EALING made history on Sunday as it became one of only nine places in the country to witness a new dimension of television technology.
The Fuller’s owned Drayton Court Hotel, in The Avenue, West Ealing, was selected by entertainment firm Sky for the honour of hosting the initial launch of its new 3D Football.
The day was a precursor to the full launch of the revolutionary new service which will take place in April.
The match in question was the top-of-the-table clash between Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United at The Emirates Stadium. The exact locations of the nine pilot venues, which included London, Manchester and Dublin, had been closely guarded secrets.
Internet social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook were abuzz with speculation as to where fans could watch the 3D match – and it seemed pundits and radio DJs had enjoyed throwing a few red-herrings into the mix to keep people guessing.
A select lucky-few punters were invited to the pub’s function room which was newly installed with a 3D-equipped big-screen television.
At the stroke of 4pm around 60 fortunate fans got to experience what all the fuss was about as the special shades they were wearing opened their eyes to the new-look system.
United went on to win the match 3-1 and alongside the usual cheers and groans which accompany the action were gasps of appreciation for the quality of the 3D images.
Tony Johnson, public relations manager for Fuller’s, was delighted Drayton Court had been able to play a small part in making history. He said: "We have a good relationship with Sky as most of our 400 plus pubs have access to live football provided by them.
"This place was chosen, I think, because of its close proximity to Sky’s headquarters (in nearby Isleworth) and because its size allows them to control the crowd numbers while ensuring everyone enjoyed themselves. I think we saw a glimpse of a very exciting future in live sport here today."
Simon Jones, of Ealing Broadway, said of the whole experience: "I think it’s amazing what they can achieve but to be honest I’m not fully convinced yet how much of a difference this will make to watching matches.
"It is kind of cool that Ealing was chosen for an honour like this though, hopefully the rest of the country will enjoy 3D when they get it in April."
