Young Boys plan artificial pitch

BSC Young Boys hope to install an artificial pitch as part of the redevelopment of their Wankdorf stadium.

'Significantly lower costs'
The Berne club are in the process of renovating their home to make it the most modern and largest-capacity stadium in Switzerland. They see artificial turf primarily as a means of saving money in the long term. Werner Müller, from construction firm Marazzi, said: "One of the main arguments is the significantly lower costs of artificial grass."

Other advantages
The other advantages afforded by modern artificial pitches include unlimited wear and tear which eliminates match postponements and restrictions to training. Young Boys have submitted a detailed report on the safety of artificial pitches to the Swiss Football Association (SFV) but they are yet to sanction the club's proposal.

UEFA decision
If the SFV give Young Boys the nod then it is unlikely that the pitch will be laid before 2004, by which time fellow Swiss side FC Basel and German 1. Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04 will already be using theirs. The UEFA Executive Committee recently approved the use of artificial turf in all UEFA competitions as from 2004/05 onwards.

Limitations of grass
An increase in the number of matches played and the changes in stadium architecture have exposed the limitations of grass. Steeper all-seater stands and sliding roofs allow in insufficient light. Manchester United FC have had problems with the Old Trafford pitch, as have Milan AC and Internazionale FC at the San Siro, while AFC Ajax have replaced their playing surface more than 30 times since the Amsterdam ArenA was built in 1996.