Skills Coaches has taken delivery of a Volvo 9900 that will fill the role of team transport for the Nottingham Forest Football Club first team. It is the fruit of a project that saw the operator work in collaboration with Volvo and the football club to develop with the OEM describes as “an accommodating, versatile and state of the art coach.”
Various modifications have been made to meet the specification set down, which includes a full kitchen, tables with built-in cupholders, 240v and USB sockets, monitors, wi-fi and more.
Says Skills Group Operations Director Pete Hallam: “These specifications were outlined and agreed with Nottingham Forest to allow the players to enjoy the utmost comfort when travelling and to reduce any unnecessary distractions. The concept is the transport allows the players to focus solely on what happens on the pitch.”
In addition, AD Coach Systems added ‘Forest red’ LED lighting to the bottom of the Volvo 9900 for Skills, which Mr Hallam says “adds to the ambience when players disembark for evening fixtures.”
Adds Skills Group Managing Director Nigel Skill: “We are delighted in the outcome of this Volvo coach conversion. It has turned out exactly as we had hoped, and the players and staff have assured us that they are extremely satisfied with it. Volvo has met our specifications perfectly and Nottingham Forest are thrilled with the vehicle. It has surpassed expectations.”
Volvo Bus says that the 9900 is “ideal” for use as a football team coach. Adds UK and Eire Sales Manager Dave Porter: “We are delighted that we could work together in partnership with the teams at Skills and at Nottingham Forest to find a specification that would suit all parties. We will certainly keep a close eye on how the team gets on this season.”
Skills first opened discussions with Nottingham Forest around providing transport for the club’s Academy and supporters. That then led to its providing a coach for the first team.
