Working at major stadiums and sports venues is never straightforward. Every stadium, cricket ground or golf club comes with its own constraints, tight access routes, protected playing surfaces, restricted working hours and the constant need to avoid disruption to events and visitors. For LIG, these environments have become a familiar playing ground for our specialist lifting and access experts.
Across the UK, our teams have supported clients with a wide range of complex movements, from rooftop installations to pitch‑side access. At Murrayfield, for example, Trackmats had to be lifted onto the roof using a crane. It’s the kind of operation that demands detailed planning, load control and project coordination with stadium management and other relevant stakeholders.
Tight access is a recurring theme in many of these venues. At Rubislaw Tennis Club, the only way to position the required MEWP was to lift it into place by crane. Challenges also appear at football grounds such as QPR, where antenna works required a MEWP with a lifting arm to be positioned in a way that temporarily blocked a stadium entrance, a logistical puzzle that had to be managed with minimal disruption to operations.
Protecting sensitive surfaces is another critical part of working in sports environments. At JER Lane Cricket Club, the team laid temporary trackway across the pitch before any equipment could be moved, ensuring the MEWP didn’t damage the grass. Cricket pitches, in particular, require careful handling, and this kind of preparation is essential to maintaining the integrity of the playing surface.
Some venues present challenges on a much larger scale. Hampden Park required scaffolding and steelwork to be installed on the roof, which meant bringing in a crane and creating a safe working zone within the stadium’s car park. 48 parking bays in the stadium’s car park needed suspending to setup the crane. LIG also provided a manual handling team to move equipment to the rooftop, a multi‑disciplinary effort that demonstrates the breadth of support required for major stadium works.
Even seemingly straightforward tasks, such as providing a MEWP for antenna inspections at Elland Road, require careful planning to ensure equipment can be delivered, positioned and operated safely within busy public environments.
Across all these sites, the common thread is precision. Whether lifting equipment onto a roof, navigating tight access routes, or protecting a pitch, LIG’s teams adapt to the unique constraints of each venue. Stadiums and sports facilities demand a high level of coordination and technical understanding, and our experience across these environments ensures clients can rely on us to deliver safely and with minimal disruption.
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