The Gilles Villeneuve Formula 1 circuit is "undergoing upgrades in preparation for this year's Canadian Grand Prix." While the layout of the Montreal circuit will not be altered, the "safety features of the track will be revised." Most of the guardrails and some 5,000 tires "will be removed and replaced by TecPro barriers" (MOTORSPORT, 4/20).
League One side Bury held "positive" meetings with Bury Council on Tuesday "as the move to a new stadium took another step forward." Chair Stewart Day is hoping the club will "have a new home" in time for the '18-19 season. Day said that the club's plan to seek permission to build apartments and retail outlets on the perimeter of the current stadium on Gigg Lane, where the club shop currently stands, "hit a snag recently" but is "back on track" (BURY TIMES, 4/19).
League One side Swindon Town "hopes to develop new training facilities with the help of money from a trust set up by a former supporter." The club wants to develop the former Twelve Oaks Golf Club in Highworth into a training ground and offices. Club Chair Lee Power said, "Nigel Eady left a significant sum of money in his will to be invested for the benefit of STFC and the community." Eady was a lifelong supporter of Swindon Town and "bequeathed the undisclosed sum from his will" (BBC, 4/19).
The new Perth Stadium's preparations for hosting Test cricket have "hit a significant milestone, with five drop-in wickets successfully transferred from Gloucester Park to the state-of-the-art venue at Burswood." The lifting and transfer process took approximately 20 hours in total, including setup and preparation time, with three wickets moved on Wednesday and the final two wickets transferred on Thursday (CRICKET, 4/20).
The "ball is now in council's court" after plans for a NZ$2M ($1.4M) Carterton, New Zealand, sports hub "bounced back to its original preferred location." Carterton Sports and Recreation Trust, which is "hoping to get council approval for the facility," decided Howard Booth Park is the "best site for the development." Spokesperson Mike Osborne said that the trust "previously favoured Carrington Park for its central location and existing infrastructure" (STUFF, 4/20).
During Wednesday's Mexican Baseball League game between Bravos de León and Diablos Rojos, a structure in the outfield fell on several members of the bullpen at the Estadio Domingo Santana in León. Several players "suffered minor injuries." Security personnel "immediately addressed the situation to secure the area, which is being renovated" (LA AFICIÓN, 4/19).
