Construction work at Anfield is "back underway" as Liverpool rips up the pitch at its "famous ground" for the first time since '01. The club will "lay a new playing surface this summer alongside a state-of-the-art drainage and irrigation system." Relaying the pitch was "not feasible over the last couple of years." The club "wants to have a completely new surface laid well in time" for August's UEFA Champions League qualifier (London DAILY MAIL, 5/31).
The "end of the road is near for the
French Open's iconic Court One," with its pending demolition meaning "some of the grand slam's spirit will be lost with it,"
architect Jean Lovera, the man who designed it, said. The court was built in '80 and is "loved by players and fans alike for its unique design and the way it brings the audience into the game." But it is "due to fall victim to a Roland Garros renovation project," with its replacement expected to be completed by '20. An exact demolition date has not yet been set (
REUTERS, 5/31).
After shelving plans for a cricket stadium in Shakarparian, which falls within the Margalla Hills National Park, the Pakistan Cricket Board is "considering a new deal" with the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency and the National Council for Conservation of Wildlife "to build a cricket ground in the capital's greenest area." The construction of the cricket ground "would violate the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979 and the city's master plan, as it will be established in a national park" (DAWN, 6/1).
