FOOTBALL


Richard Hayden rolling along!


Richard catching up with Dominic Cross from Offaly


stadium can also then be used for concerts etc. without damaging the pitch. The roof is retractable, but the level of sunlight available on the brightest day of the year is a fraction of other stadiums I have worked in. Even in mid-summer, sunlight levels are about 20% that of a large stadium such as Croke Park. Initially, due to technical reasons, the pitch movement mechanism was not used. This led to two pitch failures in 2016, and again in 2017. Even with full supplementary lighting systems, the lack of air movement and sunlight present the most extreme environment to grow grass. In September 2018, a master plan was developed by my company, Hayden Turfcare, on how to solve this issue. This involved removing the pitch in the middle of winter during the Christmas period of 2017/18 to be ready in time for the UEFA European competitions.


Hybrid Turf Turf installation


The product used was a Mixto hybrid carpet from Italy, similar to that used in The Bernabau in Madrid. The project had a very tight window to be completed, so we


decided to grow a new pitch in a disused greenhouse in Odense, Denmark. Growth in the glass house allowed us to establish turf in a similar environment to the stadium, but also allowed us to heat the climate through the winter and guarantee harvesting dates. This was the first time in the world that turf was grown for commercial harvest in a glasshouse and it wasn’t without its challenges.


Old Pitch removal


The old pitch was removed under our direction in December 2017. The pitch was removed and replaced over a two week period, stretching right through Christmas, including Christmas day. The roof was closed so a comfortable 15O


fully tested and approved by ourselves, before contractors Queensgrass International graded the newly installed material. With the new rootzone down, a date for 13th January was chosen for the installation.


C environment


sheltered us from the raging snow and cold of minus 20O


C outside. A new rootzone was


Growing turf in an Odense greenhouse 72 PC August/September 2018


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