FA admits Wembley pitch flawed
Source: Agencies |
April 14, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE owners of Wembley Stadium accepted yesterday that there were problems preparing the playing surface for the weekend's FA Cup semifinals and will decide next week whether to replace it for the 11th time in three years.
After the players repeatedly slipped on the surface in both games, there are demands for an investigation into the poor state of a pitch that is being described as an embarrassment and dangerous.
"We accept and understand the frustrations around the standard of the pitch at Wembley for last weekend's FA Cup semifinals," the FA said in a statement.
"The problems faced on Saturday were due to the way the surface was prepared and the measures used overnight were unable to resolve the situation sufficiently for the match on Sunday. There is a unique challenge with the surface at Wembley and we are working with expert pitch consultants to get it right. Wembley Stadium is a multipurpose venue and we have to hold other events as part of the business plan, which means regular pitch replacements each year."
Wembley will be the venue for a rugby union game between Saracens and Harlequins on Saturday, and the FA said it will decide after that whether to replace the pitch again. With the World Cup looming, there are fears the players of England and Mexico could be injured at the ground in the May 30 friendly.
"It was ridiculous. Everyone was slipping all over the place and it proved more costly for us because it caused Michael Dawson to slip for their goal," Tottenham striker Peter Crouch said after his side lost 0-2 to Portsmouth in Sunday's cup game. "No one could stand up, there is no getting away from it."
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said the pitch was dangerous and called for it to be re-laid.
"Dig it up and put another one down," he said. "It's rock hard and wet on the top. They don't run race horses when it's like that because it's dangerous."
Because of the enormous cost of rebuilding the stadium, the owners have been trying to use it often, including for music concerts, to recoup some of the cost and the result is that the pitch usually has little time to recover.
After the players repeatedly slipped on the surface in both games, there are demands for an investigation into the poor state of a pitch that is being described as an embarrassment and dangerous.
"We accept and understand the frustrations around the standard of the pitch at Wembley for last weekend's FA Cup semifinals," the FA said in a statement.
"The problems faced on Saturday were due to the way the surface was prepared and the measures used overnight were unable to resolve the situation sufficiently for the match on Sunday. There is a unique challenge with the surface at Wembley and we are working with expert pitch consultants to get it right. Wembley Stadium is a multipurpose venue and we have to hold other events as part of the business plan, which means regular pitch replacements each year."
Wembley will be the venue for a rugby union game between Saracens and Harlequins on Saturday, and the FA said it will decide after that whether to replace the pitch again. With the World Cup looming, there are fears the players of England and Mexico could be injured at the ground in the May 30 friendly.
"It was ridiculous. Everyone was slipping all over the place and it proved more costly for us because it caused Michael Dawson to slip for their goal," Tottenham striker Peter Crouch said after his side lost 0-2 to Portsmouth in Sunday's cup game. "No one could stand up, there is no getting away from it."
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said the pitch was dangerous and called for it to be re-laid.
"Dig it up and put another one down," he said. "It's rock hard and wet on the top. They don't run race horses when it's like that because it's dangerous."
Because of the enormous cost of rebuilding the stadium, the owners have been trying to use it often, including for music concerts, to recoup some of the cost and the result is that the pitch usually has little time to recover.
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