The A Malata stadium in Ferrol will undergo a major upgrade of its lighting system. After more than thirty years since the original system was installed, the stadium will get modern LED technology.

Old problems, new solutions

A Malata‘s existing lighting system dates back to 1993. Despite an overhaul last year, the system no longer met the required standards, resulting in financial penalties for the Racing de Ferrol club - each home night game attracted a fine of €6,000. The mayor of Ferrol, José Manuel Rey Varela, pointed out that some of the equipment was inoperable and many components were worn out. The need to upgrade was therefore inevitable.

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The new project involves replacing the current incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient LED lights. Twenty-seven floodlights will be installed in the four towers and a further 120 will be distributed on the roof of the stadium. With this solution, the lighting will not only meet all standards, but will also enable the creation of striking illuminations.

The project includes an advanced DMX system, which will allow the lighting to be centrally controlled and monitored. What's more, the stadium will gain the ability to organise light shows similar to those seen in the world's biggest sports arenas. Ferrol City Council stresses that the DMX system allows complete flexibility in the management of the lighting, while at the same time allowing for further expansion without having to replace all the components.

The upgrade will also cover other important technical aspects. Accumulated soil and vegetation will be removed from the bases of the towers to prevent further damage to the structures. In addition, all towers will be equipped with modern lightning protection systems with remote verification technology. Such solutions are expected to ensure the highest level of safety for both infrastructure and spectators.

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Plan and financing

According to the approved project, the modernisation work will take two and a half months. The administrative process is in its final stages - the project has received a favourable opinion from the provincial authorities and has been approved by the Ferrol City Council. The final approval by the Deputation of A Coruña and the award of the cooperation agreement will allow the tender to be launched and the work to begin.

The total cost of the project is €1.5 million, half of which will be funded by the Deputation of A Coruña. Funds for this had already been set aside in the provincial budget since May last year. Mayor Rey Varela also pointed out that the lighting upgrade is only part of the larger Cidade do Deporte project, which also plans to renovate the stadium roof.

What was the route to the tender?

Ferrol City Council has long been pushing for changes to the infrastructure of A Malata Stadium, but the lighting project required a number of administrative agreements to be implemented. It all started in May, when Racing de Ferrol applied for a grant to cover the costs of the upgrade. Shortly afterwards, a budget of €750,000 was approved to be co-financed by the local authority and the A Coruña Deputation.

In August, the City Council reported that the project documentation needed to be completed, which delayed sending the application to the provincial government. Finally, on 9 September, the revised documentation was sent to the Diputación de A Coruña. It was there that the decision was made to approve the project and grant the funding. Now that the Provincial Council has given the green light, the bidding process is in its final stretch.

© Mark

Bureaucratic complexity

The last few months have been full of administrative challenges. Racing de Ferrol's inability to tender directly required the signing of an agreement between the club, the City Council and the provincial government. As a result, the club was required to submit a project at a cost of €35,000, with the City Council itself entrusted with the tender process.

All this work, although time-consuming, allowed a compromise to be reached and the ground to be prepared for the project. After years of neglect and lack of maintenance of the sports infrastructure, the Ferrol authorities are betting on modernity and bringing the A Malata stadium up to modern standards.

We are also waiting for the name change

Isidro Silveira is considered one of the most important figures in the history of Racing de Ferrol. He was president of the club for 21 years, considered a period of economic stability and sporting renaissance. In 2000, Racing returned to the second division after 21 years. It played there for six seasons during Isidro Silveira's presidency, which lasted from 1995 until his death in 2016.

Now Racing play in the third division, and the Socialists proposed in March to rename the Malata stadium in memory of the eternal president, an idea that has been raised for the last few years but never ended in any concrete proposal. As the ground belongs to the city, the matter was put to a vote in the municipal plenary and was approved with the votes of the PP, PSOE and Ferrol en Común.

© Mark