Sports Labs - a Professional Services Company providing excellence in the design, procurement and testing of sports facilities and their surfaces. When Sports Labs is involved in your project, you can’t fail to win.

Why Sports Labs?

‘Consideration of the complexities of modern sports pitches and track systems leads to the conclusion that most Clients need expert advice before, during and after construction of a facility.’

We provide design, expert advice and specialist testing relevant to the construction and installation of synthetic grass and artificial track systems.

Our offices and staff are located throughout the UK to give service when and where it is needed.

A detailed list of our services is given in the menu to the left. Please follow the links there and in the main menu above for more information.

Sports Labs Clients Include:

• Local Authorities
• Independent Schools
• Universities
• Armed Forces
• Colleges
• Centres of Excellence
• Hockey Clubs
• Soccer Clubs
• Sports Clubs
• Sports Governing Bodies
• Manufacturers of systems

Over the past few years Sports Labs have invested heavily in their laboratory and field testing service to provide one of the most comprehensive commercial Laboratories in Europe. The new expanded laboratory has ISO and UKAS accreditation and is furnished with the very latest in sports surfacing test equipment. The addition of three qualified testing technicians trained at Napier University and working full time on our testing programme, means that we are able to process testing commissions in a timely manner.

Being accredited by FIH and FIFA, for field and product testing, has meant that a wide variety of manufacturers are able to bring their development systems to our laboratory for a rigorous regime of assessment against performance criteria both at installation and when subjected to artificial ageing and wear. Sports Labs are able to input practical advice on the design of these systems as a result of their unrivalled experience as consultants and sports testing specialists.

Our technicians are regularly asked to test at international locations and we have designed a range of test equipment which can be transported as hold baggage on any airline.

Our unrivalled Consultancy service is underpinned by qualified Civil Engineers with many years in the industry the scope of our work normally includes:- feasibility studies, site investigation, topographical surveys, technical specifications, contract documentation, risk assessment, CDM documentation and supervision, project management, estimates and valuations.

We have been involved in many major projects for the full range of sports facilities throughout the UK and Ireland working closely with governing bodies, funding agencies, Sports Councils and other organisations.

This brings us into contact with many contractors and suppliers and we are pleased to inform you that in 2007 we have worked with the following organisations in delivering excellent sporting facilities:

Stantonbury Track – Charles Lawrence Surfaces
King Edwards double pitch – G Thornton Sports
Ashfold pitch – McArdle Sport-Tec
Weston Hockey Club - A P Thompson
UCD 2 pitches – Thornton Sports Ireland
Fettes pitch – Doe North
UWE pitch - Heydour
Bath University pitch - Charles Lawrence Surfaces
Saltmills pitch – Spade Oak
Glasgow Green 2 pitches, 8 No. five –a - side - Allsport
Holyrood School - Allsport
Salt Ayre track - Charles Lawrence Surfaces
Yarborough track - Charles Lawrence Surfaces
Lee Valley track - Charles Lawrence Surfaces
St Mary's pitch – Fosse Contracts
East Grinstead netball complex – McArdle Sport-Tec
Sandhurst track - Charles Lawrence Surfaces
Deansrath pitch – A P Thompson
Stonebridge pitch – Spade Oak
Fishguard pitch – McArdles Sport Tec
Morpeth Hockey Pitch - Hellens
Ben Rydding pitch – G Thornton Sports

East Grinstead Sports Club is a centre of sporting activity for the general public with major facilities for Badminton, Cricket and Hockey, whilst catering for many sports including Archery, 6-a-side/junior football and table tennis; with additional outstanding coaching and practice facilities for football on synthetic based pitches. In recent years, the Sports Club facilities have improved considerably with the introduction of a Sports Development Academy, however further development for additional sporting activities is planned for the coming decade.



In 2004 All England Netball identified the need for a suitable venue for netball competitions at all levels and East Grinstead Sports Club was chosen as it had the appropriate changing facilities, car parking and location to hold major tournaments. The size of the new facility required was identified as being nine floodlit courts along with viewing terraces and space for milling during tournaments.

It is expected that the facility will be available for use 12 hours per day for 50 weeks per year.

Although the club owns a considerable area of land adjacent to the current facilities, much of this is mature woodland and on sloping ground. This presented a major challenge with dozens of mature oak trees having to be removed and their roots excavated. The slope on the ground meant that the nine netball courts had to be built over three terraces with a level difference of three metres between each terrace.



Due to the nature of the subsoil, which had been woodland for hundreds of years, the terraces were designed to be supported by reinforced soil retaining walls. The excess soil was deposited in a lower field with the objective of constructing natural grass soccer facilities.

The long term plan calls, eventually, for the highest three courts to be covered and, in preparation for this, a reinforced concrete ring beam has been designed and installed at this stage.

Although the project suffered extensive delays due to the earthworks operation suffering in the wet summer of 2007, completion was achieved in November and the local netball community look forward to competing on the new courts in the 2008 season.