CHARLES LAWRENCE

The new generation of synthetic grass surfaces offer a much improved performance for football use.

For schools, colleges and community use football pitches, the benefits of synthetic grass surfaces are very clear. The pitches can be intensively used, even for a number of matches on the same day, without becoming waterlogged or unplayable. They remain in use in all but the most severe winter weather and require minimum routine maintenance.

For full-size or smaller five-a-side areas, synthetic grass offers operators a maximum return on their investment.

More than any other sport, hockey has been transformed by the introduction of synthetic grass surfaces. Artificial grass surfaces are now the standard for all major hockey competitions, helping to improve the overall standard of play by allowing increased pace, accuracy and the further development of skills that depend upon a consistent ball and surface interaction.

The same considerations apply to hockey pitches for schools or community use, but other important factors for this sport are the relatively low maintenance needs of the surfaces and their ability to withstand constant play while maintaining a first class surface.

The netball facilities strategy published by the governing body of the game in England, the All England Netball Association, aims to raise the status of netball and ensure that high-quality facilities are available throughout the country. Their technical datasheet ‘categories of netball court and surface performance requirements’ gives guidance on the standards needed at different levels of the game, they set performance requirements for ‘preferred surfaces’ - suitable for major competitive events - and ‘basic surfaces’ - for club and recreational play.