Les Maclean, Director of DOE in the North outlined the project for a local Scottish journalist as they were finalising plans for the official opening this week -  

It all sounded so simple – "construct one new 3^rd Generation 7-a-side facility, just over 2,000m2 on a good greenfield site –  and, whilst you're here doing that, could you also rejuvenate an adjacent old bitmac tennis court and convert it to a Polymeric MUGA ?"   

This 'normal enquiry' similar to many frequently received, tendered and constructed by DOE, came in from Argyll and Bute Council in the summer of 2005.   We thought it would be a "good" contract in that the refurbishment of the second, smaller area could be co-ordinated with the new construction.  However, this proved to be no 'normal enquiry' – even for DOE.   We regularly work in the UK from the North Midlands up to the furthest reaches of Scottish mainland and, now, we were being given this opportunity to work on the Islands as well.    

The facility was to be constructed at Tobermory – the Ballymory of children's television fame – on Mull. The site had a spectacular mountain backdrop with clear sparkling waters in the foreground.   The client chose PRESTIGE XT 65mm 3^rd generation synthetic turf with a sand and rubber infill for their new 7-a-side facility , with a 5m high Zaun duo8 fence and floodlighting on 8m high columns.   With the facility being the first of its kind in the islands it was already causing a lot of debate and excitement long before we were due to arrive on site. 

Colin Elliott, one of our senior Construction Managers was in overall charge of the project and, with benefit of hindsight, he might have chosen to arrange his annual holidays to coincide with the start of the project in September 2005 and head for some far away winter sunshine rather than over to Mull on a deceptively calm autumn day.   The survey and initial turf stripping were carried out in glorious sunshine

Colin will not forget this project in a hurry and told me "the main construction period from late September 05 to March 06 saw the worst snow and rain I have ever encountered on any contract, even in Scotland where we are used to the geographical and meteorological 'hurdles' which often need to be overcome during construction on remote sites". 

Les pointed out that "on more easily accessible sites, DOE would have followed normal practice and just 'pulled off' site altogether until better working weather returned.   However, with the necessity to ferry all plant, equipment and materials across to Mull, once there it was an economic 'point of no return' and everything, and almost everyone, simply had to stay there and work through as best we could until we reached completion".

Amongst the daily "hurdles" which made this one of the more interesting DOE North projects were -

Getting there -

The roads are so narrow and corners so tight in Tobermory that even 25ft flat bed lorries could not access the site

Then a Land slip closed Back Brae Road which had been one of the better roads

An offloading area for fencing materials, the 3^rd Generation PRESTIGE XT carpet, rubber and sand infill etc had to be set up at a quarry 15 miles away with everything being double handled into site.

The macadam had to come on the ferry from Oban, a 2.5 hr outward journey at best, assuming all went smoothly at every stage of the journey which was not always the case.

Site conditions -

An earlier geological survey had showed "rotten rock".   However, when the topsoil was removed the DOE team was faced with a field of solid and extremely hard, grey granite  which was very definitely not "rotten".  

A large hydraulic pecker was used and this went through 5 new pecker chisels during the additional month which it took to remove the necessary quantities of rock for the cut and fill, drainage, fencing foundations, floodlight column pads etc

The weather -

All the excavation, foundation and preparatory works were carried out in atrocious weather, the only consolation being brief glimpses of brilliant winter sunshine which turned the whole area and the site into a winter wonderland for a few short intervals before the more usual raging blizzards returned.   Les quipped "we were beginning to forget what young Colin looked like he had been away on Mull for so long".

Despite all the difficulties, the team worked on doggedly and, eventually, against all the odds, achieved completion of the PRESTIGE XT facility in March this year.  

As we write in May, DOE are still waiting for sufficient improvement in the weather to allow completion of the second element of the project, the polymeric MUGA surface.

Mr Donald MacCuish, member of the Committee responsible for running and letting the new facility said "many of our older residents have found their second childhood in the best possible way.   They may not have touched a football for years but they are now out on the new facility at every opportunity and rediscovering the pleasures and benefits of the sport all over again". 

For full contract details, further information or to play test PRESTIGE XT please contact

Les Maclean or Colin Elliott -

DOE SPORT (NORTH) LTD, Scoonie Road, Leven, Fife KY8 4SE