LCSD is to blame for Hong Kong Stadium turf problems
大球場滋長青苔 康文署管理不善
文章日期:2016年11月18日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】THE HONG KONG STADIUM has got into another mess. Despite the Hong Kong Jockey Club's (HKJC) huge spending last year on the reconstruction of the turf field and the government's annual expenditure of more than $10 million for its upkeep and maintenance, the stadium has recently been found to have loose soil and be infested with moss. This, once again, has exposed the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's (LCSD) inadequate management. The design of the stadium was itself problematic, and its management has been unprofessional. All this rendered the stadium to a field of slimy mud when it played host to several English Premier League big clubs three years ago, which was a humiliation for Hong Kong. That the stadium is beset with problems despite the huge amount of resources devoted to it shows that the LCSD has not learned any lesson seriously and the problem remains unsolved.

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香港大球場又出事,去年馬會耗費巨資重鋪草地,政府年花逾千萬元維修保養,近期卻呈現草場鬆散、滋長青苔等情况,事態性質再一次暴露康文署管理不善。大球場設計本來就有問題,加上管理外行,3年前曾經以爛泥地的面貌迎接幾支英超勁旅,使香港蒙羞;現在大球場耗費了可觀資源,草地仍然問題多多,反映康文署並未認真汲取教訓,使問題延續。

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In the latest development, the stadium has been found to be infested with moss, which makes it easy for players running on the pitch to slip and get injured. If its condition gets worse, the pitch will not be suitable for matches. It is understood that when Juventus, a prominent Italian football club, played against South China Football Team in Hong Kong last July, the problems of loose soil and moss proliferation had already been laid bare. But no improvement has been made so far. As such problems could affect the conduct of matches, the Hong Kong Football Association has reflected the problems to the LCSD. According to experts, the problems with the turf are attributable to its mismanagement (such as over-fertilisation and over-irrigation), which caused excess moisture of the grass. Moss proliferated as a result and the soil became loose and scattered. As explained by experts, there are obvious and straightforward reasons why the stadium has reached its current condition. In normal circumstances, low-level problems like moss should not happen.

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大球場最新情况是滋長青苔,球員在其上奔跑,容易滑倒受傷;若情况惡化,將不適宜比賽。據知,今年7月意大利勁旅祖雲達斯來港與南華比賽時,已經發現草地鬆散疏落,並且生長青苔,近期未見改善。由於可能影響球賽,足球總會已經向康文署反映草質情况。專家認為大球場草地涉及管理問題,包括施肥、灌水過多,令到草地過濕而滋長青苔,草場鬆散和疏落。大球場草地現况,根據專家的意見,原因清晰明瞭,並不複雜,正常情况下是不應該出現類似青苔的低端問題。

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In July 2013, four English Premier League teams, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland, were invited to Hong Kong to take part in a competition. It was held as a grand event. But a large area of soft mud appeared on the pitch, making it unsuitable for football matches. Some of the teams were even deliberating whether to withdraw from the matches to prevent injuries of their players. After coverage by the international media, the affair became a public relations disaster, with some British media groups saying bluntly "Shame on Hong Kong" for the quality of the grass.

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2013年7月,本港邀請4支英超球隊來港,包括曼聯、曼城、熱刺、新特蘭,以盛事規格主辦錦標賽。只是,當時大球場出現的大面積泥漿,根本就不適合足球比賽,有球隊為免球員受傷,一度醞釀拒絕比賽。事態經國際傳媒報道,對本港構成公關災難,有英國傳媒更直指草地質素是「Shame on Hong Kong(香港恥辱)」。

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The LCSD subsequently set up an Expert Group on the Hong Kong Stadium Turf Pitch, which was tasked with advising on mid- and long-term measures for improving the turf. It also established a Sports Turf Management Section and appointed an expert from Australia as its director on a monthly salary of almost $100,000. From April last year, the stadium was closed for five months. By virtue of a sum of $31 million allocated by the HKJC's Charities Trust, the entire turf pitch was reconstructed. According to documents submitted by the LCSD to the Legislative Council, the project involved an improvement of the original design, which included the adoption of a layer of tailor-made mesh elements underneath the turf to stabilise grass roots and help them grow in the soil. The documents claimed that, if the new turf was properly maintained, it could be used for over ten years. However, the pitch became rugged after a rugby match. The stadium had to be closed for a month to let the turf recover.

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其後,康文署成立「香港大球場草地足球場專家小組」,就草地中、長期改善措施提供意見,又成立「運動草地管理組」,以接近10萬元月薪聘請一名澳洲專家任總監。去年4月,大球場「封場」5個月,由馬會慈善信託基金撥款3100萬元,全面重鋪草地。據康文署提交立法會的文件顯示,這次重鋪工程改善了原來設計,包括在草皮下重新鋪設特製紗網物料,以穩定草根在沙土中生長;文件指出新草地若保養得宜,可使用10年以上,云云。不過,重鋪之後舉行欖球賽事,草地已經破爛,賽事完結之後需「封場」一個月讓草地復元。

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The LCSD spends around $12 million every year on the maintenance of the Hong Kong Stadium, and has at its disposal all kinds of equipment. But the condition of grass leaves much to be desired. This is because the stadium as a whole has not been managed properly. The problem cannot be solved once and for all by finding a way to inhibit the growth of moss. The LCSD should strictly implement the mechanism for managing the stadium by bringing out the best in the experts and choosing the right people for the jobs so as to prevent another full-blown deterioration of the turf.

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康文署管理大球場,每年耗費約1200萬元,設備一應俱全,草地狀况卻未如人意,這是整體管理不善所致,而非用什麼辦法抑制青苔滋長,就可徹底解決。康文署須嚴格落實管理機制,包括發揮專家的作用和用人得當,大球場草地狀况,才可避免再次走向全面惡化。

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明報社評2016.10.04

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Emily Lui
Lecturer
www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/language_communication/LUI,_Emily_Nga-kwan-130.html

王翔
講師
www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/language_communication/WANG,_Iris_Xiang-342.html