WORK finally began last week on the consistently delayed scoreboard upgrade at Wade Park.
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It lasted one day before Mother Nature intervened.
The old “clock and numbers only” scoreboard is being replaced with a brand new, $42,000 LED screen, fixed to the existing framework.
It was originally supposed to be installed and functional in time for Orange Hawks’ round two Group 10 premier league clash with Oberon last weekend.
“The rain stopped the work unfortunately,” Orange City Council sport and recreation coordinator Ben Keegan said.
“With major work like this, completion has a tendency to sometimes drift due to things like weather.”
Work resumed this week, and despite a problem with the framework, the new scoreboard is expected to be up and running in time for Saturday’s Men’s (1) State League Football clash between the Western NSW Mariners FC and Hawkesbury City FC.
“Our suppliers (Bathurst-based LED Screens Australia) are informing us it will be ready by this weekend,” Keegan said.
“We had a slight problem with the existing framework not being as square as it needed to be, but metal fabricators are in doing that work as we speak (Tuesday morning). The top section of the frame will be squared up, and the new screen installed.”
The scoreboard was scheduled for upgrade in 2011 in conjunction with the facility’s resurfacing, but after the redevelopment blew out in cost the scoreboard replacement was delayed, but has remained in Council’s plans ever since.
“We don’t want to put any undue pressure on the supplier, but we’re confident it will be functional by this weekend,” Keegan said.
“With such valuable work like this we need to make sure it’s all fitted properly so we have a working scoreboard for a long time in the future.”