The‘F’PLAN
events such as concerts and exhibitions. Another recent trend has seen
ever improving playing surfaces as games become faster and more skillful. Many stadium pitches are being used more and more, not just for sport but also for
stadiums used for dual sports with football and one of the two rugby codes pitch sharing. It is a scenario that
TOP class sport continues to demand
THIS increased usage would not be possible without the technical advancements in pitch construction and improved maintenance regimes. It would have been impossible to hold these extra events in the 1970’s and early 1980’s on the poor quality, muddy, soil based pitches of that era. But, with the top venues having gone through radical reconstructions and refurbishments in recent years, the opportunity to gain extra revenue from holding these events is now an important factor for many clubs.
The main challenge was to improve drainage and surface playability, while reducing wear and tear. This was made possible with the introduction of sand dominated rootzones in the mid 1980’s. However, these early pitches were not as successful as had been hoped due to a lack of understanding of how to maintain them or an incorrect choice of sand materials.
has put extra pressure on the groundsmen at these venues.
LAURENCE GALE MSc Report by
Sand is a very inert material; free draining but prone to compaction. The problem was the sand profile drying out. Sand becomes unstable as it dries out, and has a tendency to move laterally. This, in turn, made the pitch unstable and soon the grass was being kicked out, and became a serious issue during the winter months when there was little or no chance of the grass recovering. Many of these early sand constructed pitches often resembled a beach in the
winter months due to the loss of grass cover. However, help was at hand when, in 1991, Vic Armond of Mansfield Sand developed the fibresand product.
FIBRESAND is silica sand that is mixed with millions of polypropylene 35mm long fibres. The fibresand is then further mixed with soil to form a reinforced 80/20 rootzone material that turf can be grown on. This formula produces a product that gives immense three- dimensional strength and stability. The fibres have a stabilising effect by reducing surface deformation and compaction effects from footfall or vehicle traffic.
The first football club to use Fibresand was Hull City in the 1991-92 season to reinforce their goal mouths and centre circle. Hull were so pleased with the results that, at the end of the following season, they increased the amount of fibre into their pitch by a further 31 tonnes of the material using two methods of application.
The goal mouths and penalty boxes
were completely stripped out and replaced with fibre rootzone materials, while other areas of the pitch were top dressed with the fibresand, using solid tine aerators to punch the material into the ground.
Manchester United were next to try out the method, having 121 tonnes incorporated into the Old Trafford pitch
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