16th Sep 2016
S&C Slatter clients have been talking about their new 3G football turf pitches. And the partnership they have enjoyed with the Country’s leading Sports Construction Specialists during the project development and construction phases.
Since the end of the last football season, the Company has built six 3G football turf stadium pitches for senior non-league football and community play – all ready for the start of the 2016/17 campaigns. With more on the way.
‘Our new surface is excellent’
Harrogate Town FC, Tamworth FC, Maidstone United, Eastbourne United, Haringey Borough FC and Slough FC all now play on state of the art 3G artificial turf systems installed using high performance construction technology and delivered by S&C Slatter’s fast-track project management team.
So what do these clients think about their new FIFA 2 Star Performance Standard facilities?
Irving Weaver Chairman of National League North Harrogate Town
“The pitch looks and plays remarkably well. So much so that all the teams that have played on the pitch to date have been really impressed. Once the rubber crumb had settled into the filaments, within a couple of weeks during pre-season, there is no discernible difference from the best of grass pitches.
Our first team squad trained on a new 3G pitch during last season and they confirm that our new surface is excellent.
‘Willingness to please was outstanding’
The installation has overnight changed our business model, with immediate high demand for usage by local and district teams. The additional revenue and cost savings, further enhanced involvement with the community, and the reassurance that we are developing a sustainable football club, will project the club forward.
We were delighted with the performance of S & C Slatter. The contract was completed on time and to budget. The quality of workmanship is there for all to see and, above all, their willingness to please was outstanding”.
Paul Maynard Chairman of National League South Eastbourne Borough FC has this to say,
“We are delighted with the end product. It looks magnificent and plays totally true – our playing and coaching staff are entirely positive about the surface. For the first time in our history all of our numerous youth teams will be able to play and train at the same site – and they are thrilled to be playing inside the main stadium. We were able to negotiate an advance long term contract with a national soccer league, which in conjunction with enhanced community use, should bring significant new revenue to the club. As with most football clubs our main asset is our stadium. Now, instead of using the stadium once a week or once a fortnight we can use it every day of the week.
‘Utterly professional’
We identified S & C Slatters as our preferred pitch supplier some time ago and they have worked closely with us throughout our planning process. They have been utterly professional and delivered on time and on budget. I cannot praise them highly enough.”
At newly promoted National League Maidstone United, Chairman Oliver Ash is equally enthusiastic.
“We found S and C Slatter to be most professional and helpful throughout the process, from the moment we approached them to tender to the period of installation. It was like having a dedicated, specialist in-house team.”
“The FieldTurf pitch certainly looks the part and the first few games have shown it to play really well.”
Tamworth FC play in the National League North and Chairman Bob Andrews is very pleased with their new 3G football turf pitch.
“From our first meeting with S&C Slatter Commercial Director Jason Douglass and our visit to the pitch they’ve installed for Sutton United, I had full confidence in their ability to deliver what we wanted. 9 months later and with the necessary financing in place, we were able to commence the construction of our own 3G football turf pitch.
‘We would recommend the company’
Right from the very beginning of the project we found the S&C Slatter staff good to deal with and they were very pro-active in getting to grips with our slightly unusual stadium and our specific requirements. The whole process went very smoothly and we would recommend the company from top to bottom as very efficient with a very good end product.”
There’s nothing really for us to add other than to say how much we enjoyed working on each of these projects. As is often the case, a strong client/contractor partnership was key to achieving the high quality standard of these outstanding new stadium pitches.
The importance of this approach now, if anything, assumes even more significance with the forthcoming changes to FIFA performance standards. Clubs will need to fully understand the implications of these revisions and decide whether the FIFA Quality Pro or Quality standard is the most appropriate for them and their stakeholders (community and other external users).
While FIFA Quality Pro is geared specifically towards the demands of the professional game, FIFA Quality is orientated to the durability and safety for more intense use at community level.
‘Like having a dedicated, specialist in-house team’
But it doesn’t stop there. You need to ensure that having chosen the correct route on performance, the specific artificial turf pitch system you are considering is equally the right one – particularly in achieving the consistency and longevity demanded by both new standards.
This has practical consequences for clubs, for instance placing even greater emphasis on the need for programmed specialist maintenance and after-care.
S&C Slatter can help your club work through this process by acting as specialist advisor and technical expert, comparing your vital project and business plan criteria against the relevant standards and site parameters. By analysing and reporting on the practical impacts and consequences of these, the company can support delivery of a successful project.
As Oliver Ash of Maidstone United said earlier, “It was like having a dedicated, specialist in-house team.”
And as we know, teamwork always wins.
