- Jun 9, 2012
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Not to be a dick... Seems both options are possible (guardian article says retractable grass, telegraph says retractable synthetic pitch) - this was key info:
At Wembley, the NFL have to leave the lowest 5,000 seats empty, so that the view of spectators is not restricted by the number of bodies at the side of the pitch.
I'm not sure that someone paying into the stadium would want such a clumsy arrangement, but it would fit the plan.
The key issue is maintaining the pitch when retracted - Millennium Stadium pitch is knackered after every 3-4 matches IIRC due to moving in and out.
However, it raises an interesting thought: do we have to register our pitch type with the FA or could we select it based on opposition? Train on synthetic pitch for a couple of weeks and then spring it on teams that struggle with fast pace/go for grass against others?
At Wembley, the NFL have to leave the lowest 5,000 seats empty, so that the view of spectators is not restricted by the number of bodies at the side of the pitch.
I'm not sure that someone paying into the stadium would want such a clumsy arrangement, but it would fit the plan.
The key issue is maintaining the pitch when retracted - Millennium Stadium pitch is knackered after every 3-4 matches IIRC due to moving in and out.
However, it raises an interesting thought: do we have to register our pitch type with the FA or could we select it based on opposition? Train on synthetic pitch for a couple of weeks and then spring it on teams that struggle with fast pace/go for grass against others?