the boundary of the grounds and has to dissuade any potential trespassers from entering areas where they are not allowed. Access to designated areas can be reserved for specific groups of people with gates, barriers and turnstiles. The chosen perimeter fence will depend on the security threat level of the stadium grounds. Our large range of Nylofor and Security panel systems can meet these diverse needs.
Most stadiums have some type of barrier that separates the fans in the stands from the players on the field. This can include temporary barriers, permanent fences or security personnel, or even a combination of these. These barriers are important to prevent any pitch invaders from potentially causing harm to a player or damage to stadium grounds. A fence is a good recommendation if the risk of pitch invading is high, especially if there have been past incidents or if fans are known to be riotous. The fence needs to offer effective protection while also ensuring good see-through visibility to ensure that those in the front seats can also enjoy the match, and security personnel can keep an eye on the crowd.
While the larger stadium grounds are often accessible by a large group of people - from staff to fans to the media - access to the training grounds is typically restricted to a much smaller group of people. The fence at the training grounds demarcates it a separate area, which can only be accessed by authorised personnel and players. The fencing chosen for training grounds therefore often offers a lower level of security than that of the perimeter. The height of the fence can however be very high to prevent balls from being kicked over it.
On match days, stadiums play host to thousands of enthusiastic fans. To ensure that all fans can access the stadium effectively and safely, crowd control barriers are essential. Mobile fences can be set up to guide the flow of visitors, based on the needs of each event or as requirements change.
For the first FIFA Football World Cup on African soil in 2010, several newly built stadiums in South Africa needed effective perimeter security and crowd control barrier for matches.
Betafence delivered over 60 kilometres of mobile fences and supplied the perimeter fencing systems around three of the stadiums:
A number of smaller stadia were also upgraded to be used as training facilities. The stadia for which Betafence supplied fencing included the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, Rand Stadium and WITS Stadia in Johannesburg, Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban and “Sugar Ray” Xulu Stadium also in Durban and the ABSA Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
