View Full Version : Astroturf anyone?
San Siro to go synthetic?
Source: Football Italia
In a weekend where heavy rainfall and snow has affected Serie A’s games, it’s been revealed a synthetic pitch for the San Siro is ready to go.
UEFA have lifted their ban on artificial playing surfaces for the Champions’ League, UEFA Cup and other competitions from next season and some Italian clubs are raring to make the most of this change.
Milan and Inter have often complained at the uneven nature of the pitch in the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, especially since a third tier was added for the 1990 World Cup.
“If the Italian Federation gives us the go-ahead,” revealed Milan representative Alfonso Cefaliello, “then we would be ready to go. It would solve a lot of problems and halve the costs of maintenance.”
Artificial pitches had been outlawed after injuries and uneven bounces were reported in the early days of this experiment, but advances in technology mean the surfaces are reliable and above all not prone to flooding or ice.
The Milanese clubs are particularly prepared for this eventuality, as both the Milanello and Appiano Gentile training grounds already use synthetic surfaces.
“We were very sceptical,” noted Inter representative Luciano Cucchia, “but at the moment an artificial San Siro pitch is something we can’t help but consider. As the field is criticised by our own players and Coaching staff, it’s clear we have to do something.”
Both Roberto Mancini and Carlo Ancelotti have commented this season that they play better football on their travels, as they don’t have to deal with the San Siro field. The situation is so dire that the clubs have sections of grass flown in from around Europe to patch up the surface.
The pitch has already undergone this treatment twice since September and last year there were five at a cost of £100,000 each. It’s reported that making the entire field at the San Siro synthetic would be a one-off payment of £560,000.
“In Northern Europe we are already more accepting of this kind of surface,” explained Milan’s Danish international Jon Dahl Tomasson. “Of course a grass pitch in good condition is the best, but there are situations where that just isn’t possible. I’m convinced the future for both Scandinavia and Italy is synthetic.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Could be a good deal in the long run. The dire state of San Siro pitch well explains why both Milan & Inter play better in away games. You can't even put a pass straight on that kind of surface. :v46:
triniman
15-11-2004, 00:02
sounds like a good plan to me....it's tough when u can't even play a good game on your own pitch
Artifial surfaces results in knee injuries, thats all we need.
The artificial surfaces that are available nowadays are far superior to the good 'ol knee breaking turfs that UEFA banned. Given how poor the San Siro turf is, I vote in favour.
PS. Maybe this could be something we poll...
wils6000
15-11-2004, 12:49
i play on the new artificial grass surfaces every week. Its called PitchTurf in UK and the Americans have another company that do the same surface. It is excellent - its not like the old artificial pitches that Luton and QPR used in 80's - they were basically hockey pitch style surfaces. This new surface is like grass and when you fall over on it the discomfort is minimal - same as playing on a summer grass pitch.
When it is wet is is incredibly fast and allows for excellent play as you can trust the bounce and pitch of the ball.
The only hangup is when dry the bounce is not as "good" as grass and extra effort is sometimes required to get the ball going.
but as AC Milan will have the best available i am sure that this will be the best option for everyone -
I remember the original "plastic pitch" used by Luton in the 1980's. It was hilarious at times, goal kicks used to bounce straight out over the other goal line due to the ridiculous bounce. Was a somewhat bizarre experiment, despised by professionals throughout Britain.
A few years ago Nicola Amoruso broke his leg playing for Juve against Milan at the San Siro. At the time I remember people threatening to sue the ground authorities over the poor state of the pitch which was blamed for causing his injury. Not sure what eventually happened to the case. The San Siro is municipally owned so I wouldn't think the case, if it ever came to court, would hit Milan too hard.
The basic problem with the San Siro pitch lies with the extra tier built for the 1990 world cup. It prevented enough oxygen getting to the pitch, so the grass struggled to grow, resulting in a mud heap of a pitch. It's the same at Old Trafford in recent years, the pitch there is relaid several times a season. I learned all this during a Gazzetta Football Italia feature a few seasons ago, back when Channel 4 showed it every Saturday morning. The groundsman at the time (I don't know if he's still there or not) was an Englishman from Burnley who drove a lawnmower while wearing his Burnley FC scarf.
i am in favour, with the best quality available it would be very effective
ACMILAN1983
15-11-2004, 20:47
I guess it would solve a LOT of problems, so I think it may well be a good idea
acmilan89
15-11-2004, 22:56
Saw the Juventus-Lecce game, it was appalling! I was quite puzzled by how the referee allowed the game to go on. I thought football pitches like that only exist in my village but in a top level professional scene?
Anything but a soggy pitch.
triniman
15-11-2004, 23:24
i've played on the new astro-turfs myself...they have about 2 in NYC......they are good and when u fall u get no serious injury like playing ...the bounce is true and better yet it's even..like rooling a ball along a carpet.....it's a good idea
In Ireland where I live we had the first pitch of its kind in Europe, it was used as a test bed for various different companies and Uefa to provide research and improve atrificial playing surfaces. After 5 years of numerous tweaks and changes I can tell you the pitch that is there now is the same one that Uefa have ok'd for use. Its amazingly like grass even looks like it. Only thing I found it seems a tad bit slower to me, but maybe thats just me.
But lets think about it. I used to play league of ireland football and am quite an injury prone player, ankles being the main problem. I cannot play on ordinary astro anymore as i always end up doing my ankle. On this pitch however I have never had one single injury. Your wearing boots instead of the runners and it feels like a nicely moist grass pitch. Would you rather that than the bumpy crater ridden surface that is the San Siro?
killiegradge
17-11-2004, 18:15
We have one in the Scottish Premier League at Dunfermline.It has been there less than one year as part of a UEFA experiment.No one seems to like it and visiting teams report unusual injuries and muscle pain after only one match.I am not aware of any serious injuries on the pitch yet.I will see it this weekend when my team Kilmarnock visit.Having been to San Siro for the recent Milan v Roma match the pitch did not look great but I have seen worse.It somehow doesnt seem right to play on artificial turf?
YNTTK
FORZA MILAN
It somehow doesnt seem right to play on artificial turf?
YNTTK
FORZA MILAN
Granted it doesn't seem right, the sport is a grass sport and should remain. Brings a whole new meaning to the term grass roots football!!! But aside from that unless they re structure the roof that that its somehow sliding or retractable and force air onto the pitch through fans or what not when its not in use what else can they do.
killiegradge
18-11-2004, 18:36
It seems that at the present time we havent quite got the answer with the artificial pitches.Of course there will be continued improvements and when we get it right things will be OK.I noticed at San Siro the day before the Roma match that they had UV lamps over the pitch in certain areas and in particular with a pitch used at least every week that doesnt give it any time to recover.
YNTTK
FORZA MILAN
ACMILAN1983
18-11-2004, 21:08
We have one in the Scottish Premier League at Dunfermline.It has been there less than one year as part of a UEFA experiment.No one seems to like it and visiting teams report unusual injuries and muscle pain after only one match.I am not aware of any serious injuries on the pitch yet.I will see it this weekend when my team Kilmarnock visit.Having been to San Siro for the recent Milan v Roma match the pitch did not look great but I have seen worse.It somehow doesnt seem right to play on artificial turf?
YNTTK
FORZA MILAN
I can't say too much about artificial pitches as I don't know too much about them, but about the injury problems you mention, don't forget the Milan players already train on an artificial pitch, so they'll already be used to it
Giovanni
20-11-2004, 07:04
let's not forget at milanello the guys train on a daily basis on artificial fields, so they experience it every day and if they consider this option they must have talked with experts and maked tests
killiegradge
20-11-2004, 16:20
Well I saw my first competitive match on artificial turf today.I dont really thunk it made too much of a difference.Killie were awfull and the home team Dunfermline were worthy winners.It really was not at all like the old astro.the ball bounced evenly without bouncing too high and the ball held up well on the "grass".All players wore shorts and the usual burns from the pitch seem to be a thing of the past.I also understand that this pitch is not the best in the UEFA experiment so by the time we see them in regular use they will be much better.
Giovanni
20-11-2004, 16:25
Guys, the human being has gone on the Moon
now the same human genre is supposed to make an artificial pitch successfully..it doesn't seem MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE if you ask me
Oul Beckham will have to come up with a new excuse, he wont be able to use the "ground went from under me" line anymore if astro goes ahead!!!
But as I said in an earlier post, ive played on teh one currently ranked top by uefa and its amazing, wear yoru normal boots, drains great in rain, actually makes for a cracking game when slightly slicked up br rain, no more astro burns, it actually hurts less that a grass pitch does!!! but also, our keeper reckons that because the base is rubber its a lot easier diving on it so he is much happier with it.
Giovanni
22-11-2004, 06:09
Oul Beckham will have to come up with a new excuse, he wont be able to use the "ground went from under me" line anymore if astro goes ahead!!!
But as I said in an earlier post, ive played on teh one currently ranked top by uefa and its amazing, wear yoru normal boots, drains great in rain, actually makes for a cracking game when slightly slicked up br rain, no more astro burns, it actually hurts less that a grass pitch does!!! but also, our keeper reckons that because the base is rubber its a lot easier diving on it so he is much happier with it.
it sounds amazing! finally the technical teams will be paid off
indeed, the only thing, will this see an end to the likes of Messina, Lecce etc... getting a result against the bigger teams due to woeful playing conditions? (please ignore lecce's recent result against juve while reading)
but agreed, derby day in jan will never be the same.
Giovanni
13-01-2005, 13:35
up
i will try astroturf next weeks cause i'm about to wear my footie boots again..
:sun: The heir of Kakà is coming back :sun: ;)
up
i will try astroturf next weeks cause i'm about to wear my footie boots again..
: ;)
when was your last footiec match gio?? do not tell me august :uhm:
Giovanni
13-01-2005, 13:43
when was your last footiec match gio?? do not tell me august :uhm:
:p017: august
but my sheer class is always there :bri: :devf:
Ahahahahaaaahahahaahahaahah
Yes Yes I Know
As they say, Class never dies....
Giovanni
17-01-2005, 17:27
Pittodrie Stadium, home to Scotland's Aberdeen Football Club, sits on the edge of the North Sea. During the winter — the middle of the Scottish Premier League season — a bitter wind whips up off the water, giving a biting edge to the snow and rain that often accompany Aberdeen's matches. The climate's tough on away fans, but it's even harder on the boggy pitch: last season, Aberdeen spent about €45,000 to maintain its field — a big sum for a declining club in a peripheral league.
Little wonder, then, that when UEFA, European football's governing body, said last year that it was looking for volunteer clubs to test artificial football surfaces, Aberdeen leaped at the chance. The club not only stands to get a €204,000 subsidy from UEFA for the new surface if its application is accepted, but it will also be part of a wider trend sweeping the sports world — one that uses new technology to create faux fields that are player-friendly, and can take a beating.
For more than two decades, AstroTurf dominated the synthetic-field market. Many athletes, particularly American football players, disliked the stuff. The fields were laid over concrete and had a texture like sandpaper. Players blamed the carpet for causing knee and toe injuries because the surface had no "give," although studies on injury rates were inconclusive.
But in 1999 FieldTurf, based in Montreal, began mass-producing a new surface whose composition better imitates the real thing, with more resistance to wear and tear. The longer, grasslike fibers, made of a polyethylene blend, give it a more natural look and feel, while the blend of sand and rubber particles — recycled from old running shoes — that form its base are loosely packed around the blades of "grass," providing a softer cushion than real dirt.
The new surfaces are growing fast in the U.S., where demand on municipal fields is almost unceasing. American football teams are also enthusiastic. Four NFL stadiums — in Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia and Seattle — use synthetic turf, and several others, including Giants Stadium, outside New York City and home to two NFL teams, are considering it. Almost 200 synthetic fields will be laid in the U.S. this year, compared with fewer than 50 in 1999. And more than 20 U.S. companies are selling the new surface, under brand names such as AstroPlay and NeXturf. European companies such as Germany's Tarkett Sommer have also joined the turf wars.
More critically FIFA, global football's governing body, could create a worldwide industry for these companies. FIFA has approved 30 facilities with synthetic turf, including the training pitch at Clairefontaine, France's famed football academy, and Luzhniki Olympic Stadium in Moscow, home to the Spartak and Torpedo Moscow clubs. Should FIFA approve the surface for all competitions, annual industry sales, now about j300 million, could explode.
The European market seems ripe as cash-strapped clubs look for cost-effective ways to keep their pitches playable through the European winter. In the '80s, some clubs tried plastic pitches, but abandoned the idea because of the rock-hard surface and the sky-high bounce of the ball. However, things could turn again. Early this month, English Premiership clubs Chelsea and Charlton Athletic played a match on a pitch that was so heavily sanded that commentators referred to the game as "beach football." The incident fueled speculation that in England at least, faux pitches would become commonplace. For its part, the English Football Association Premier League — which currently forbids artificial surfaces — is waiting on research that rules out any link between the new pitches and player injuries.
Despite initial installation costing upwards of €375,000 for a synthetic field, compared with €140,000 for grass, the increased usage and much-reduced maintenance costs can make the switch a bargain. In U.S. high schools, teams that have the new synthetic grass say it's safer than real grass, which can become dangerously uneven if it's overused. Steve Lowe, groundkeeper at Claremont High School in California, which switched to FieldTurf last year, says players have had fewer injuries on the synthetic field.
FieldTurf has become so popular that other companies, including Southwest, the producer of AstroTurf, have brought out similar products. Many of the new synthetic surfaces surround the grass blades with an all-rubber base, which, some companies say, makes a field even cushier than the sand-and-rubber mix of FieldTurf. For players used to the hard knocks of competition, the future could have a soft landing.
I say bring on the Artificial turf. I want 1989 and a 5-0 thrashing like yesteryear! :sagrin:
The artificial turfs are state of the art nowadays. I have played on one for a whole year and it is excellent! If it wasn't right then the Milan squad wouldn't have artificial turfs at Milanello.
Our team's level will be increased with this and the San Siro will look complete and beautiful with it as well. It will do more good than harm. A technically gifted squad like ours will be frightening on a smooth surface! :devil:
Giovanni
17-01-2005, 17:56
I agree with you Haroon, and i want to ask you an advice: as long as you have played on the newest astroturf, which are the best pair of shoes to play on it?
The futsal or the normal ones with 13 studs ?
Gio,
You can play with either. The futsal ones are pretty decent but when it is raining it slips a bit for my liking.
The best ones IMO are the FIRM GROUND football cleats. That is the rubber stud ones. The SOFT GROUND ones have either got screw on metal studs or the detachable metal studs but I don't think they are necessary as the studs are longer and will work efficiently on muddy pitches where extra traction is required.
I use the Adidas Predator Pulse TRX FM (Rossonero). Nothing beats an Adidas football shoe. :devil:
Giovanni
17-01-2005, 18:27
it is said in Italy that lotto shoes are softer, but adidas more resistent
i think a pair like this one should be fine for the astroturf ---> http://www.shuhao.com/eng/products_list.php?id=55
it is said in Italy that lotto shoes are softer, but adidas more resistent
i think a pair like this one should be fine for the astroturf ---> http://www.shuhao.com/eng/products_list.php?id=55
It is fine for the artificial turf and even the natural grass pitch. I have used it on mushy English pitches here and they work fine. The soft ground shoes only work in really soft pitches so if you play on a natural grass surface that is dry your heel might end up hurting. Firm Ground (rubber studs) work on most pitches except the 5 a side basketball type ones. :D
P.S. I haven't tried Lotto. Nike, I didn't like! :yuck:
Looks like we have our answer
From www:channel4.com
Serie A welcomes artificial pitches Tuesday 25 January, 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Italian Football Federation has confirmed that Serie A clubs could be playing on synthetic pitches as early as next season, much to Milan’s delight.
“We have to ascertain whether the new generation of synthetic playing fields affect the environment and players’ performances,” explained FIGC chief Franco Carraro.
“Once that has been verified, I think an artificial pitch can be used in the top flight from next year without problems.”
The ban on so-called ‘plastic pitches’ has been lifted by UEFA for its international club competitions, opening the door for League football to use this type of ground.
Milan and Inter have long been calling for the chance to refurbish the troubled San Siro playing surface with one that would not require regular ‘refills’ with plots of grass flown in from Germany.
“The UEFA decision is bases on the notion that it is better to play on a good artificial pitch than a mediocre natural one,” added Carraro.
The Rossoneri were first to react after this announcement and pointed out this would be every bit a technical issue as an economic one.
“Playing on an artificial field means it is totally straight all the way through,” said Coach Carlo Ancelotti. “There are no holes and no bumps, so the ball runs quickly and true. It’s the perfect environment for technically gifted players who like to pass the ball around.”
Rapierist
26-01-2005, 00:03
A true grass pitch with all its pros and cons is the essence of football. The players have to adapt their game to different surfaces in different stadiums. That shows how talented a player is, not playing square passes on a flat and true astroturf pitch.
The problem with San Siro is not the grass, or the maintenance.
1) When they "upgraded" the stadium, added more seats and a sort of roof, the natural sunlight was prevented from reaching the grounds as it should.
2) Milan and Inter play in the vicinity of 70 games on this pitch between September and late May. It is very taxing for the groundskeepers. The only other stadium in Italy that is used as much is the Olympico, but they do not have the sunlight problem.
3) It is not proven that an artificial surface can withstand 70 games in nine months - after all, it is nothing but a green plastic carpet, and can deteriorate with use.
4) Despite claims to the contrary, playing on artificial turf will cause more injuries than natural turf. In the U.S., where they play baseball on natural grass or astroturf, there is a hard statistic proving natural grass is better on the legs, ankles and knees of a running player.
5) Football should be played on natural grounds - this is the tradition and essence of the game. In the future, they might play in a completely sterile, weather and rain protected, computer programmed environment. I do not care for that. Football is blood and guts, grass being uprooted, mud, rain, and the exhilaration of putting the ball in the opponents goal. It is a game of technique as well as endurance and succeeding despite the elements. Let us keep it that way and not make the sport too "comfortable".
Giovanni
26-01-2005, 04:26
In the U.S., where they play baseball on natural grass or astroturf, there is a hard statistic proving natural grass is better on the legs, ankles and knees of a running player.
5) Football should be played on natural grounds - this is the tradition and essence of the game. In the future, they might play in a completely sterile, weather and rain protected, computer programmed environment. I do not care for that. Football is blood and guts, grass being uprooted, mud, rain, and the exhilaration of putting the ball in the opponents goal. It is a game of technique as well as endurance and succeeding despite the elements. Let us keep it that way and not make the sport too "comfortable".
The San Siro pitch has caused more injuries than an astroturf one can in 50 years..just remind the Crespo injury a couple of years ago, that could mean almost the end of his career.
Plus, i don't see the romantic side of the natural pitches, i mean, the last generation astroturf can help to play better, esp with technical players, so it's hugely welcomed.
If this mean we can pass the ball and the opponents don't even see that, i think it'd mean a huge improvement for our game.
Giovanni
26-01-2005, 06:39
La palla corre veloce ma è facile l'infortunio.
Maggior quantità di ore di utilizzo e minimo costo di manutenzione. Ma c'è il rischio di malattie dermatologiche.
The ball is quicker but there's a risk of skin diseases. But the field can be used for more hours and with a ridiculous cost for maintenance
Quattrocentomila euro il costo per l’installazione completa. Un mese e mezzo il tempo necessario per trasformare un campo in erba naturale in sintetico: tre settimane per l’applicazione, altri 21 giorni per il drenaggio. Centotrentasette campi già omologati dalla Lega Dilettanti, altri centonove lo saranno a breve. La superficie del futuro - l’erba artificiale - è già presente per molte società calcistiche italiane. Quasi tutte dilettantistiche con l’aggiunta di Manfredonia ed Juve Stabia, che, dopo la promozione, hanno ottenuto la deroga per la serie C2. Ed anche alcuni club professionistici - a cominciare da Inter e Milan - hanno un campo di allenamento in sintetico. Ma quali sono i vantaggi? Maggior quantità di ore di utilizzo e minimo costo di manutenzione. Un campo con manto erboso può essere utilizzato 12 ore al giorno per 365 giorni l’anno.
400.000 euros for the installation, 1 month and half to change the natural field into the artificial one.
many clubs of the lower leagues are already using it, and some in C2 as well.
many top clubs already use astroturf pitches at their home training centers. it can be used 12 h per day, for 365 days per year.no limits
La manutenzione si aggira sui 3500 euro l’anno. Con un utilizzo medio (8 ore al giorno per 250 giorni) dura dieci anni prima di un fisiologico cambio. Le argomentazioni a contrario sono di natura ambientale e tecnica. Al momento per la superficie su cui viene posata l’erba sintetica si è utilizzata gomma riciclata dai pneumatici. Ma la sua potenziale capacità di sprigionare sostanze cancerogene renderà obbligatorio l’uso di prodotti ecocompatibili.
maintenance costs 3500 euros per year (!!!!)and it can be used without any limit.can last 10 years before a change is required. the porblem is due to the natural and medical impact. so far theyhave used pneumatics rubber as a basement but it's not so healthy cause these materials can cause cancer..new materials are required
Altri paletti normativi saranno posti per scongiurare anche il rischio di malattie dermatologiche, segnalato da alcuni studi medici. Alcuni campi in sintetico non sono, poi, ignifughi, conditio sine qua non per l’uso censurabile dei petardi da parte dei tifosi.
another problem is linked with the fire: these materials can burn and this is not compatible with the cannisters thrown into pitches as common use during serie a matches
Le rilevazioni del laboratorio tecnico di Coverciano hanno evidenziato che giocatori abituati all’erba naturale si adattano facilmente alla nuova superficie ma lamentano che vi si faccia male più facilmente. È allo studio un adeguamento del materiale tecnico. Una tutina potrebbe sostituire il classico pantaloncino per evitare abrasioni.
studies on the subject suggest that players easily adapt to the new pitches but complain about injuries. it is said that a possible solution to abrasions can be a sort of long tight trouser instead of the shorties (this is hilarious)
La palla corre, inoltre, più veloce ed ha un rimbalzo diverso. «È un gioco leggermene diverso - commenta Carlo Longhi, doppiamente esperto in materia, da ingegnere e da ex arbitro - ho avuto modo di arbitrare partite amichevoli su campi in erba artificiale. Si vede meglio e sono certo che rappresentano il futuro».
The ball go faster and has a difference bounce. Carlo Longhi , former referee, says the view for referee is better and that , as engeneer , it's the future for football.
Have to say I never even thought of the fire aspect. Considering how many flairs end up on pitches each year thats a real hazzard alright. But hows this for a solution, albeit a very expensive one. Change the roof on the San Siro!!! Can't they make a roof like blinds where it could fold back or flip on its side or something to allow sunlight in?
Here are the boots that I wear (when I'm showing off my skills at the weekend) and I can tell you, they work magic on that rubber Astro that we train on.
http://www.uhlsport.com/scripts/default.asp?language=en&landID=1
p.s. yes i have the same boots as Nedved but im afraid i just dont have the same skill
The pitch I played on didn't look like it would catch fire easily. But the again we are talking about flares and not cigarettes so I can't judge on that.
It would incorrect to compare the astroturf with that of hockey turfs which need constant water to keep them soft because as they dry up they become rough.
This artificial grass is really good to play one. I say it from experience. One must not forget that Milanello has had artificial turfs for quite some time and the Milan mgmt usually gets these technical decisions right. If the artificial turf was not acceptable then it would've been out of Milanello in a season.
For the San Siro this is the only plausible solution. I am firmly against leaving that stadium for a new one. That is Inter's job as they are guests in the San Siro, not us.
Tearing down the roof is another unacceptable solution. There are future plans to make the San Siro a 100,000 capacity stadium so if anything the sunlight will completely go away.
The San Siro is the holy shrine of world football. A football cathedral. It is UNIQUE and impressive. It is an architectural masterpiece as it stands out from the rest of the stadia.
The only thing it lacks is a superb surface. Give the turf a try. It will be awesome! :dcool:
I dont know about these new turf ideas even with the technological breakthrough they have done. Seriously guys, nothing beats real grass. I know this has nothing to do with the pitch but would ya rather smoke synthetic weed or the real d@mn thing?
I think the interest in turf these days are really more of an economical choice than that of playability performance. Of course in places like Aberdeen, keeping a true grass pitch is harder to do than take Milan. But Milan climate is also grass unfriendly. And its not cheap to maintain.
Now in my opinion, nothing can outperform a well maintained natural grass pitch. I'm no expert on the mechanics or physics part of human impact falls, but I gotta tell ya grass is a good thing to fall on if compared to turf. Just my opinion thats all.
killiegradge
26-07-2005, 17:01
Any more news on this?I see that Dunfermline who play in the Scottish Premier league have been told to rip up their astro pitch and put down grass again.They had taken part in a UEFA experiment and apparently now had one of the best astro pitches available but it wasn't even good enough for our "quality" football in Scotland.
Haroon,
I agree with you about the historic importance of San Siro. But I need to ask you if have had the chance to attend a game there... if so, I will have to disagree with you about it being an architectural masterpiece.
It's not just old (many stadiums in Europe are), but it's very plain and simple... even uncomfortable... and hard to reach... for instance, from Fermata Lotto (Metropolitana)
you need to walk for about 25 minutes late at night to take the subway again...
they made the secondo anello for 1990 World Cup, and the dressing rooms are older
and uglier than the ones I had in my school team...
So astroturf is an investment they should consider after fixing the showers of the dressing rooms, and windows at biglietteria sud.
killiegradge
26-07-2005, 19:32
Haroon,
I agree with you about the historic importance of San Siro. But I need to ask you if have had the chance to attend a game there... if so, I will have to disagree with you about it being an architectural masterpiece.
It's not just old (many stadiums in Europe are), but it's very plain and simple... even uncomfortable... and hard to reach... for instance, from Fermata Lotto (Metropolitana)
you need to walk for about 25 minutes late at night to take the subway again...
they made the secondo anello for 1990 World Cup, and the dressing rooms are older
and uglier than the ones I had in my school team...
So astroturf is an investment they should consider after fixing the showers of the dressing rooms, and windows at biglietteria sud.
I will both agree and disagree!
The walk from the Metro to the stadium ,IMO, adds to the atmosphere of the San Siro.
Yes it may be plain and simple but it has history.Both from the recent and distant past.
When I visited the stadium the most surprising thing to me was the dressing rooms.They are so basic!Yes they are like the public changing rooms we have all experienced-even the Killie changing facilities are around 3X the size and much better.Still I guess Milanello is rather better than most clubs training facilities?
Back to the main topic-when will we see Astroturf at the San Siro?
are we talking about the same type that is already covering the sidelines (in front of the benches) at San Siro?
devoted_dm
26-07-2005, 22:14
Have to say I never even thought of the fire aspect. Considering how many flairs end up on pitches each year thats a real hazzard alright. But hows this for a solution, albeit a very expensive one. Change the roof on the San Siro!!! Can't they make a roof like blinds where it could fold back or flip on its side or something to allow sunlight in?
Well, unless we avoid knocking Inter out of the Champions League again, I don't think it'll be a problem :devs:
I think an artificial pitch would be a great solution. Here in Norway, one of the teams in our top division recently built a new stadium with an artificial pitch, and the players seem to love it.
A pitch like this would be a good way to ensure that our team can play on a top-notch surface throughout the season, and it would also favor our technically gifted players, possibly giving us a bigger advantage in our home games against sides who just try to defend their way to a draw.
vBulletin® v3.7.1, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.