The sheer pace of sports technology deems that what was acceptable only a few years ago is no longer adequate for an industry where sponsorship runs into multi-millions, and where television coverage drives funding.

More than ever then, higher standards are being asked of stadiums’ lighting systems to ensure that both the moving and still cameras can pick up the perfect football image.

Technology has come a long way. The Charleroi stadium in Belgium installed its first lighting system in 1949; the result being an emission of about 20 lux of light, or in football terms, just enough for a match to be held in the evening and for spectators to get a reasonable sense of what was happening. Between then and 1957, when lighting was first installed at Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground, 216x1500W incandescent luminaries were mounted on four masts, showcasing events thanks to 200 lux of light.

The ongoing pursuit of better visibility, particularly when the television cameras arrived, means that in today’s terms more than 1400 lux is the general recommendation for fixed camera positions. And contrary to some beliefs, as broadcast technology improves, the lighting recommendations are slipping upwards rather than downwards as cameras work faster and as a result need more light if a good result is to be guaranteed; and in modern broadcast terms, guaranteed it has to be.

No longer is the situation possible as in 1991 during the Champions League quarter finals between Marseille and AC Milan, when, after the lighting failed, AC Milan refused to continue play. Contingency and back-up is now key to events that – in their magnitude and in a situation of evertightening club schedules – simply cannot be rescheduled for reasons of poor logistical performance or efficiency.

A recent example of where these specifications have been put in place is Doha, Qatar, where due to the climatic conditions which can reach well over 50°C in the summer, they have taken two very different approaches to physical activity.

One involves playing sport only in the cooler surrounds of the evening, while the other is to stay out of the sun and use the extensive range of fully air-conditioned indoor arenas. Both have their merits.

For the purists the Al Rayan and Al Ittiad Stadiums provide a green grass football pitch on the edge of the Qatar desert where every morning at 7am the pitches are carefully watered before the burning sun rises over the stands. Those who just want to cool down favour the Aspire indoor hall, which provides artificial turf and air conditioning and a range of other sport assistance facilities and services.

In the Aspire indoor hall 900 x Philips Arena Vision 2 kW provide 1400 lux in the direction of cameras for football, athletics, gymnastics and swimming – a colossal amount.