FOOTBALL


2018 FIFA World Cup


A World Cup Challenge


Hayden Turfcare’s Richard Hayden has been the official consultant at Zenit Saint Petersburg’s Krestovsky Stadium since February 2017. In this article, he discusses the challenges faced to bring the pitch up to standard for the 2018 World Cup


M


y adventure in Russia started in 2009 with a commission for UEFA to recover some pitches for the Champions League at


the time. The harsh Russian winter means that pitch problems in February are likely. Since this time, I have been employed as the official consultant to Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia. The club, founded in 1925, are one of


Russia’s most successful clubs with a cabinet of silverware earned in Russia and Europe. My role involves the provision of consulting and advice over four sites, including two stadiums and two training


sites, with twelve pitches in total under the direction of General Director Vladamir Litvonof.


This article covers the challenges faced and overcome in the new Krestovsky Stadium.


Krestovsky Stadium; the problems


The Krestovsky Stadium - officially the Saint Petersburg Stadium, but also known as the Zenit Arena - is a similar design to the Toyota Stadium in Tokyo, except much bigger. The pitch is a rolling structure which facilitates its movement in and out of the stadium, allowing the surface to receive sunlight and air when not in use. The


Pitch removal December 2017


Richard Hayden (left) with Head Groundsman Kosta Kreminsky 70 PC August/September 2018


Initial pitch failure in 2016 and 2017


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