Winter Sports
football club to its local
ongoing compliance with the FIFA 2 Star standard.” Yes, it is true that considerable economic rewards can be gained by investing in an artificial surface, but they cannot be achieved at the expense of its maintenance. Indeed, it is only by means of a suitable maintenance programme that an artificial pitch can realise its potential.
The financial advantages lie, not in saving on maintenance costs, but in the ability to generate further income by using the surface to a far greater level than a natural pitch could hope to provide.
Natural grass football pitches can usually cope with 20-30 matches during a 10-month season, but alternative venues must be found to host first-team training, academy practice and community initiatives. A well-maintained artificial pitch allows a far greater amount of use by both the football club itself and the wider community. Crucially, within the Football League’s Consultant Document’s ‘Outline Business Plan for an Artificial Surface at a Football League Ground’, the following caveat is included: “Maintenance is a very important element of the business plan, as it affects both the potential for cost savings and the lasting quality of an artificial surface.”
It is encouraging that the Football League has highlighted the importance of maintenance as a key consideration during any overall debate on the introduction of artificial surfaces. Where resources are available, responsibility for the maintenance will most likely fall within the remit of the club’s own groundstaff, utilising the expertise of maintenance contractors for more
86 PC APRIL/MAY 2012
“As well as thriving as a business in and of itself, the financial and social value of a
community cannot be overstated”
The New Saints - a success story
specialist work that may fall out of the scope of practicality and/or affordability to be completed in-house. Yet, there is reluctance within the
groundcare industry to fully embrace the shift towards a greater use of artificial turf in professional sport, for fear that its use will inevitably overtake that of natural grass, which will eventually be sidelined altogether in favour of ‘plastic pitches’, with consequences for the future role of the groundsman. I would argue otherwise; it should be noted that natural grass, in its best condition, is the quality benchmark that a FIFA 2 Star Football Turf pitch must strive to emulate. If a football club is able to run efficiently as a business with a natural grass pitch then that is, of course, the ideal scenario. Unfortunately, many member clubs within the Football League need to increase income just to survive, and artificial surfaces provide a realistic way to achieve this.
It is simply not true to suggest that little or no real expertise is required to maintain artificial sports pitches. True, a different set of skills is required and, whilst natural pitch maintenance is recognised as an art, the maintenance of artificial surfaces is instead founded in the science and mechanics behind the creation of modern artificial turf systems. But, a poor understanding of the maintenance requirements of an artificial pitch can be detrimental to its long-term viability, and so a club’s grounds team will remain a valuable resource in safeguarding its valuable asset. In the ongoing debate surrounding the possible return of artificial surfaces to the Football League, it would seem that the argument no longer centres on the actual quality of synthetic turf. The bottom line
is that FIFA, football’s world governing body, simply would not sanction a below- par alternative to natural grass, and their own Football Turf systems can be found in stadia worldwide.
Instead, the opposition to artificial surfaces seems rooted in a fear for footballing tradition. The fact is, professional football is not the game it once was: TV revenue, commercial sponsorship and player transfers and wages have brought untold wealth into top-flight football. But, the funds swirling around the Premier League are simply not filtering through to the lower levels, and clubs in the Football League and below are facing a real fight for survival in today’s money-obsessed game. As well as thriving as a business in and of itself, the financial and social value of a football club to its local community cannot be overstated and, if artificial surfaces can help strengthen the bonds between club and community whilst providing clubs with a steady revenue stream that can secure their future, it would be nonsensical to dismiss them on the basis of upholding traditions. As for the role of the groundsman in all of this, the value of an artificial surface is only as good as the maintenance and care it receives throughout its life, and daily maintenance is a must if clubs want to benefit from the increase in use - and revenue - afforded by an artificial surface.
If you have a 3rd Generation surface and need help or advice on maintenance, contact Technical Surfaces on Tel: 08702 400 700 and ask to speak to a Technical Manager.
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