CRICKET

With over 35 years’ experience of assessing the performance of synthetic cricket pitches and training nets Alastair Cox has prepared much of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s non-turf facilities guidance including their performance and durability standards for outdoor and indoor training facilities and their performance and durability standards for mini-cricket.

FOOTBALL

When the first synthetic turf pitches were installed in professional football grounds in England in the 1980s Alastair Cox was appointed a member of the Football Association’s commission of enquiry that was set-up to measure the performance of the new types of playing surface and determine if they were suitable for FA competitions.

When third generation (long pile) synthetic turf surfaces were introduced in the early 2000’s and found to be far superior to the previous forms of synthetic turf football surface, Alastair Cox was appointed by UEFA to their Artificial Turf Experts Panel, which had responsibility for establishing if the new surfaces could be used in UEFA competitions such as the Champions League and European Championships.

When UEFA and FIFA decided to harmonise their requirements for synthetic turf surfaces in 2005 Alastair Cox was nominated as a member of the working group given responsibility for producing a unified standard that met UEFA’s requirements for elite level competitions and FIFA’s needs to also consider regional and community level football.  The outcome was the FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf, for which Alastair Cox drafted the Handbook of Requirements and Handbook of Test Methods in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Today Alastair Cox acts as a technical advisor to FIFA, UEFA, The Football Association, the Football Association of Ireland and The Football Association of Wales, amongst others. He advises on the testing and performance of synthetic turf surfaces, the maintenance of synthetic turf surfaces and the construction of synthetic turf football fields.  He also acts as a synthetic turf project consultant with responsibility for ensuring the satisfactory construction of new synthetic turf fields.

HOCKEY

Hockey was one of the first sports to recognise the benefits of playing on synthetic turf surfaces and they have been used at the elite level of the game since 1976. To ensure these new forms of playing surface met the sport’s requirements the International Hockey Federation (FIH) became the first governing body to establish performance standards to define the playing and safety characteristics considered necessary for elite level and community hockey

Alastair Cox has worked at FIH accredited laboratories for over 18 years and was appointed as facilities advisor to the FIH in 2012.  Now employed (on a part time basis) as the FIH’s Facilities Manager he has responsibility for the FIH’s performance standards for synthetic turf pitches, the licensing of approved manufacturers, the accreditation of test institutes and the provision of facilities advice (surfacing, construction, irrigation and lighting) to member associations, and tournament organising committees.

NETBALL

Alastair Cox has worked with England Netball for over 15 years assisting them with facilities related advice.   He wrote their Performance Standard for Netball Surfaces and prepared their Facilities Guidance notes.

RUGBY

Following the introduction of synthetic turf playing surfaces into the professional and community versions of Rugby Union and Rugby League Alastair Cox has acted as an advisor to World Rugby (formally the International Rugby Board), Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League (RFL).  He has assisted World Rugby (formally the International Rugby Board) in preparing IRB Regulation 22 that defines the quality a synthetic turf rugby pitch must achieve to allow certification in accordance with the laws of the game.

He has also advised the RFL and prepared their Performance and Construction Standards for Synthetic Turf Pitches and the supporting guidance notes; which have now been adopted by the National Rugby League in Australia

TENNIS

Alastair Cox has worked closely with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) since the 1990s assisting them in developing tests and requirements for the performance and construction of indoor and outdoor tennis courts.  He has over 15 years’ experience as an LTA facilities advisor acting as a member of their Court Advisory Service providing design, specification and procurement advice to tennis clubs and organisations building new courts.