Athlone Stadium to be closed for pitch maintenance and alterations.
The City said the stadium will be closed until Thursday August 15 to prepare it for the next soccer season.
Additional alterations will also be done so that the stadium will retains its Grading Certificate status.
The closure forms part of the annual maintenance programme.
“The stadium is also a popular events venue during the latter part of the year, therefore, from a public safety perspective routine maintenance will need to be carried out during the next three months,” the City said.
The stadium also needs to meet a set of stringent criteria to retain its Grading Certificate in terms of the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act (SASREA) No 2 of 2010.
Currently it is non-compliant and is operating under a conditional certificate, which will expire next month. Under the conditional certificate, only certain parts of the stadium can be used for events.
“Should the City fail to comply with the required legislation, it is at risk of losing its Grading Certificate, which will lead to the ultimate shut-down of the facility in June,” the City said.
The requirements stipulate compliance with a number of certificates, which include an electrical, fire and safety, occupational health and safety and a full set of stadium design layouts and approved building plans.