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How do you grow a football pitch? Is it as simple as sewing a few seeds, and letting nature take its course?
Well, no. The science behind turf is so complex that Leicester City now have a “Sports Turf Academy” to teach the next generation of budding turf-professionals.
In this video, David Goldblatt explains how clubs in the past tried in vain to keep a pitch healthy, and what lengths clubs go to now to ensure their pitches are “like playing on a carpet”. Illustrated by Marco Bevilacqua.
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Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
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Music sourced from epidemicsound.com
Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
#Turf #FootballPitch
After watching this, I have a great respect for the people who work on and take care of pitches. Good job educating the public, TIFO
Respect indeed. It takes a village to prepare, lay out and maintenance the pitches.
100% agree!
Only Tifo could make me watch a 7 minute video about grass. You guys are great.
Anyone could make one. Only Tifo can make it interesting!
Snoop Dogg does it everyday 🤷
When i think of “30 years ago”, my mind thinks of 1970’s not 1995. It is crazy.
I think of 1940
Time is crazy man
Thank god its not just me so thinking this too
😂 I have exactly the same feeling
Wow, now it makes sense why groundskeepers get REALLY mad when people walk on the pitch. Players included.
My exact thoughts
Grows by the inch and is destroyed by the foot...
No Ball Games.
Anyone: "that's as boring as watching grass grow" Tifo: "Well actually, it's pretty interesting..."
There's a story about my football club (non-League Workington AFC) when we were managed by Bill Shankly in the 1950s. The football club shared the ground with the rugby team and, according to legend, the groundsman had a special talent for somehow managing to get the pitch to a quality comparible, if not better than some first division teams, as well as regularly widening the pitch for Shankly, and narrowing it for the Rugby League team (who often played on the same weekend, if not the same day). The groundsman was called Billy Watson, and Shankly wished him to go to Huddersfield and then Liverpool with him when he left our club, but Watson preferred staying in our small town to care for his mother. Stories are shared regularly of Watson's accomplishments as a "mere" groundsman amongst the older fans of Workington AFC. It shows how much we all value a good quality football pitch, whether we're playing on it or not.
Why doesnt it make rugby great since it is mentionned too ? the story is about an awesome person and it's not because of football (or rugby) tbh, there are alot of stories of workers around sports that do amazing stuff and it's about them, football fans romanticise the sport too much like Infantino when he says it'll help migrants and bring peace around the world...etc
This needs a Disney film starring Daniel Craig and Brian Cox
@Arnab Jyoti thanks man !
@@iansargent196 and Jason Statham
Feels good knowing this
As someone who works in a wholesale production nursery I found this very interesting and I definitely have a lot of respect for the people who keep the pitches looking good, it’s not easy to keep plants healthy
Fair point, Nigel Sexhammer
I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT THIS!! Finally a concise analysis and explanation on it.
This evolution happened so naturally over time that I had completely forgotten about those muddy penalty boxes of the 90's! Awesome video!
A quick trip to any African premier league pitch will act as a trip back memory lane😂
Respect to the people who take care of the pitches, it seems like a really difficult art to master.
Any idea why they prohibited the patterned grass? I remember the Leicester pitch... It was a work of art.
VAR and trying to decide offsides. straight lines make it much easier to tell
@@goat9295 so could you have your grounds-keep cut the grass seemingly horizontal - but actually slightly angled, which would offer a slight advantage on one side of the pitch?
@@goat9295 VAR uses multiple camera angles to fix position not just one. Also they allow vertical stripes which are no help in determining offside but ban checked which would be as good or better than horizontal stripes. So I don’t think that is it. If that was needed they would want 5m or 10m marks on each touchline similar to US football or Rugby.
It could be a multiple factors (consistent identity across games), distracting to players/ viewers idk but its a real shame because its killing an art form. I understand having some regulations so we don't end up getting ads mowed into the field, but it seems like a big step to completely ban all patterns
Cheers! Installing this in my back garden as we speak
The mapei stadium (sassuolo's ground in reggio emilia) is merged with a mall and there's a gym where you can see the pitch, I used to go to that gym and see some of these pitch maintenance processes, it looks really cool and interesting.
I had no idea this much work went into having a pitch in matchday condition. I've a newfound respect for anyone that maintains them.
Loved this, but grass isn't matt on one side and gloss on the other 😂 The rollers on the mowers push the grass flat; but not quite all the way flat, so reflects the sunlight in one direction making that stripe seem brighter in colour from one end, walk to the other end of that stripe and look the opposite way down it and that same stripe will now appear dark because it's been flattened toward you. Repeat the process up and down a lawn in opposite directions and you stripe it. Source: I cut grass for a living
Yeah, totally agree. When I heard the video say that it made me question what else they might've gotten wrong. So now I can't trust anything in the video without fact-checking it all :/
Yeah I thought mat and gloss were types of paint
No actually I believe the video is right. You cut normal grass, whereas the grass on the football pitch is matte on one side and glossy on the other side, it's artificially grown grass. A simple google would help you clarify
You’re definitely wrong
@@tobisegun-lean2593 the majority of the big pitches use a system called 'Desso Grassmaster' which is only about 3% artificial grass (plastic) the other 97% is 'normal' grass as you put it. They mow the same grass that I do, with very expensive, very heavy mowers with rollers on them. Google what rollers do and you'll have your answer.
Before watching this video, I would have never imagined how much care and science is involved behind a football pitch. Very informative video. 👍
I always have sooo much respect and admiration for the backroom staff in sports! They deserve some to be honest 🤠
People always think about technology as electronics, but they don't think about how everything around us is technology. Seeing how "simple" things like grass growing advancements make a big deal in life
Wow, no wonder my yard doesn’t always look perfect. What huge budget this must require for the clubs. Must be nice to play on.
I think of Barcelona when they talk about cutting the last mm of grass on matchday. They actually water it lightly as well.
Wonderful video as usual. A tutorial on how you plan and create your videos would be nice.
I absolutely love this channel. So insightful
Great video, thank you. I have now repaired my back garden and now been shortlisted as a potential host for the FA Vase final!
thank you TIFO! as a groundsman I appreciate your accuracy of information!!
The content on this channel is always informative and spot on. I really do look forward to new daily releases. Thanking you from NYC.
Amazing video as ever, wonder if you could do a series on stadiums in general (from the stands, to the shops and gates etc..). This could be the 1 ep
Every time I see a new knee slide celebration making a trail on a rainy day I feel for the grounds crew
This is the video I have been waiting for! I love this channel. Keep it up!
Wow. Great knowledge & respect for all the maintenance crew for the pitch👍👍👍
So many people just realised(including myself) how much effort is put in simply on pitch.Thank you @Tifo Football for sharing so much to us over several years.
Very informative video. Keep up the good work.
Wow, didn't know how much info about the grass field in the stadium would be this many. Thanks for the info video, really appreciate it.
Good job TIFO, Very informative!!
One of the most indepth videos I've ever seen Video recommendation:How to manage a football club
Brings back memories of the Baseball Ground in the 70's. Repainting the penalty spot as the pitch was so muddy against Man City.
i never knew the effort but by pitch developers in ensuring this beautiful game is played hassle free as possible , kudos to them
Great video. I loved those Leicester City pitches.
this football pitch grass process sounds so technical it could be an entire university course by itself
Funnily enough....it actually is. In the US at least, you can get an entire bachelors degree purely for grass growing and maintenance.
This reinforces for me how complicated even "small" aspects of life are. Each solution produced consequences that needed further, unconventional solutions. Think of the technology involved in each step! It's easy to take the whole process for granted. I see this as a lesson to not just re-evaluate "failure" but also success - success is made through many unseen trials.
Great job educating us.
Wow that's alot of work, salute to all the Maestro
Fascinating. Thanks
A much appreciated new knowledge. Now im one step closer to reach my dream of becoming a football pitch specialist. Thank you very much Tifo...
I want to know why a football pitch has a massive drop off on the edges. I understand the slope from middle for drainage but having the pitch drop so steeply almost directly after the touchline seems strange
I didn’t know I needed this video, but very happy I’ve watched it!
Such a shame they banned other grass patterns. I loved the Leicester City pitch. Gave the ground more character.
that would inevitably lead to company logo outlines being displayed on the grass. Good thing it was banned
@@allenqueen I think it was more due to the fact that the lines on the pitch made it easier for linesmen (assistant refs nowadays) to judge offside calls.
I agree, would've been very cool some of the awesome designs some teams would maintain.
@@allenqueen no they could have banned that as a specific thing but allow geometric or other types of cutting as a personal touch
Wow!now I understand.thanks for the info
This is by far my favorite Tifo video!!
This is very interesting. Great job to whoever do research on it
How many clubs can afford all this? Ideally it would be all professional clubs, but I'm guessing it's probably more like the premier league + the wealthier championship clubs
Chelsea’s sand pitch was iconic
What an awesome nerdy video, I always wondered about this stuff
Great video Tifo...an all round football Chanel
Massive respect to those who, 'row at greater shooting density'
I'm not sure why, but this is everything I ever wanted to know about a pitch... THANK YOU! :)
This is why I pay for The Athletic. Absolute delight, thank you so much!
So simple! 😂 That was amazing and blew my mind ay how much work is involved. Thanks for such a great explanation! ⚽️
Yes more videos like this please
Do the athletic have a grass reporter 🤷♂️I need more of this
That's a lot more involved than I ever imagined.
Dude how do you get all these information. Massive respect
Tifo coming up with stories we never knew we needed.
I work at a premier league stadium and it is truly phenomenal how many grounds staff are continuously working on the pitch all day, every day!
When I first started watching the premier league football in 98 one of the best looking pitches then was Highburys. Even in winter the pitch looked decent.
The Emirates stadium also had a top pitch and was considered the best for a long while. Arsenal has a special thing with their groundsmen fo sho.
Good day, Can you guys do a series on the youth academy system? How they started, how they work, lifestyle of a player in one, success/fail rates etc.
Good stuff. A lot in common with how golf courses are maintained
Respect++ for pitch team
Incredible video
The main issue i took from this video is that 1995 is almost 30 years ago and that hurts on a whole new level
It is good video well done A video on the 3G artificial pitch can be good
This is as exciting as watching grass grow... Which turns out to actually be exciting 🤷♂️
Good effort. So many things I wouldn’t recommend or do after working on football pitches for 10 years.
Fascinating
Tifo, would you mind doing a magic of the cup video? Maybe talk about nonleague teams? Help them through recognition in your video but also describe why teams seem to be struggling more and more against nonleague and lower league sides in the cups
To me, the greatest advance in football tecnology is the pitch. At least to me it had a far greater impact over the game than the ball, boots and gloves. (of course leaving the old leather balls and the fact that keepers didn´t use gloves aside)
need this pitch in my backyard asap!
Did u know that Camp Nou had the strongest and tallest grasses during 2009-11 season, due to the overfertilization of the grasses by opponents tears
😂🤣
Excellent vid
I cannot thank TIFO enough for the contents they make here.
Man City made great strides with undersoil heating at Maine Rd in the late 70's/early 80's while other clubs struggled. Despite being a club who were perennially lower table (if not relegation battlers) at the time, City went top of the league during a period of otherwise Liverpool domination ostensibly due to the fact everyone else's games kept being called off.
Thanks man now I can make a premier league standard football pitch in my garden
Why did I watch this video with a sense of legitimate intrigue?
This was an interesting watch
awesome video as always
Amazing football history and insight. Reminded me of the great design that the king power pitch had. I’ve got somewhat similar videos on my channel if you’re interested.
We love a Halifax town mention
Thanks TIFO, may I ask on behalf of Mr Clough how do they tend to the grass in the clouds?
Wow that's a lot of work!
With all that said - kudos by the way for the great vid - which premierleague / championship stadiums have the best pitches and what makes them better than others?
Arsenal have long had one of the best, if not the best, pitch in the prem. Hence, it's nickname "the carpet"
If anybody is curious about this topic, ask your local golf-club if the greenkeeping staff is in need of new employees. Usually they are and you have a wonderful job outside
this was fantastic
Although you wouldn't notice it standing on a football pitch.. the pitch isn't perfectly level and flat there needs to be a fall from one corner to the opposite corner of 1-2 meters for the drainage to work. Same as flat roof.
Amazing video
Damn I didn't know all of this. It's wild how much we don't know about the work that is put into all this.
#1 enemy to modern pitches are the popular knee-slide celebrations. 😎
I know a friend who is a golf course technician. He talks about this kind of stuff all the time.
The carpet has to be my favourite 🤩 well done to the Arsenal grounds man
That was really interesting.. thank you. 🙏🏾 Banning the unique grass cutting patterns is a little much I think. Unless there is some logic to the ban… anyone any ideas???
The artificial fibres in the pitch. Are they a standard now or only in certain types of pitches like the Desso Grassmaster?
Awesome video! :)
See I'm interested with this because, in Singapore, we tried to keep our only one national football field as good as this one. We even build a huge stadium for it! And we still failed the field test. Pun intended.