Giles calls for more artificial surfaces
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Former Shamrock Rovers and Republic of Ireland manager John Giles has called on League of Ireland clubs to install artificial surfaces as their pitches.
“The artificial surfaces have improved a great deal over the years and looking at that one tonight I think it’s a very good surface”, Giles told RTÉ’s weekly League of Ireland show, Monday Night Soccer, after watching footage of Dundalk’s 3-2 victory over Galway United at Oriel Park, a pitch with an artificial surface.
Giles went on to say he believed all clubs should consider using artificial surfaces: “I think it would be a good idea if all the clubs go (with) artificial surfaces. They’re not like they were years ago when it was like a carpet and it was bouncy and it wasn’t good. When you look at that pitch tonight, I’d say it would be excellent to play on.”
The obvious advantage artificial surfaces have over regular pitches is that they rarely become waterlogged so scheduled games will almost never be postponed. Unlike other clubs, this means Dundalk suffer from no lost revenue in this regard over the course of the season.
Another advantage these surfaces offer is that there is very little wear and tear to the pitch and so they can be used more frequently than regular pitches. Dundalk Communications Officer Colm Crosson believes this is particularly important. “The pitch can be used seven days a week. This allows teams to both train and play matches here.
Crosson also acknowledges the important role the pitch can play in developing the club’s role in the community: “The surface opens the club up very substantially to the community. It’s one of the key drivers for us. We have a wide range of teams using the pitch from schoolboy sides to Sunday league teams. That is not at all insignificant for us.”
But despite the many benefits of using artificial pitches, very few clubs have installed them. Indeed Dundalk is the only club from either the Premier or First Division to use an artificial surface. Cliftonville and Crusaders are the only clubs in the Irish League to play on artificial pitches.
Dundalk’s pitch is made of the same material as the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow which hosted the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea in 2008. The Louth club opened their FIFA accredited 2-Star Synthetic surface in August 2005 at a cost of €1.5m.
“The artificial surfaces have improved a great deal over the years and looking at that one tonight I think it’s a very good surface”, Giles told RTÉ’s weekly League of Ireland show, Monday Night Soccer, after watching footage of Dundalk’s 3-2 victory over Galway United at Oriel Park, a pitch with an artificial surface.
Giles went on to say he believed all clubs should consider using artificial surfaces: “I think it would be a good idea if all the clubs go (with) artificial surfaces. They’re not like they were years ago when it was like a carpet and it was bouncy and it wasn’t good. When you look at that pitch tonight, I’d say it would be excellent to play on.”
The obvious advantage artificial surfaces have over regular pitches is that they rarely become waterlogged so scheduled games will almost never be postponed. Unlike other clubs, this means Dundalk suffer from no lost revenue in this regard over the course of the season.
Another advantage these surfaces offer is that there is very little wear and tear to the pitch and so they can be used more frequently than regular pitches. Dundalk Communications Officer Colm Crosson believes this is particularly important. “The pitch can be used seven days a week. This allows teams to both train and play matches here.
Crosson also acknowledges the important role the pitch can play in developing the club’s role in the community: “The surface opens the club up very substantially to the community. It’s one of the key drivers for us. We have a wide range of teams using the pitch from schoolboy sides to Sunday league teams. That is not at all insignificant for us.”
But despite the many benefits of using artificial pitches, very few clubs have installed them. Indeed Dundalk is the only club from either the Premier or First Division to use an artificial surface. Cliftonville and Crusaders are the only clubs in the Irish League to play on artificial pitches.
Dundalk’s pitch is made of the same material as the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow which hosted the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea in 2008. The Louth club opened their FIFA accredited 2-Star Synthetic surface in August 2005 at a cost of €1.5m.
About Sam Griffin
Sam joined Extratime for the 2011 season and is now the site's features editor. He is based in Dublin and covers all the clubs in the capital. He is also prone to the odd Drogheda … View Full Profile