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ITV Fever Pitch Beach Stadium: First Look
It's all go at the former Granada Studio's World Cup mini-stadium and sand pit
IT was a bit like Brazil.
There are bars and food from Bem Brasil of course. It's all very tidy and very good-looking. It'll work a treat for the World Cup.
As we arrived at the old Granada Studios in central Manchester to sample ITV's Fever Pitch, finishing touches were still being applied to the site even though there were only hours remaining before Brazil kicked off against Croatia.
It was going to be finished in time we were assurred.
Confidential was there as part of a media five-a-side tournament. Other teams included MUTV, CityTV, the MEN, the Oldham Chronicle and The Sun.
Coached excellently by the editor Jonathan 'Hodgson' Schofield, Confidential scored seven goals, didn't concede and won the tournament. VICTORY!
Champions: Oliver, Mickey, Miss Kick, Matt (main big screen in the background)
As the pictures below show, there's a mini-stadium here, one big screen, another screen, and 450 tonnes of sand. Plus there are bars and food from Bem Brasil - of course.
It's all very tidy and very good-looking. It'll work a treat for the World Cup.
The sand pitch will be used during the day for beach soccer and in the evening will be occupied by fans to watch the game. The capacity is 3,000 for match nights.
Several games have already been booked out although there are a proportion of walk-up tickets still available. Book here.
Here's a video clip of Confidential writer David Blake demonstrating how not to kick a ball in sand. We call it his 'Shocking Miss Kick'. He would however like to point out this in Spanish, the language of the World Champions: David Blake metió un gol maravillosa en el final.
Here's a video clip of Oliver Schofield, a ringer, showing how it should be done on the re-take after Blake's mistake.
Brazil vs Croatia
Brazil vs Croatia
Brazil vs Croatia
Brazil vs Croatia
Brazil vs Croatia
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Anonymous I've decided to delete this comment as mean-minded and small-minded. Cheer up. Jonathan Schofield - editor
It's a place for people to gather and watch World Cup football. The evidence is all there for you if you look hard enough.
Watched Holland game yesterday and want contact details of head honcho of organising committee. What a disappointing experience....staff, prices, atmosphere, where do i begin? At least my team won....
Thought it was free to get in?
Just had a look at the prices in the photos above. They seem pretty standard, except for chips which are a bargain at £1.
they charged 3 pounds for half a lager, you were only allowed to buy 2 drinks at a time (bit sad if you tried to buy for the three of you) and staff were rude
Absolute rubbish, health and safety gone mad. Food tokens, what the hell? Tacky!!!! Don't waste your time!!!
Health and safety gone mad indeed. My observations from Saturday afternoon: Did they need to confiscate a bottle of pop from a kid on entry? Did they really need to ‘frisk’ people as they arrived? The 1 way system at the stand – was it really that busy? What should have been a good memory of footy, dancers and well BBQ’d beef has been ruined by ridiculous rules and regulations. Shame.
Do we know who is in charge of all this? Would live to provide some feedback on how not to do it....like recruit barstaff from young offenders institute....
It may as well of had a sign saying 'NO FUN ALLOWED' on arrival we got told we could not take in our Vuvuzela from the last world cup as it would make 'noise' then we got searched as if we were going through passport control. Went to the bar asked for 3 drinks as there were 3 of us got told I could only buy 2, so had to buy two then buy 1 seperatley. a pint cost £4.00 fair enough a normal price but when I asked for half a pint it was £3.00??? went to buy food had to buy food tokens then take them to get the food. Bar staff rude, unfriendly, attitude. I was having my e-cig its all outdoors got told by 2 huge security guards its not permitted, I asked why its all outside, but just got told stop doing it (meanwhile table next to me with 3 blokes smoking them did not get approached) also bloke on other table smoking real cigs did not get told not to smoke. Overall a total load of S**t will not be going back. Last world cup the arena at castlefield was excellent this 'thing' at Granada total waste of time. Oh almost forgot the bar closed whilst the match was still on!!!!!
No vuvuzelas? At least they got one thing right then.