Behind the Scenes | Returning to Scotstoun

• 24 Jul 2020

“It requires a bit of creative thinking, to be honest – you’re thinking about things you never thought you’d have to think about.”

A sentiment
with which people across Scotland, the UK and the world can no doubt relate,
considering every minute detail has become a part of everyday life in recent
weeks for Stephanie Karvelis. As Glasgow Warriors’ Operations Manager, getting
Scotstoun ship-shape and ready for the return of the club’s senior squad has
been top of her list of priorities.

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BUY NOW for exclusive member benefits, rewards and first access to buy non-renewed Season Ticket Memberships for the 2020/21 season ?#??????????????? ⚔️?️

— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) September 4, 2020

“We need to
ensure that the venue is compliant with all relevant government guidance in
relation to COVID-19,” Karvelis explained.

“It’s a
constantly moving landscape. Moving into phase two of the return to rugby plan,
the squad’s training requirements shift and so therefore the operational
requirements change as well. The biggest thing for us is getting a facility
that’s been shut down for four months back ready for us to use it. Creating a
bio-safe bubble to minimise the risk of any sort of infection is key.

“Things like
building socially-distanced gyms, creating a one way system at the stadium,
making sure there’s enough hand sanitising points and welfare provision – these
are all key. So you’re thinking ‘ok, we need to make a gym where the bays are
two metres apart from each other’. Ok – where do we do that, and how do we do
that? It’s about understanding what’s required and who can help us to meet
those requirements.”

It’s not
just the off-field preparations that have been in full swing in anticipation of
the squad’s return. Since it’s installation in 2016 Scotstoun’s artificial
pitch has been a cornerstone of Glasgow Warriors training, until COVID-19
brought a halt to its daily usage in mid-March.

“This will
have been the longest it hasn’t been used,” the club’s Senior Groundsman Paddy
Ferrie.

“That’s
never a bad thing with these surfaces, though, considering the number of hours
it’s used through the calendar year.

“It’s easier
to deal with than a grass pitch as its doesn’t grow, but still requires some
intensive maintenance to get it to the desired standard we have here.

“The
priority is keeping the main pitch and the rear grass pitch as safe and as
sanitised as possible for each user, so we’re following government and Scottish
Rugby guidelines for this and disinfecting the 3G surface when required after
training resumes.”

With rugby’s
return inching ever closer, Danny Wilson and his playing group will return to Scotstoun
on Monday in the knowledge that preparations for next month’s double-header
with Edinburgh will be in as safe an environment as possible. With that
guarantee comes an extra level of preparation for Karvelis, Ferrie and the rest
of the off-field team, however.

“The
documentation is intense!” laughed Karvelis.

“Quite
rightly, you need to demonstrate you’re doing everything in line with the
government guidance as well as adhering to what the league are stipulating.
It’s a lot of reading and applying those to our specific situation, and then
making sure everyone has signed off on everything.

In the summer of 2016 a 4G pitch was installed at Scotstoun. From Monday, we’ll be back training on that award-winning pitch as we get ready to take on @EdinburghRugby next month.#WhateverItTakes
⚔️?️ pic.twitter.com/zDCZ9cf8vh
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) July 23, 2020

“The biggest
thing for me has been things like ‘how many hand sanitiser units do I need to
order’ and ‘how often do I need to replenish them’. You’re sat there working
out how often people should sanitise their hands, the amount that the stations
dispense – that’s the level of detail we’re working at. It’s bizarre, to be
honest! You never would have thought that you’d have to do this sort of thing,
but it’s all about making sure the environment is as safe as possible for
everyone.”

The detail
in Ferrie’s work is no different.

“The grass
pitch was waist-high in some areas having only been cut once since early March,
so that’s been a challenge,” he explained.

“We’ve
brought in a certain type of mower that allows us to cut at higher heights and
slowly bring the heights down. It also collects the grass for us, which is a
big help.

“For the 3G
surface, it’s a case of clearing any litter that’s lying around and using our
tractor mounted rake to de-compact any crumb that may have become firm over the
last few months. That’s then flowed by a brush for the aesthetic side of
things, and lastly the pitch will be disinfected prior to the team starting
back training.”

The team
effort doesn’t just stop with the in-house Glasgow Warriors staff, however.
From the green light being given for the return to voluntary fitness sessions, everyone
has been playing their part in getting the return to rugby journey underway.

“Scottish
Rugby have been unbelievably helpful,” said Karvelis.

“All the
ground-work for the documentation and preparation for BT Murrayfield was there
for us to learn from, and the operational team across the organisation has been
an invaluable source of knowledge in helping us to transfer everything
knowledge-wise across to Scotstoun.”

So, as the
players return to Scotstoun and the first whistle at next month’s first meeting with
Edinburgh draws closer, the mantra remains the same.

On-field,
off-field and behind the scenes – Whatever It Takes.

Glasgow Warriors return to training at Scotstoun on Monday 27 July. Please note that the campus remains closed to anyone without prior permission