Tag Archive for: Pitch

Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch

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Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch: Hamilton have splashed out £750,000 to ensure their plastic pitch does not come out bottom of the pile again in the new season.

The news comes 24 hours after the artificial turf at New Douglas Park was rated the worst surface among Scotland’s 42 senior clubs following a survey of players.

A study organised jointly by PFA Scotland, Sports Labs and the Scottish Football Association found top-flight professionals gave the 3G turf an average score of just 1.18 out of five – worse even than the rutted patch found at League Two minnows Albion Rovers’ Cliftonhill home.

That led PFA Scotland chief Fraser Wishart to renew calls for such pitches to be banned in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

But Accies say they are investing in a new Greenfields MX pitch to ensure they do not find themselves embroiled in another turf controversy.

The club stated on their website: “The hard work continues at New Douglas Park over the summer with the installation of a new FIFA-approved, state-of-the-art, 3G pitch in preparation for our 5th consecutive season in the top flight of Scottish Football.

“The club have made a significant investment of £750,000 on the pitch project, signalling a continued commitment to both our first team and well renowned youth academy in ensuring they are afforded the very best playing surface available.

“The 2018-19 season will see the New Douglas Park surface tailored to the same specifications as the Scottish FA’s 3G pitch at the Oriam, Scotland’s National Performance Centre – a facility the governing body itself describes as ‘world class’.

“The project is being completed in partnership with a number of the leading companies within the sports grounds industry to ensure the pitch is installed to the highest standards.”

Accies head groundsman William Watson added: “We have left no stone unturned in our drive to bring the best playing surface available to Hamilton Accies. Over the past 18 months we have gone through a thorough process of data collection and club visits.

“Greenfields MX is widely used in elite sport across Europe. It is used in Holland by various top tier clubs including Vitesse, by English Premier League side Arsenal at their state-of-the-art London Colney training centre and, in Scotland, by Alloa Athletic.”

Alloa’s Recreation Park was rated 10th overall of the 42 clubs in the SPFL.

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Brechin Pitch Vandalism Anger

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Brechin Pitch Vandalism Anger: Vandals have targeted an all-weather football pitch in Brechin, ruining the good work of local volunteers.

The fence around the the synthetic pitch and enclosure at the town’s Inch Park was cut open and a set of goalposts were torn down.

The attack comes after the Inch Maintenance and Preservation Society (Imps) took over caring for the site in September and raised £5,000 to bring it back up to standard.

The vandalism that happened in Brechin.Members of the community and local businesses got involved in the campaign and helped get the football ground back in shape with the help of Angus Council.

It is one of a series of environmental projects across the town which the group has taken on.

Imps chairman George Garden said members were disheartened and frustrated by the weekend attack.

“There was a lot of community backing and we are disappointed that the park has been the subject of vandalism,” he said.

“It’s extremely disheartening because there was a lot of hard work undertaken and it really knocks you back – it’s incredibly frustrating.”

The pitch is rented out to local clubs most week nights and opens for community use at the weekends.

Mr Garden said the public had access from Saturday morning until Monday morning so there was no need for anyone to cut the fence to get inside.

The charity has also recently taken over ownership of the public toilets at Inch Park and has been working on bringing them up to scratch so they can be re-opened.

However, Mr Garden said the vandalism at the synthetic pitch had left him questioning whether it was worth going ahead with the plan in case the toilets are targeted too.

The Imps group was created following a successful effort to bring Brechin’s paddling pool back into use after it was set to close due to high maintenance costs.

North Angus and Mearns SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon said the damage at the astro pitch was extremely disappointing.

“Imps are a hugely active community group who have done a tremendous amount of work in the past few years to fundraise and carry out improvements to facilities in and around the Inch Park area in Brechin,” she said.

“They also took on the toilets and paddling pool and I know they have ambitions to do even more for Brechin so I desperately hope they don’t become disheartened by this appalling incident.

“Vandalism is a mindless and selfish act and it’s appalling to see an act like this happen when so much work has been done by the community to keep these facilities going.”

Police are appealing for information on the incident. Anyone with information is urged to call 101 or speak to any officer.

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Greenock’s £8k Pitch Revamp

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Greenock’s £8k Pitch Revamp: Life’s a beach for Morton’s groundsman after 60 tonnes of sand was spread onto the Cappielow pitch as part of an £8,000 renovation project.

The hallowed turf is undergoing an annual overhaul to ensure the playing surface is in pristine condition come the start of the new season.

Award-winning groundsman Mark Farrell, 42, is leading the two-week, intensive restoration work.

A total of 52 matches were played on the pitch last term by the Ton’s first team, development squad and Celtic’s Under-20s.

Despite still looking like a carpet come the end of another long season, Mark says it is vital to keep on top of the pitch, which is regarded as one of the best in the country.

He told the Tele: “The pitch had a lot of games and a lot of usage.

“It was getting tired and needed a rest.

“We’ve put some sand deep down to improve drainage a bit more, smoothed off the surface and put some fresh seed in.

“The surface was looking a bit tired so the key now is to make sure it’s looking healthy again.”

Around 150kg of grass seed has also been planted and Mark has been working once again with specialist contractors Campey Turf Care.

Mark said: “It’s coming along nicely and the weather has been great.

“This time last year it was a case of trying to get water off the pitch because it was so wet and this year I’m trying to get water on it.

“It will be fifteen years in September since I started here so I know the pitch inside out now.

“The club have never refused me whenever I’ve asked for anything and that’s a good thing.

“The club wants a good pitch that’s ready for matchday and that’s what I always work towards.”

The Cappielow surface is regularly praised by fans, players, managers and club officials from across the footballing world.

Morton chief executive Warren Hawke paid tribute to the hard-working grounds manager.

He said: “The pitch is one of our biggest assets and that’s why we continue to invest in it.

“We’re lucky to have an excellent person in charge of the playing surface in Mark.”

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Hyde’s Promotion On GreenFields Pitch

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Hyde’s Promotion On GreenFields Pitch: Hyde United FC are celebrating after an immense second season in the EVO-STIK North, played on their GreenFields MX woven pitch.

Installed between seasons, Hyde United converted from a natural grass pitch to their 3G surface back in August 2016. In less than two years they have seen their revenue increase substantially as a result of pitch bookings and are celebrating their promotion, which they also credit in part to the 3G pitch due to the first team being able to both train and play on the surface.

Hyde's Promotion On GreenFields Pitch

With an unbeaten home record this season under their belts it seems Hyde’s luck is changing after previous relegations which saw them move from the Conference League (now Vanarama) to the EVO-STIK North First Division.

Coming to the end of the first season as EVO-STIK NPL Pitch Partners (providing advice and support to 68 clubs across the North of England) and with an ongoing partnership at Hyde United, GreenFields Director Paul Milton commented: “We couldn’t be happier for Hyde United, they are a fantastic community club and have transformed themselves over the last two seasons which we are pleased to hear is partly due to the 3G pitch. Next season will see them play in the EVO-STIK Premier Division and we will be supporting them throughout and cheering them on to be successful again.”

To celebrate their promotion and cheer them on to maintain their unbeaten home record, GreenFields attended their last match of the season on 28 April and presented them with a £1000 cheque to be used towards sports equipment to support the club in the next season.

Pete Ainger, General Manager at Hyde United FC commented: “”Coming to the end of our second season with the 3G surface, I can say with certainty that it has proved its worth both in terms of Club and Community benefits. It allows us to make full use of the stadium seven days a week, operating a DOE-approved Academy education during the weekdays, school and community sessions plus some commercial usage during most evenings and weekends; that will continue throughout the summer months too. The skill, expertise and customer service from GreenFields has also been excellent. The quality of their surface is without question and tested annually to FIFA PRO quality standard; thankfully a waterlogged pitch for us is now a thing of the past!”

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Rostov Pitch Ready For Action

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Rostov Pitch Ready For Action: The Rostov stadium, Russia’s new $330 million development – which will host five clashes during this summer’s World Cup – is officially ready for action, after its high tech hybrid pitch was given FIFA seal of approval in a formal handover.

Global pitch specialists, SIS Pitches, was commissioned to design, construct and install the surface at Rostov, using its sophisticated reinforced natural turf system called SISGrass. Combining 95% natural grass with 5% synthetic turf, it offers unrivalled pitch stability and delivers more playing hours than natural grass, as well as better recovery after use. Beneath the Rostov stadium is SISAir technology – an aeration system which manages soil moisture and promotes healthier turf by providing optimum conditions for root growth.

Rostov Pitch Ready For Action

Following complex inspections, the pitch was certified as compliant with FIFA’s quality standards by independent agency the Sports Turf Research Institute, and SIS Pitches formally transferred the pitch over to stadium management, who will handle all of its maintenance.

George Mullan, CEO & Founder of SIS Pitches Ltd, said: “With less than six weeks to go, a vital part of World Cup preparations is ensuring that, like the players, the pitches are truly world-class.

“Our crew has been working hard to get the ground into the very best condition. Rostov now has the most technologically-advanced playing surface in the world. Our SISGrass system has delivered a pitch that is durable and will perform well. It’s over to the stadium team now to maintain that standard and quality until the final whistle.

“As football fans around the world count down to the start of the tournament, the pitch handover is another step closer to the action, and we can’t wait for the matches to begin.”

The Rostov pitch installation was completed in eight days, using a staggering 48,000 kilometres of yarn – which is the equivalent of the distance around the world.

Smirnov Denis Anatolievich, Director of Rostov Stadium, added: “SIS Pitches are highly qualified professionals who provide high-quality services. They successfully carried out the design and construction of our pitch at Rostov Stadium, using the very latest technology, installing an aeration and drainage system and stitching synthetic fibres to strengthen our turf. Earlier this month we hosted our first football match, and the independent and official expert of FIFA conducted testing, which proved the high quality of the pitch.”

Rostov Pitch Ready For Action

The 45,000-seater Rostov stadium will host five World Cup Group matches, with Brazil facing Switzerland (17 June), Uruguay playing Saudi Arabia (20 June), South Korea taking on Mexico (23 June) and Iceland up against Croatia (26 June). The winner of Group G and runner up for Group H will also go head-to-head at Rostov.

Located in Rostov-on-Don, it is one of 12 venues that will host the World Cup. Six of these have commissioned SIS Pitches expertise and feature SISGrass surfaces, including Luzhniki stadium, where the highly-anticipated World Cup Final will be played before a crowd of 80,000 and a worldwide TV audience of one billion. It will be the first time a World Cup Final has ever been played on anything but all-natural grass.

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