Elland Road invests in new sprinkler technology ahead of next season

As well as improving the football club’s lineup for next season, Leeds United are also making sure its home pitch is in the best possible condition ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.

Elland Road’s irrigation system has just had a significant upgrade after the club investment in conversion assemblies.

Ten existing sprinklers at the West Yorkshire ground, which is the 12th biggest in the UK, have been upgraded by replacing the sprinkler internals keeping the body and piping system as the same.

Among the features of the upgrade includes a trajectory adjustment, full and part circle in the same sprinkler, the option to clutch the nozzle base and ratchet the riser, which allows riser positioning without riser removal.

Kiel Barrett, Leeds United head groundsman, said: “We were looking to change our heads and it was cheaper to just switch the inside workings. In doing so, we’ve gained significant advantages while not having to stretch our budget.

“The previous ones would pause at the end of the turn, flooding the area, and didn’t turn very well, taking five to six minutes to turn 180 degrees. The new ones take just three minutes and there is no dwell point.

“They’re also easy to switch; all you need is a screwdriver and 30 seconds. And it’s easy to get an arc. If I want to go to 140 degrees, I can do that by hand, where previously I’d need a screwdriver to change the angle. Now it’s much more convenient when we need to change the angle if, for example, it’s windy.”