Specialist sportsturf contractor SIS Pitches moved on site on 1 August under a fast-track project to returf Glasgow Celtic FC’s match pitch ready for the club’s first game on the 16th.
After stripping off the top 10cm of old turf and rootzone, which was taken away for reuse at Celtic’s training centre, SIS laser graded the pitch area to correct levels and grades.
A total of 600te of tested and approved 80:20 mixed rootzone material was supplied and spread on to the pitch, along with fertiliser, zeolite and soil conditioners; the rootzone finally being laser graded in preparation for turf installation.
Torrential rain on 5 and 6 August failed to dampen the contractor team’s resolve to complete the returf to schedule, says SIS project director Phil Blackwell. “We had to halt work on site because of the downpours but caught up later so that we were ready to lay the turf, primarily ryegrass and a small percentage of smoothstalk meadowgrass, on the Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We imported 24 truckloads from our usual source – a growing farm on the German/Dutch border, which enjoys some of the finest soils in Europe to produce turf specifically for sports pitches. The timescales were fairly tight but were nothing that we couldn’t handle comfortably,”
Robin Buchanan, Stadium General Manager, said: “We were delighted to host the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games and we are pleased that the pitch has been restored to its former glory so quickly.