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New Offices and Dressing Rooms at Portman Road
ITSA and the Football Club after several discussions agreed that they would be responsible for providing financial aid for the purpose of the erection of the new Offices and Dressing Rooms at Portman Road.
From the contractors point of view this project became a very interesting one, commencing in the ground, which was infested with a number of different main supplies to the old building and the new West Stand. Each and every one working on the site had to be most careful, one usually finds that obstructions like these are situated where a building is sited.
For instance the right type of mechanical operator has to be selected, in fact, he plays a very important part, in conjunction with his agent, and General Foreman, who indeed have to make sure that all precautions are taken.
The building comprises of two large dressings, complete with all the necessary seating, furniture and fixtures. Throughout the building other than the bathroom and offices the floors are of Granwood with a polished surface, the bathroom and showers which are adjacent to the dressing rooms, include one large sunken bath in the floor, this is tanked with Asphalte and lined with two inch coloured tiles, one will find in addition three slipper baths placed side by side cased in with brickwork and then tiled to match the sunken baths. The walls are tiled from floor to ceilings, installed are four showers, with chromium fittings including the necessary mixing valves and fittings to the hand basins.
Opposite to the showers, the toilets have been constructed with glazed venesta partitions to form cubicles, adjacent to these a four stalled urinal has been provided.
The floors in the shower are of rubber Trill, black in colour and grooved for water and NON SLIP.
The Referees and Linesmans accommodation is no doubt out of this world as opposed to the old building, with all the necessary conveniences to hand, the bell pushes are so positioned in the referees room, that he can indicate to the players time to leave the dressing room for the field. As you may know, or may not know, it is the referees duty to see that the controls to the floodlights are satisfactory and to do this these have been positioned in a recess in the corridor close to the door of the players entrance.
Regarding the treatment room nothing has been forgotten, furnished with new treatment couches, and surgical trolleys, wall cupboards, with sliding doors, from floor to ceiling and including the new type of hand basin.
Looking at the overall picture the Club decided the amount of washing that has to be done certainly called for a Laundry. The Laundry was designed, and equipped, with the Electrolux washer and spin drier, coupled up to a water softener. Adjoining the Laundry is the drying room, with three large 200 gallon hot water cylinders positioned on a timber platform and insulated, fixed between walls are hanging rails to receive the linen, plus portable rails for moving around the room.
In the boiler house has been installed a Hoval boiler and is a Swiss product, with all the up to date appliances, it is oil-fired, and has an output of 550,000 BTUs per hour, which is capable of meeting all domestic hot water and central heating demands.
Throughout the building heating to the respective rooms is supplied by convectors and panel radiators inserted in recesses.
The boot room has pegs inserted into boards for the purpose of retaining the players boots, also high level cupboards to store the strip and at a lower level framed sloping slats have been made to take the footballs.
Leading from the lower corridor into the Foyer, the walls are cladded on both sides of the Entrance doors with Afromosia hardwood polish to match the main doors. Externally on the flank walls black and gold marble have been fitted with York stone thresholds.
Coming into the general offices a full range of cupboards have been installed, with other wall fixtures and a serving counter, the windows are Hygiaphone type recommended by the Ministry of Health.
Up the stairs on the first floor there are two offices, one the Secretarys, the other the Managers, both of which are furnished with office furniture , the floors fully carpeted and the windows fixed with Venetian blinds. Next to the Secretarys office a directors room fully carpeted and furnished where board meetings can be held.
At the far end of the corridor a Tannoy room has been constructed, cantilevered from the main building, with eagle beams and reinforced concrete. The remainder of the structure is timber framed with a large picture window facing the playing pitch, this room is used by ITSA for broadcasting.
The roofs are constructed of timber joists, with Neolith slabs placed on top covered with a cement screed to receive three layer roofing felt and white spar chippings. To get the maximum amount of light into the dressing rooms Aluminium louver roof lights have been fixed, these are also cord operated, for ventilation.
Owing to the new position of the building it was found that the existing drainage was not adequate, and therefore a new system had to be installed leading into Constantine Road, where the new Main Entrance has now been formed complete with tarmacadam road up to the new offices.
I think that you must all agree that the ITSA have put the monies to good use and therefore helped the Club by producing the property which in the long run all supporters can look back over the years and say that our money was well spent.
From the 1966-67 Supporters Handbook
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