Up for the Cup

25 Oct 08

Security is nothing if not a constantly evolving function and, indeed, a direct reflection of that thing we call ‘human behaviour’. It’s a discipline that has been reshaped out of all recognition since September 11 2001... The day the world changed for us all.

Sport is a sector that has long experienced the tightest of security and safety measures. Necessarily so, given the history of terrorist attacks, bomb threats and political protests that have bedevilled major events such as the Commonwealth Games and the Tour de France.

One ‘spectacular’ lives long in the memory – the bombings at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where members of the Israeli athletics squad were taken hostage by Black September (a group with definitive ties to Yasser Arafat’s Fatah organisation). Come the end of the athletes’ (and coaches’) horrendous ordeal, eleven of them had been murdered along with a lone German police officer.

For its part, the golfing world witnessed at first hand how acts of terrorism can spill over into the sporting arena when the events that took place in New York seven years ago forced a postponement of the celebrated Ryder Cup tournament due to be staged at The Belfry in north Warwickshire. However, in a public show of defiance, the cherished tournament’s organisers refused to be derailed and America and Europe’s premier golfers duly battled it out on the lush greens and fairways in Birmingham the following year.

Six years ago, something was very different at The Belfry (the UK home of the PGA). What became the 2002 tournament set in motion the overarching principles of security management in the golfing arena that have been carried through to the present day, and were duly applied at Valhalla only last month. They’ll also be applied in 2010 when the Ryder Cup returns to these shores to be hosted by the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. Notification that the venue had been successful in its bid came only 19 days after the Twin Towers fell to Earth.

Winning the bid is a genuine ‘first’ for Wales and a huge feather in the cap of the Celtic Manor Resort’s owner, telecommunications entrepreneur Sir Terry Matthews. Matthews was born in the old nursing home which is now the Manor House Hotel at the Resort, and it’s his vision that has undoubtedly created such a grand tribute to the world of golf.

Europe versus the USA

The inaugural Ryder Cup event was staged as far back as 1927 when woods, irons and pitching wedges were swung in anger during a ‘joust’ between the USA and Great Britain, played out at the Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts. Since then, the Cream of the Crop in golf have competed for the famous trophy – named in honour of Samuel A Ryder, an English seed merchant hailing from St Albans – and the bragging rights that go hand-in-hand with it on a biennial basis.

Up until the mid-1980s, the USA pretty much dominated the competition thanks to the likes of ‘Golden Bear’ Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw but, since then, the Stars and Stripes have only been run up the flagpole four times on the final day. Post-1999, ‘Team Europe’ has prevailed on every occasion... until Valhalla, that is, when European Team captain Nick Faldo’s controversial selections and the poor form of leading players including Padraig Harrington led to a US triumph.

The biggest sporting event ever to be held in the Principality (and by some considerable margin), the 2010 showpiece will set fresh security boundaries and demands as it stamps its identity on one of the finest venues anywhere in Europe – replete with not one but three championship courses (the others being Roman Road, which opened in 1995, and the 6,371-yard, par 69 Montgomerie course).

As always, the rivalry will be fierce yet friendly as the drama of the 38th Ryder Cup is played out in the week of 27 September- 3 October on the Twenty Ten course specifically designed for the Ryder Cup. The first course to be built anywhere specifically for the competition, it features nine brand new holes (1st-5th, 14th, 16th-18th) and nine from the former Wentwood Hills course that have been extensively remodelled. Sculpted by European Golf Design’s team under the tutelage of head designer Ross McMurray, the 7,493-yard course has a par of 71 and opened for use in July 2007.

The Twenty Ten Clubhouse was built for a cool £8 million. The changing rooms have been tailor-made for each team, who’ll be slugging it out not just in front of feverishly excited spectators dotted around the course but also a global TV audience of at least one billion.

Behind the scenes, the security strategy is already beginning to take shape as the experiences of each Ryder Cup since 2002 are noted and brought to bear in ensuring that Celtic Manor 2010 is memorable for all the right reasons.

Key to that strategy is Mark Jones – security and safety consultant for the Ryder Cup Ltd organisation – and Ian Currie, in-house security manager at the Celtic Manor Resort. Slowly but surely, liaison between the two specialists is building to fit the pieces of what is necessarily a complex security jigsaw firmly in place.

The multi-agency approach

“To ensure the plans for the 2010 competition take into account the various security challenges, we’ve deliberately adopted a multi-agency approach wherein responsibilities are pooled between The Ryder Cup Ltd, the venue and the other outside agencies involved,” outlines Jones.

The scope of the operation encompasses shared intelligence, risk assessment and joint agency planning. “It’s absolutely vital we have a programme in place that’s flexible enough to meet any challenge,” continues Jones. “We need wide-ranging plans for security that enable us to deal with potential problems. Those plans must interlock, with no contradictions whatsoever between the various groups involved.”

With no fewer than 45,000 visitors expected to attend on each day of the seven-day marathon event, and some 7,000 personnel on duty, the importance of seamless interaction among agencies such as the emergency services, the police service and local authorities cannot be overstated.

“Large events like this, with such huge numbers of people attending, require a high level of co-operation because of the greater risks carried for even the most routine of tasks,” Jones explains. Something as seemingly straightforward as fire safety precautions, for example, take on a new dimension when it comes to evacuation scenarios.

Ian Currie and members of the planning team at Celtic Manor are understandably keen to realise the benefits of partnership, and what better way to do this than refer back to how security has been managed at previous Ryder Cup venues. Attendance at the 2006 event – held at the K Club’s Palmer course in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland on the banks of the River Liffey – gave them the insight as to how the various arms of security, the police, the emergency services, local providers, the venue and Ryder Cup staff should worked in unison.

Jones – armed with more than 30 years’ police service experience prior to his retirement in 1999 – brought his vast knowledge and know-how of the 2002 Ryder Cup to bear in Ireland. All of his skills were needed in helping to co-ordinate a massive response effort after severe weather (including torrential rain and gusts of wind at up to 80 mph) ripped through the site infrastructure and the course, creating a managerial nightmare and realising security issues that needed some fast-thinking combined with adroit manoeuvring for the tournament to be able to continue.

By shadowing the security team in Ireland, Currie developed a notion of who does what, how and when – invaluable knowledge that he now takes forward to 2010.

Important to pool resources

In a reversal of roles, it was Jones who shadowed Currie and his team last June when the Twenty Ten course staged the Wales Open Championship. “The importance of pooling resources is vital in ensuring security runs smoothly at the 2010 event,” comments Jones. Currie agrees. “We used the Wales Open as an opportunity to test out the system, check any concerns over traffic and parking and ascertain how well the cordons performed. Everything seemed to work, which gives us a lot of confidence in preparing for 2010. My local knowledge was helpful for Mark. This is very much a team effort.”

The partner agencies are already “liaising regularly”, Jones adds. “Initially it was every six months, but now the meetings are quarterly. We’ll probably progress to a monthly frequency as the event draws closer. The Working Groups need to cover a wide range of responsibilities as we have to put provisions in place for the moment players, VIPs and spectators step out of their cars right through to the time when they leave the site.”

Those Working Groups are covering operational aspects as diverse as transport, the huge Park-and-Ride operation, traffic and access management, infrastructure, press and PR, medical facilities, Health and Safety, evacuation procedures and risk assessment. There are also several sub-groups focusing on ceremonies and hospitality.

The Celtic Manor Resort at Coldra Woods lies in the Usk Valley, overlooking the M4. Accessible from Junction 24, it has necessarily been the subject of considerable study as the management team ponders the most efficient methods of accommodating the many thousands of vehicles expected while at the same time limiting congestion. A new junction of the nearby A449 dual carriageway will be built as one key strand in the effort to maintain optimal flow. Meanwhile, three Park-and-Ride facilities are planned, one each serving visitors travelling from the east (with 14,000 vehicle spaces for an estimated 32,000 people), west (3,500 spaces and 8,750 people) and north. The latter will host 2,800 vehicle spaces to cater for staff and volunteers.

Two temporary bus terminals are to be constructed adjacent to the venue, thereby accommodating the three Park and Ride services. They’ll enjoy both set-down and pick-up facilities. Pedestrian access from the bus terminals will then be along identified routes towards the Celtic Manor site. Jones goes on to explain that there’ll be facilities for ticket and security checks at these locations, as well as at the Park-and-Ride sites.

Gwent Police and the highway authorities will implement a programme of road closures on sections of local roads complemented by ‘through traffic’ diversion routes. All vehicle movement within the closure area will be restricted to coaches and other essential vehicles for the event, residents and business.

“Only limited parking facilities will operate within the site,” suggests Jones. “Ticket and security checking will be in place at each entranceway so that we can scrutinise all vehicles and persons entering the site. Access for private vehicles within the Celtic Manor complex is to be restricted to essential event vehicles via approved access routes and times only. Physical and technical surveillance will be in place around all perimeters of the venue to prevent and detect any unauthorised entry.”

Local needs are important as far as Currie’s concerned. “The site includes a number of private residences, including farms, and we’re already liaising with the locals to ensure the minimum of intrusion during this event.”

Shift in security emphasis

There’s a clear delineation of duties until the tournament starts, when the emphasis will then suddenly shift. “Celtic Manor has responsibility for its own security until the event begins,” explains Jones, “but once the Ryder Cup is underway there’ll be a shared duty between the various agencies who will take responsibility for their own area as part of the whole process.” Clearly, the emphasis is very much on sharing the security load.

“To facilitate the specific security arrangements for the event, a joint Working Group has developed plans based on a number of key elements,” Jones continues (see panel ‘Security arrangements for the 38th Ryder Cup’). “The plans take account of the security and safety arrangements essential to cater for an event of this stature. The framework of the plans having been established, the component parts are intended to be flexible and adaptable so that we can deal with any issues that may fluctuate or change significantly up to or during the staging of the Ryder Cup matches.”

Jones refers once again to the K Club event. “The severe weather was due to the aftermath of Hurricane Gordon. The winds blew past midway through the week and caused widespread damage to the site. We had extensive and well-rehearsed contingency plans in place, though, so all bases were covered. Our people and the emergency services knew what to do and responded well, so the event didn’t turn into a catastrophe. As with any major public and sporting event, there will always be a degree of risk, making it crucial that we take advice from the police and other security services on aspects of planning.”

Problems caused not just by the weather but also the vast crowds expected at the event and the potential for protests are among the sorts of issues that can arise. At the most serious end of the scale, terrorist attacks are always a possibility. “We need to be ready to act if the unlikely were to occur,” asserts Jones.

A major element of the planning process for 2010 will be pre-publicity. Given that the event will draw crowds from near and far, knowledge of the criteria for accessing the site will save potential visitors from a wasted journey and the disappointment of being turned away.

“Pre-event publicity is an important ingredient in our planning,” comments Jones. “It’s very beneficial for spectators because it’s important that they know exactly what they can and cannot bring to the site. Everyday items such as cameras and mobile phones will be strictly prohibited, due to the disturbance they can cause to players and the effect such items may have on security technology operating during the event. Bags over a certain size will also be banned.”

Checking procedures in action

The checking process will involve travel staff (who’ll be offering advice and scrutinising all plans), on-site ticket checking and validation, security search and police team scrutiny if deemed necessary.

Gwent Police will act as ‘lead’ in co-ordinating the emergency services on-site. “As the Ryder Cup is all-ticket, we can advise visitors well in advance to ensure they’re not taken aback by the security measures and prohibited items,” says Jones. “We hope and trust that providing comprehensive pre-event publicity and signage positioned around the Park-and-Ride will make for a free flow of people entering the site.”

That said, Jones adds unequivocally: “We plan a visible and robust security screening process, and it will most certainly be a case of ‘No Access’ unless visitors adhere to the measures set out. Safety and security must come first.”

A security and search operation will commence at each Park-and-Ride site and continue at the bus terminals and every access point to the Celtic Manor Resort. “These positions will be ‘manned’ by uniformed event security staff supported by overt and covert police operational teams and technology,” explains Jones. A policy of Best Practice is running throughout the entire security management programme. This includes the employment of strict vetting processes for registering staff that will work on site during the course of the event.

“In Ireland, for example, the police and the Inland Revenue asked for details of everyone working on site so they could also vet them as necessary. A similar policy may well be adopted at Celtic Manor, because vetting for staff at sports events and venues is becoming a necessary common practice.”

New technology and infrastructure

As stated, members of the development team for the 2010 Ryder Cup are using experiences from the K Club and The Belfry to help determine Best Practice.

“We wanted to see how issues had been tackled at both of those events so that we could do it even better this time around,” notes Jones, “as well as assessing what the new demands might be for the Welsh venue.”

The police have proven helpful. Currie explains: “Garda officers gave a debriefing after the 2006 tournament relaying their experiences, so there are a number of lessons that have been learned.”

Major changes since 2002 have included the introduction of more advanced technical equipment including the latest radio systems and PDAs for communication as well as arch metal detectors, x-ray machines and hand-held metal detectors – according to Jones, now “part and parcel” of security for any top-level sporting competition.

“At the K Club, the main form of communication was radio, and there will be a comprehensive radio network set up at Celtic Manor in addition to the more sophisticated use of CCTV and technology covering key locations,” suggests Jones. “All of the security activity is going to be co-ordinated by the joint event Control Centre.”

The contours of the sprawling 1,400-acre resort make Celtic Manor something of a security manager’s dream. “Topographically speaking, the site is particularly good for visibility as it has been built into the Usk Valley, lending itself particularly well to certain security opportunities. Cameras may be strategically placed to allow good all-round coverage, for example.”

Whether or not extra camera coverage is deemed appropriate for 2010 is still to be decided. “There are no cameras on the course at present ,” asserts Currie. “We don’t feel that we need to install them there. The overriding opinion is that we do not wish to be too intrusive with the security systems.”

The Resort culture instilled by Sir Terry Matthews is relaxed and friendly – a philosophy that, for Currie, permeates through to the security operation (at least to some degree).

“Visitors are free to come and go as they please. We operate a welcoming atmosphere. There’s no heavy-handedness. The security here is discreet. Staff dress in business suits rather than uniforms,” recounts Currie when mentioning the team of security officers who patrol the vast site constantly, both on foot and by buggy across the new Twenty Ten course and the existing Roman Road and Montgomerie courses.

CCTV and the Control Room

The management team at Celtic Manor has recently completed a six-figure upgrade of the site’s CCTV cameras and Control Room under contracts with independent electronic security services providers Swift Fire and Security and March Networks (the latter supplying digital video recorders for the ‘security hub’).

A total of 160 CCTV cameras located in buildings such as the 330-bed, five-star Resort Hotel (which opened in 1999 and boasts two Presidential Suites) – and in and around car parks and the entrance – have been replaced with Spectra IV colour dome cameras supplied by Pelco to give added PTZ functionality.

The new style of camera is less obtrusive, and thus more consistent with the in-house philosophy of discretion. In addition, Vista’s vandal-resistant mini-domes have replaced old static units in areas such as the lifts and Conference Room corridors.

In the Control Room, ten flat-screen Samsung monitors replace the old box sets. Each screen has the capability to display 16-images simultaneously, affording the operators total coverage from the CCTV cameras positioned inside and out. “We have an extensive CCTV system in place,” states Currie. “It’s a tried-and-tested deterrent, but some of the cameras we had were nine years old. Technology moves on and so must we.”

Jones’ day-to-day responsibilities will begin well before the tournament tees off on 1 October 2010. An event on this scale will require a three-month build-up programme involving a huge commitment to tenting, plant and machinery, seating and communications equipment – all security risks in themselves.

Several projects are already in the planning stage, including the provision of a large bus terminal, temporary buildings on site, hospitality suites, VIP areas and spectator access routes. “Given the numbers we expect will attend, access has to be easy and extremely well organised,” remarks Jones, “which is why we are making sure that pedestrian access is focused and only allows people to enter via the Park and Ride systems. To cope with the huge influx requires a well-organised and committed team including 850 golf marshals on duty each day – volunteers responsible for daily on-course crowd monitoring, management and movement. The overall safety and security team should number something in the region of 1,400 personnel.”

Catering for the VIPs

Big sporting events usually attract important guests, and golf is certainly no exception to that rule. Previous Ryder Cup tournaments have been graced by the presence of royalty, prominent heads of state and former US presidents – in 2006, both George Bush Senior and Bill Clinton visited the K Club – but Jones knows it’s not always possible to plan-in their visits well beforehand.

“The task of ensuring VIPs’ safety is clearly not a small one and, due to their busy schedules, we may receive very short notice of their planned itinerary. We need to be as flexible as possible so that the correct precautions are taken. A contingency plan will be in place – one that doesn’t infringe on the security of other guests or the rest of the event. Ultimately, a balance is needed.”

In times past, Celtic Manor has played host to various summit meetings that have attracted ministers and other senior politicians. According to Currie, it runs “a calendar of glamorous extravaganzas brimming with celebrities”. Currie opines: “Prince Edward has stayed here. As a result of occurrences like this, we have gained plenty of experience in managing the highest profile visitors.”

Currie finished his 32-year career with Gwent Police as head of Special Branch before taking up the post of chief security officer at the Celtic Manor Resort in early May 1999. He assumed his present role a couple of years later. During his time in Newport, Currie has seen the original Security Team of three swell to 13 and the security function evolve into a 24/7 operation. “There’s always at least two staff on duty, one on patrol, inside and outside, and one in the office. They work eight-hour shifts, and constantly swap duties so that we can maintain optimal vigilance.”

Speaking in his office, positioned near the staff entrance on the ground floor of the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel, Currie talks candidly about his experiences at Celtic Manor. “We’ve been pretty lucky considering the scale of the development here. Thankfully, we have had few security breaches – the odd theft from a car but nothing major. That’s surprising in a sense, considering the amount of media exposure. We have a good security record, but there are always plenty of temptations here for the thief so we can never let the guard down. That’s true of any hotel complex.”

Hotel access control

Those temptations may come to a head during the 38th Ryder Cup tournament, given the list of sporting and other celebrities and notables due to stay. With this in mind, access to all rooms in the monumental 14-floor Resort Hotel is monitored electronically via a specialist card key system.

“When a card is placed in the door lock, the action registers on a computer,” explains Currie. “We can read the locks centrally so that we know who has been in the room and when – and whether it was a guest, housekeeper or one of the maintenance personnel. As an added deterrent to would-be thieves, the bedroom corridors are all monitored by carefully-chosen surveillance systems.”

Managing the movement of the public, corporate sponsors and guests, media representatives, marshals and volunteers, emergency service personnel and employed staff during the 38th Ryder Cup is, without question, a mammoth undertaking and one that’s still in its formative stages two years before the tournament’s ‘roadshow’ pitches up (if you’ll pardon the pun) at Celtic Manor.

Given the experience and close working relationships of those charged with the task of ensuring the event progresses securely and safely, proprietor Sir Terry Matthews has every right to expect that this will be a landmark year for him, for golf – and, indeed, for Wales.

• SMT thanks Mark Jones and Ian Currie for their invaluable assistance with this article

Get the latest stories first with info4security's newsletters: Click to signup

Post and bookmark this story at the following sites:

What is this?

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit	Google	Newsvine