Athlone Stadium has been closed for the remainder of 2009, in order for a new grass pitch to be laid and the upgrading of the north and south spectator stands to be finalised before the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
The stadium will serve as a practice venue during the World Cup, and the City of Cape Town wants to ensure that the facilities and pitch will be in pristine condition.
The previous grass pitch, which had been used for years by Cape Town soccer clubs Santos and Ajax Cape Town, did not meet FIFA’s requirement that the grass must be the same as the playing surface for the World Cup matches that will take place at Green Point Stadium.The new pitch will have a kikuyu base (warm season turf) overseeded with rye (cool season turf), meaning that the stadium can be used throughout the year.
The tender for the new surface has been awarded and work is set to begin.
Image source: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town
1 comment:
How widely is kikuyugrass used as a sporting surface in Africa? I was frankly surprised, and pleased, to hear of it being the accepted/expected surface for the World Cup matches at Green Ponite Stadium. Being the sole kikuyugrass sod grower in California, I am always interested in it's use elsewhere.
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