To say the rise of Wycombe Wanderers FC has been rapid would be something of an understatement. In little over two years, the former non-league outfit from the heart of Buckinghamshire moved into Adams Park – a smart new stadium on the outskirts of town – then stepped effortlessly into the Football League, and finally capped it all by winning promotion after a single season.
A few years down the line and the club has inevitably lost the services of its charismatic manager Martin O’Neill. Nonetheless, existing stands have been extended to such an extent that the Nationwide Second Division side recently enjoyed its highest ever attendance – 9,200 at home to Queens Park Rangers.
Such a meteoric rise has naturally placed heavy demands on the club’s safety and security requirements, its entry into the Football League some eight years ago making CCTV surveillance obligatory.
Until now, the seven fixed speed pan and tilts – backed by four static cameras – had served the club well, but weren’t on a par with any systems that had been developed in the meantime. When the time came to extend Adams Park, club safety and security manager Frank Knowles decided to strip out the old cameras and install a state-of-the-art system.
CCTV and safety management Knowles chose Warwickshire-based Central & County Closed Circuit to carry out the installation, which involved a battery of 8″ Orbiter Microspheres supplied by CCTV specialist Video Controls (VCL).
Immediate improvements were noticed with, for example, the smoothness of the pan and tilt. “We can now use the fingertip control to follow any individual anywhere around the ground without the risk of losing them through jerky movement,” said Knowles. “My CCTV operators can’t believe how quickly they can move from one area to another.”
The Microsphere cameras also allow a far more extensive coverage of what used to be ‘dead’ or ‘blind’ spots. “The facility is also there for us to pre-scan every face in the stadium before the match starts,” added Knowles.
As is the case at any sports ground, the CCTV system’s duties don’t end at monitoring antisocial behaviour (even though alcohol-related and other incidents alone are sufficient to keep the operating team busy). CCTV is very much a part of Adams Park’s safety management system and, as such, also monitors crowd safety and fire break-out, etc.
“If left unchecked, a bit of innocent pushing and shoving in the crowd can turn into a serious incident,” stressed Knowles, “so the CCTV system becomes an important tool in monitoring such occurrences.”
The colour Orbiters naturally boast mono for low light operation, but are sensitive enough to stay colour-focused for match day duties (even in distant corners and under strong floodlighting). However, on non-match days the system is re-set for general coverage of the ground. There is no ‘live’ monitoring, but recording still takes place.
Again, the colour/mono functions are called upon as you’d expect.
The benefits of ‘plug-and-play’
Wayne Mellors, managing director of Central & County Closed Circuit, said that the Microspheres were chosen not just because of their proven operating performance, but also because of their simple ‘plug-and-play’ design.
“While one of the new stands was being built we were having to work alongside the main contractors. Speed and flexibility were more important than ever,” suggested Mellors. “The ‘plug-and-play’ option meant that we were able to begin installation on a Friday morning and finish on the same day.”
Mellors added: “That level of convenience may not be quite as vital for installers and end users looking to replace existing cameras, but nevertheless such a facility is always handy in any installation.”
Importantly, the entire security upgrade was planned in stages – in keeping with the financial support offered by the funding body, namely the Football Foundation.
The timing of the work also suited Foundation rules, as the organisation allows any club to apply for grants concentrated on refits or upgrades once more than five years has passed since the last grant.
