Artificial Surfaces
maintenance plan, which put in place the steps to keep the pitch clear of ice and snow. “If temperatures look like they are going to drop, we’ll treat the pitch with vacuum sand, apply the sheets and brush for frost, if necessary,” explains Danny. “If the snow is deep, we’ll push it off the surface with the plough, but this has to be a delicate process. There’s a risk with heavy machinery that you can damage the carpet. The plough needs to caress the pitch, skimming the snow off the surface without pushing off the rubber crumb. If rubber crumb is removed, we sweep it to the side so it can be reapplied.”
Heavy rainfall can also be a problem if it compacts the sand infill, so keeping the profile loose and the pile standing tall is key to good synthetics maintenance, which Saracens achieve through applying a soft nylon brush tractor attachment to keep the rubber crumb infill to the desired 10-15mm from the tip. The marriage of dual use facilities, whether it be for football and rugby or elite sport and community (Brighton & Hove Albion’s tenure at the Withdean for example) can be tricky when natural turf is involved. Frequent play with little time to recover often puts the two at odds, whilst synthetic pitches can remove this over-use element, as they have been proven with lower league examples like Maidstone United FC. The greater certainty of play in all weathers is a powerful incentive for clubs to switch to synthetic.
The Saracens pitch is not the only community element within Allianz Park Stadium. The eight-lane running track is key to wider use and it’s something that they had to consider when deciding how the pitch would be set up for match day events.
“On the one hand, we have to ensure the match pitch is ready, with flags, technical areas and the required 5m run- off zone,” explains Danny. “But we have to also keep four lanes of the track open at all times, so we were faced with a headache over how to offer enough run- off while maintaining track space,” he adds.
“It was one of the biggest challenges of the entire operation,” reveals Phil Blackwell. “We were 2m short around the perimeter, due to the running track, so we needed to come up with a temporary solution. We’d seen something similar at a club in Glasgow and, after much thought, we eventually settled on using prefabricated tile shock pads with 35mm non-infill carpet glued on.” “The 400 tiles are then laid around the perimeter in preparation for matches and removed after, leaving enough track in action at all times.” The pads are also branded with the Allianz Park colours and the pitchside advertising sits around the edge, creating a buffer zone between the pitch and the track.
“If you’re going to be successful with community ventures like this, you have to accommodate everyone. I’m pleased that
we’ve been able to realise a solution that suits everyone, and works for the benefit of Saracens and the community.” says Danny.
The impact that this first 3G installation could have, if it proves a success, is huge, and marks a significant opportunity for potentially opening them up to not only the rugby market, but also football, where the once icy attitudes towards synthetics are starting to thaw.
If players and supporters are won over by the year-round consistency, speed and enhanced viewing experience that some are predicting, then we could see a real shift toward artificial instead of natural turf before too long.
The first Premier League match was against Exeter Chiefs
Sisis Implement Frames Perfect combination for synthetic pitch maintenance
For more information on our full range or a no obligation demonstration call 01332 824777 or alternatively visit
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Sports Fields Golf Amenity Synthetic
World class turf maintenance equipment APRIL/MAY 2013 PC 61
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