GrassMaster

GrassMaster is a hybrid grass sports playing field surface composed of natural grass combined with artificial fibres. The method was developed and patented by Desso Sports from the Netherlands in 1993. This hybrid grass system is now marketed and further developed by Tarkett Sports after a takeover of Desso Sports and has since been re-branded as GrassMaster.

Technology

GrassMaster reinforces a natural grass pitch by vertically inserting 20 million polypropylene (PP) fibres into the soil equally spread over the entire playing field. The 20 cm (7.9 in) long PP fibres are injected by computer-controlled machines, 18 cm (7.1 in) deep so 2 cm (0.8 in) remains above the surface.[1] The PP fibres are inserted in a grid of about 2 cm × 2 cm (0.8 in × 0.8 in). The grass roots entwine with the fibres and grow deeper and wider.[2] The PP fibres above the surface are designed to ensure an even and stable surface. GrassMaster may be installed before seeding, after seeding or on grass sods.[3]

Major installations

Stadium Club Sport Country
Ashton Gate Stadium Bristol City and Bristol Bears Association football and rugby union England
Prenton Park Tranmere Rovers F.C. Association football England
Villa Park Aston Villa Association football England
St James’ Park Newcastle United Association football England
Stamford Bridge Chelsea Association football England
Elland Road Leeds United Association football England
Hillsborough[4][5] Sheffield Wednesday Association football England
Camp Nou FC Barcelona Association football Spain
Luminus Arena KRC Genk Association football Belgium
San Siro Inter Milan and AC Milan Association football Italy
Stade Marcel Picot AS Nancy Association football France
King Abdullah Sports City Ittihad FC and Al-Ahli Saudi FC Association football Saudi Arabia
Mapei Stadium US Sassuolo Calcio Association football Italy
Goodison Park Everton Association football England
Stade Marcel-Michelin ASM Clermont Auvergne Rugby union France
CNFE Clairefontaine French Football Federation Association football France
Anfield Liverpool Association football England
Selhurst Park Crystal Palace Association football England
Carrow Road Norwich City Association football England
Parc des Princes Paris Saint-Germain Association football France
Stade de Roudourou En Avant Guingamp Association football France
Stade Louis II AS Monaco Association football Monaco
Stade Océane Le Havre Association football France
Stade de France[6] France Association football and other events France
Stade Francis-Le Blé Stade Brestois 29 Association football France
Stade Auguste-Delaune Stade de Reims Association football France
Estádio Parque São Jorge Corinthians Association football Brazil
Neo Química Arena Corinthians Association football Brazil
Arena do Grêmio[7] Grêmio Association football Brazil
King Power Stadium[8] Leicester City Association football England
Twickenham Stadium Rugby Football Union Rugby union England
Emirates Stadium[9] Arsenal Association football England
Kirklees Stadium Huddersfield Town and
Huddersfield Giants 		Association football and
rugby league 		England
Celtic Park Celtic Association football Scotland
Leigh Sports Village Leigh[10] Rugby league England
City of Manchester Stadium Manchester City[11] Association football England
Old Trafford[12] Manchester United Association football England
Trafford Training Centre[13] Manchester United Association football England
Adams Park Wycombe Wanderers
(and formerly Wasps) 		Association football
(and formerly rugby union) 		England
Vicarage Road[14] Watford
(and formerly Saracens) 		Association football
(and formerly rugby union) 		England
Wembley Stadium[15] England Association football and other events England
Aviva Stadium Ireland national rugby union team and
Republic of Ireland national football team 		Rugby union and
association football 		Ireland
Stadion Galgenwaard Utrecht Association football Netherlands
Euroborg FC Groningen Association football Netherlands
AFAS Stadion AZ Alkmaar Association football Netherlands
Sportpark De Toekomst AFC Ajax Association football Netherlands
Forsyth Barr Stadium[16] Highlanders Rugby union New Zealand
Lerkendal Stadion Rosenborg Association football Norway
Arena Khimki Khimki Association football Russia
Mbombela Stadium 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Association football South Africa
Peter Mokaba Stadium 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Association football South Africa
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and
South Africa Sevens 		Association football and
rugby sevens 		South Africa
Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Eagles American football United States
Lambeau Field Green Bay Packers American football United States
Liberty Stadium[17] Swansea City and
Ospreys 		Association football and
rugby union 		Wales
Millennium Stadium[18] Welsh Rugby Union
 Rugby union
(also Welsh international association football) 		Wales
Cardiff City Stadium[19] Cardiff City
(and formerly Cardiff Blues) 		Association football
(and formerly rugby union) 		Wales
National Stadium, Singapore Singapore national football team Rugby union and association football Singapore
Rodney Parade Dragons
Newport County
Newport RFC 		Rugby union and association football Wales
Volkswagen Arena VfL Wolfsburg Association football Germany
Metalist Stadium Metalist Kharkiv Association football Ukraine
Donbass Arena Shakhtar Donetsk Association football Ukraine
Central City Stadium National Team of Kazakhstan Association football Kazakhstan
Murrayfield Edinburgh Rugby and
Scotland 		Rugby union Scotland
Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi Hellas Verona and Chievo Verona Association football Italy
Lokomotiv Stadium FC Lokomotiv Moscow Association football Russia
Kazan Arena FC Rubin Kazan Association football Russia
Estadio de la Cerámica Villareal CF Association football Spain
Melbourne City Football Academy Melbourne City FC Association football Australia
Ooredoo Training Centre Paris Saint-Germain Association football France
St Georges Park National Football Centre FA Association football England
Bramall Lane[20] Sheffield United Association football England
Imam Reza Stadium Padideh F.C. Association football Iran
Cairo International Stadium Egyptian national football team and Zamalek Association football Egypt
El Sekka El Hadid Stadium El Sekka El Hadid SC Association football Egypt
Misr Stadium Egypt national football team Association football Egypt
Vodafone Park Beşiktaş J.K. Association football Turkey
Bashundhara Kings Arena Bashundhara Kings Association football Bangladesh
Darius and Girėnas Stadium FK Kauno Žalgiris

Lithuania national football team

Association football Lithuania
Brisbane Road Leyton Orient Association football England
The Valley Charlton Athletic Association football England

References

  1. ^ Oldenkotte, Guy (2 September 2020). "Hybrid fields discussed - By Guy Oldenkotte". Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. ^ Anderson, F. D.; Fleming, P.; Sherratt, P.; Severn, K. (1 January 2016). "Design and Development of a Novel Natural Turf Shear Stability Tester". Procedia Engineering. 147: 842–847. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.293. ISSN 1877-7058.
  3. ^ "Home - GrassMaster Solutions". grassmastersolutions.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  4. ^ "Sheffield Wednesday: Work continues on Desso pitch". Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  5. ^ "VIDEO: Sheffield Wednesday on track with new state-of-the-art pitch". Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Le Stade de France choisit Tarkett Sports et sa technologie Desso GrassMaster". dessosports. Paris. Archived from the original on 2016-08-10.
  7. ^ "High-tech hybrid grass for Grêmio Arena". GFPA. Porto Alegre (RS,Brazil). Archived from the original on 2013-06-06.
  8. ^ "Pitch Refurbishment Underway". LCFC. Leicester. Archived from the original on 2011-05-30.
  9. ^ "How Arsenal have put Wembley in the shade" (PDF). The Times. London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-23.
  10. ^ "LSV beats the big freeze!". Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  11. ^ "Manchester City inaugurates brand new stadium". Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
  12. ^ Parsons, Tom (5 June 2013). "Pitch battle prompts Manchester United to switch to new surface". Inside World Football. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  13. ^ "Louis van Gaal: New Manchester United manager orders club to rip up training ground pitches before his arrival". The Independent. 7 June 2014. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  14. ^ "Pitch relay news Desso is go". WatfordFC.com. London. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  15. ^ "The Wembley pitch". FATV. London. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16.
  16. ^ "Dunedin's hi-tech stadium open for business". tvnz. New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2012-01-11.
  17. ^ "Liberty Stadium Pitch - Official Stadium Website". Archived from the original on 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  18. ^ "Millennium Stadium to have new hybrid playing surface". BBC Sport. 23 May 2014. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  19. ^ "Cardiff City Stadium, Home of Cardiff City FC". cardiffcitystadium.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  20. ^ "A new pitch for the Blades". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2019.