In Germany alone, there are around 25,000 football clubs with approximately 7 million members. They play an estimated 1.6 million football matches on approximately 50,000 football pitches. In Germany, the game is predominantly played on the naturally grown grass football pitch. However, the proportion of artificial turf pitches is constantly increasing – in sports clubs as well as schools, universities, and municipal playing fields.
THE ADVANTAGES OF AN ARTIFICIAL GRASS FOOTBALL PITCH
There are sound reasons for its increasing popularity, in particular, the robustness of artificial grass pitches. They are ready for use in almost any weather condition and do not require a recovery period in between matches. This is an asset that pays off, especially in cities with limited space, when there is often only one pitch shared between several teams. The robustness also helps to ensure a long lifespan. In fact, the average service life of artificial turf is approximately 2,000 hours of play a year, whereas natural turf loses its optimum playing characteristics after only 400 to 800 hours of play.
Artificial grass pitches are also low-maintenance. Although the surface must be cleaned regularly, there is no need for time-consuming mowing, ventilation, or lawn fertilization. What’s more, there is no need for irrigation, which has proved to be a great advantage, especially during the hot summer of 2018. Intensive cleaning of the artificial turf is only required every few years. Today, modern artificial turf pitches have become a real club attraction across all levels of play! They enthuse the club members and players and are a major reason for increases in football club membership numbers. Artificial grass pitches also help ensure training continuity during wet weather.
