Falmer pitch.

[Marc]

Aside from the quality of the pitch, the Argus today reports that it is going to be the same size as Wembley! Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Wembley's pitch seems MASSIVE. I hope we have some speedy wingers (LuaLua) to take advantage of this!

as usual the Argus is months behind, either Ask The Club or The Project Team answered that ages ago!

 

[HP Seagull]

as usual the Argus is months behind, either Ask The Club or The Project Team answered that ages ago!

Ha! Apologies, I didn't realise. I just get rather excited when our future abode is in any way compared with Wembley, even if it is the coffee on offer!

 

[Danny-Boy]

The playing surface structure will be 3m deep. The drainage will run at 2-3m, the subsoil is undersoil heating is next, then the growing layer is over half a metre thick. The grass will be grown in situe, this makes for a far stronger root system, which should prevent the pitch chopping up like we have seen at Wembley etc. At least that's what I heard.

Why undersoil heating, would seem a bit wasted this far South.

Based on a chalk undersoil would imagine it would drain fairly quickly. Selhurst Park I think is also on chalk and that never seems to get really churned up, or at least it didn't before the stands enclosed the ground.

Wembley is complete load of b*llocks for all the money it cost.

 

[Storer68]

I was watching a programme on channel 5 the other week all about stadiums. With Falmer in mind it was really interesting, particularly about the pitch.

What matters is not just sunlight covering all the pitch, but also wind. A number of stadiums had a closed around roof, which may have let sunlight in, but the air movement at soil level was non existent. Grounds these days should allow for air to move at that level. If you look at the Emirates, you will see that the air can travel just underneath the roof and is probably directed to pitch level.......not for a howling gale, but just enough for air to travel around the grass shoots.

Just for info, there is a pitch in Germany that is on wheels. At certain times of the year it is moved underneath the stands and left outside for direct sunlight and air to get to it.

There'a nother one in Holland at the new stadium for Vitesse Arrnhem

 

[Superphil]

Erm, no. MK Dons, Doncaster and Cardiff - three other very recent builds that have it. Which other significant stadiums have been built in the last 5 years? Also Hudders & Norwich from our league, and Villa, Tottenham, West Ham & Man City from the PL.

I looked on their website, no mention of MK, Donny or Cardiff, only the ones I mentioned, but if the others do then it adds a little credence to the system, I think it looks excellent, but wondered if it was really that great when so few (according to their website) clubs have done it on recently built stadiums

Why undersoil heating, would seem a bit wasted this far South.
.

I ony reported the information, I'm sure they wouldn't put it in if they didn't think it would be worthwhile.

 

[Danny-Boy]

There'a nother one in Holland at the new stadium for Vitesse Arrnhem

That could just fit over the green area left on the LDC side of the boundary at Falmer....

 

[KZNSeagull]

Why undersoil heating, would seem a bit wasted this far South.

Particularly when the game is more likely to be called off for fears over the safety of the fans rather than the state of the pitch, which seems to be the modern trend.

 

[HP Seagull]

I remember the Sapporo Dome in Japan, where England beat Argentina in 2002, had a moveable pitch too.

 

[Scoffers]

Particularly when the game is more likely to be called off for fears over the safety of the fans rather than the state of the pitch, which seems to be the modern trend.

but why would you not put in undersoil heating? We have a new stadium, and it is much cheaper to put it in as part of the new build than to add it later. It won't solve all the problems of cold weather, but it will certainly help.

 

[KZNSeagull]

but why would you not put in undersoil heating? We have a new stadium, and it is much cheaper to put it in as part of the new build than to add it later. It won't solve all the problems of cold weather, but it will certainly help.

I was being facetious. There aint much point in the pitch being fine if the game is called off because the surrounding roads, car parks etc are frozen and someone might fall over and hurt themselves, which is the reason why a lot of games were called off earlier in the year.

But yes, I would put it in now just in case the roads etc are OK!!

 

[natterjack]

Doesn't Swansea's new pitch have a synthetic thread every few centimeters, which helps bid the turf together?

Yes, and we were voted (by the other clubs) the best playing surface in the Championship last season - that despite 18stone egg chasing rugby players bounding about on it every other week

To get the best out of the surface there is an expensive mobile UV lighting gantry set which is moved around the pitch during the week to assist the grass.

Cardiff City had the same pitch installed at their ground but couldn't afford the UV lighting to go with it - the pitch now resembles a speedway circuit as a result

 

[DIFFBROOK]

That could just fit over the green area left on the LDC side of the boundary at Falmer....

Thats the one, not in Germany (doh!)

It was amazing to see it being moved outside.

 

[Curious Orange]

but why would you not put in undersoil heating? We have a new stadium, and it is much cheaper to put it in as part of the new build than to add it later. It won't solve all the problems of cold weather, but it will certainly help.

My understanding is that the channelling for undersoil heating is going to be put in, but that the heating itself won't be put in unless they find its required.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

maybe it's just the pictures and all the building activity but that pitch area looks awfully small.

 

[dougdeep]

My understanding is that the channelling for undersoil heating is going to be put in, but that the heating itself won't be put in unless they find its required.

No, they changed their minds. The heating will be there from the start.

 

[Everest]

Cardiff City had the same pitch installed at their ground but couldn't afford the UV lighting to go with it - the pitch now resembles a speedway circuit as a result

I think that's more down to Cardiff being a shithole anyway.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I'm currently doing my Diploma lvl-2 in Sports Turf Horticulture, will be qualified in June

You make it sound like one of those NVQ's which you can't fail to pass!

Good luck with that.

 

[brunts09]

i have been told that it is a requirement of premier league clubs to have undersoil heating, with the thought being that this may be extended to the championship in the future, so with this in mind the club has opted to include it in the design for the pitch.

the desso system works by injecting synthetic fibers into the pitch surface to a ratio of 3% fibers to 97% natural turf. this small amount of artifical fibers greatly increases the wear tolerence of the pitch although it does create other issues in terms of pitch renovation. specialised machinery is required to remove the grass vegetation from the pitch with out damaging the artificial fibers in order to regrow a replacement pitch from seed after say a concert. with out the desso it is much simpler to relay a new pitch, using turf, although establishing good root depth can be a problem i.e. wembly.

i think it is unlikely that falmer will go for the desso system, most clubs that have it do so because they also have rugby played on their pitches and therefore increased wear.

 

[Marc]

You make it sound like one of those NVQ's which you can't fail to pass!

Good luck with that.

Thanks and yes it is an NVQ but they renamed it to Diploma for some reason I dont know or care about