Determined to provide fans with the best possible matchday experience while also assuring their safety, English Football League One club Blackpool F.C. has installed a new NEXO PA system at its 16,500-capacity Bloomfield Road Stadium.
Protec Fire & Security, based in Nelson, Lancashire, stripped out the existing sound system and wiring, installing all new cabling and speakers from the French manufacturer’s P+ point source range, ahead of final system commissioning and testing.
A design produced in collaboration with NEXO’s Engineering Support Team comprises a total of 21 x NEXO P12 cabinets: 6 covering the Stan Mortensen North Stand, 7 over the Sir Stanley Matthews West Stand and 8 installed in the Jimmy Armfield South Stand, all named after legendary players at the club nicknamed The Seasiders.
A total of 9 x NEXO P10s now cover the temporary East Stand, which was erected before the start of the 2010–11 season, the club’s debut in the Premier League, with all speakers mounted at the end of the steel girders that support the roofs of the stands.
Alongside performance characteristics of perfect phase alignment from their coaxial driver configuration and exceptionally high power and long throw from a relatively compact, lightweight form factor, the facility to control HF dispersion further contributes to the P+ Series’ widespread adoption as an industry standard in mid-sized stadium sound system applications.
At Bloomfield Road, P12 speakers are fitted with horn flanges to provide an asymmetrical 60° – 100° x 40° dispersion and P10s with flanges for 110° x 60° dispersion, assuring optimum coverage for every fan in each of the stands.
Amplification and processing for the entire system is provided by just four of NEXO’s NXAMP4X2Mk2 Powered TD Controllers, each equipped with a Dante network card.
“The Emergency Voice Alarm Sound System has delivered exceptional performance, providing clear, intelligible audio coverage throughout the stadium” reported Protec Audio Manager Paul Faulkner.
“A key factor in achieving this success was the close collaboration with NEXO, who acoustically modelled the entire bowl to ensure all performance requirements were met and that optimum coverage was achieved across every seating area.
“Throughout the project, NEXO provided invaluable technical support and guidance, working closely with our team from design, installation through to commissioning.”
“Looking at the proposed specifications with Paul, I decided that the NEXO product was the ideal solution for Bloomfield Road, with all the other Premier League and national stadiums in which NEXO systems are installed only confirming that I was making the right choice,” commented Stadium Operations and Facilities Manager Glynn Makin.
“The sound and PAVA project took approximately 6 weeks from start to finish in the close season, and everything went very smoothly, which was quite a challenge as we were also painting the stadium, installing new LED floodlights and bird-proof netting, and refurbishing the East Stand. So, all due credit to the work of Protec and their sub-contractors.
“The end result is amazing and the sound level in the stadium when walking out of the players’ tunnel – wow! We’ve received the seal of approval from the owner, and I’ve already recommended Protec and NEXO to other football stadiums.”
“We would like to express our sincere thanks to Glynn for providing Protec with the fantastic opportunity to deliver this project for such a great football club,” said Paul in conclusion.
“Thank you for making the entire team feel so welcome throughout the works and for fostering an excellent working relationship from start to finish. We greatly appreciated your support and collaboration, and we look forward to continuing our relationship and providing support for the club for many years to come.”
