Andrews Sykes turns up heat at Manchester United

Manchester United called in Arena Structures to supply heating and they turned to Andrews Sykes, one of the UK's biggest names in specialist hire.

Football clubs are constantly seeking to build on the experience enjoyed by supporters and visiting fans at their grounds.

They recognise that it is no longer adequate to simply provide 90 minutes of action on the pitch: their customers are now looking for added value from their season tickets or entry fees.

Manchester United decided last season to increase its already extensive catering facilities by installing a temporary structure for serving food.

United hosts up to 68,000 home and visiting supporters at Old Trafford, currently England's largest stadium, and there is great demand for fast food before, during and after matches.

The club called in Arena Structures to supply and put up a structure measuring 35 metres by 25 metres and also to provide heating, as it was to be used in the coldest months of the year from January to March.

Such was the size of the temporary marquee that powerful heaters were needed to keep the catering staff and their customers warm in the chilly weather.

So Arena Structures turned to Andrews Sykes, one of the UK's biggest names in specialist hire.

Andrews Sykes has many years of expertise in supplying heaters that provide safe, instant and reliable warmth.

The company was contracted by arena structures for the hire of two of its fh500 indirect fired heaters connected to specially-constructed room diffusers for the main marquee, and one id60 indirect fired heater for a smaller entrance marquee.

These indirect heaters work by injecting fuel into a gas-tight combustion chamber, where it is ignited and burnt at a regulated rate.

This provides large volumes of safe, dry, fume-free heat.

The powerful but compact heaters are often used to heat new industrial buildings, providing large volumes of hot air to heat the fabric of the building.

The temporary marquee at Old Trafford was also available for use on non-match days.

The ground is not only a football venue: its facilities are in great demand almost 365 days a year for everything from wedding receptions to product launches.

Manchester United's success in marketing its extensive facilities reflects its position as a leading global brand.

Its ground is now a popular choice for the organisers of exhibitions, conferences, dinners and many other events.

Other football clubs could follow United's lead by using marquees as temporary facilities.

Many clubs are already improving their facilities to give their customers added value, both on match days and for other events.

TV cook and Norwich City chairman Delia Smith has provided a top-class restaurant at the Carrow Road ground, while Chelsea FC's 12-acre site includes a 273-bedroom hotel and even a luxury spa.

"We are used to doing a lot of major sporting events around the country but this was our first contract from Manchester United," says Ron Smith, Arena Structures' Project Director.

"At Old Trafford the heaters supplied by Andrews Sykes more than did the job, so we were very pleased with how well they performed." Arena Structures is the largest temporary structure company in the UK and has been helping shape event environments for more than 240 years.

It provided large structures for the recent G8 summit at Gleneagles, and its clients in sport range from the Grand National at Aintree to the tennis championships at Wimbledon.

Mr Smith added that he selected Andrews Sykes for the hire of the heaters because he had been pleased with the company's services in the past.

"They have positioned themselves well in the marketplace," he said.

"They provide nationwide cover, so the position of their nearby depot in relation to Manchester United's ground at was ideal for this job.".

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