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http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...r-celtic-game/
The manager of nib Stadium stepped up efforts to dry out sodden sections of the pitch this morning in a desperate bid to ensure Saturday’s friendly between Glasgow giants Celtic and Perth Glory can go ahead as planned.
Allia Venue Management paid for a helicopter to hover just centimetres above the soaked surface in the hope that it would help remove excess water that has pooled in several places.
Recent deluges have left parts of the pitch looking like a quagmire because of inadequate drainage at the venue.
Allia chief executive Peter Bauchop said the Town of Vincent had fixed some problem areas in recent years but the pitch remained vulnerable to flooding.
Glory have been forced to consider switching the match to either Patersons Stadium or the WACA Ground with genuine concern that nib Stadium will not be safe to play on.
Bauchop said two helicopters would be used to assist in drying areas of the pitch, which were too wet to cope with the weight of heavy machinery.
There are still rugby posts at either end of the ground because equipment used to change over the goals is too heavy to be allowed on to the surface.
Rolling and cutting machinery can only be used when the majority of water has been removed.
More than 13,000 tickets have already been sold for the match, which is the second in Celtic’s three-game tour of Australia.
They lost 1-0 to Central Coast Mariners in Sydney last Saturday and complete their tour against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park next Wednesday.