18.04.2010
Wembley to lay another new pitch after turf war
Yet another new pitch will be laid at Wembley following heavy criticism of the playing surface at English football's national stadium.
The turf has been replaced 10 times since the rebuilt Wembley opened in 2007 and there had been no sign of improvement in the quality of the surface.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp and Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill both criticised the pitch as players from their teams struggled to keep their feet during the recent FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley, while Professional Footballers Association chief executive Gordon Taylor described the turf as an embarrassment.
Wembley cost 757 million pounds to rebuild but, while the facilities are state of the art, the pitch has never been able to match the quality of its' surroundings.
The pitch is managed by the Sports Turf Institute, who are employed by Wembley National Stadium Limited, and costs around 100,000 pounds each time it is relaid.
The FA Cup final between Chelsea and Portsmouth is the next match to be played at the stadium, while the Championship, League One and League Two play-off finals, as well as England's friendly against Mexico are also scheduled before the end of the season.
With so many important matches looming, the decision has been taken to opt for another relaying of the turf.
"Wembley Stadium can confirm that a new pitch will be installed, with work commencing today," a statement said.
"We will continue working with The Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) to install and maintain the new turf.
"The pitch will be the same type as was used in the latter part of last year.
"We will continue to refine the installation and maintenance regime to build on the formula that was successful during that period.
"Wembley and STRI feel confident that we will be able to deliver and sustain a good pitch at Wembley for our busy football schedule in May."
Source: © 2010 AFP - Glyn Kirk
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