You’re at Loretto School in Edinburgh, watching Hockey on their new astroturf. So, why does it feel as if you’re in Idaho?
Like Lyle Smith Field at Bronco Stadium, home of Boise State, the Loretto Hockey astroturf is blue. Deep, deep, unmistakable blue.
World-class field hockey is played on artificial turf, but as with American football it is usually colored green to better simulate the grass surfaces on which the game was originally played.
The reason for the Loretto blue is not Bronco pride. The thinking is that the blue surface makes the bright ball easier for spectators to see.
Loretto School’s bright blue new astroturf is the envy of clubs and schools all over the United Kingdom. The synthetic surface, supplied by England Hockey approved supplier, ‘Nottssport’, currently boasts to be the only blue surface outside the London Olympics venue.
The high-quality sand-dressed surface is suitable for international matches and was officially opened by Hockey legend, Evlyn Raistrick whose CV reads like a Who’s Who in world hockey.
Sometime Chairman of the Scottish Hockey Union, Tournament Director at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Evlyn also found time to coach Hockey at Loretto for 16 years.
Celebrations were then rounded-off with a match between former Loretto pupils and the school’s girls’ 1st XI.
Jonathan Hewat, Director of External Affairs at Loretto School, said,
“The new Loretto Hockey surface is an outstanding facility. The surface is most popular for elite level Hockey, one that will prove of great benefit to our pupils and the wider community.”