CASE STUDIES AND SUCCESS STORIES

The FAs pledge to invest £150M into grass roots football will see 150 new artificial pitches being built, with the issues encountered this winter with waterlogged pitches, is this the way forward?

Artificial pitches were first used for football league games in the 1980s and dubbed ‘plastic pitches’. Top flight teams such as Oldham, QPR, Luton and Preston North End installed the pitches as their main playing surface. They were used by these team and dreaded by others until the FA banned their use in 1988. They gained a bad reputation with fans and visiting teams who found it hard to adapt to the new playing surfaces. The first artificial pitches were a lot harder than present day. The ball would bounce unpredictably over defenders, out for throw-ins and over the goals. The hard pitches were also very unforgiving on the players, resulting in more injuries, particularly serious joint injuries.

Slide tackles on the sand filled pitches would also cause serious, stinging friction burns. The new 3g pitches used in the modern game bring huge advances in technology and pitch research. They look and feel similar to grass pitches and are constructed from silicon coated rubber fibres held in place with a layer of rubber granules. The way the ball runs and bounces is true to a premier league football pitch. The surface always remains flat and divot free and of course the surface can be used practically all year round and often at night-time as they are usually floodlit.

The 2012-2013 season has seen the use of artificial pitches allowed in all competitions run by the FA. They made their debut in the FA cup in August 2012 and were allowed in the completion up and including the fourth qualifying round. The pitches are a great boost to grass roots football clubs who need to play games week in week out throughout the winter to fulfil league fixtures. With the use of three sets of Samba Mini Soccer Goals the full playing surface can be split into three pitches and three mini soccer games can played. Training sessions are never missed and the pitches can be used for other sports by the local community.

Artificial pitches for grass roots clubs are certainly the way forward!