What Famous Football Teams Use 3g Football Pitches?

The world of sports has greatly benefited from 3g pitches, including the clubs covered in this article.

In football, the pitch itself is a player and has a significant impact on the outcome of the game. There is much controversy around artificial pitches with traditionalists demanding football can only be played in a muddy field and others pointing out the financial benefits and reduced required maintenance. Over the years, the definition of an artificial pitch has changed as new technologies altered the way they are made. Today, 3G football pitch construction is commonplace and, while still being frowned upon by some, it is the preferred choice of many high-profile teams. Hybrid pitch construction and 4G pitch installation is also on the rise and will probably be a strong contender in the years to come. 

Before 3G pitch installation began, synthetic sports pitches were introduced to the world in 1980 when they were installed in several professional clubs. Queen’s Park Rangers pioneered the first artificial pitch installation in 1981 only to be met with criticism due to the unrealistic bouncy surface and inauthentic playing experience. However, the greater concern was the carpet burns and more serious injuries the players suffered while using the pitch. This led to artificial pitches being banned in 1988. 

New advances in technology have led to synthetic pitches being accepted as safe for players. Modern 3G football pitch construction prioritises a realistic ‘grass’ texture to give the game an authentic feel. 3G pitch installation assures a longer-lasting surface, less prone to damage from football spikes and wet weather. The method of construction involves weaving synthetic grass fibres into a backing. The turf is then mounted on stone or stone with a layer of tarmac on top for more professional teams. The tarmac gives the pitch a natural, gentle bounce but makes the overall 3G football pitch construction more expensive. The fibres are filled with sand or rubber granules. Rubber is more popular and usually sourced from recycled car tires but has recently come under fire as rumours it can cause cancer are being investigated. Despite this, 3G pitches are very popular in areas with bad weather such as in the Scandinavian countries and Scotland. Premier teams like Kilmarnock and the Hamilton Accies favour synthetic pitches. Synthetic turf does not become waterlogged and muddy and does not tend to freeze during winter unlike grass fields. Obviously, the grass does not need to be mowed or watered, making these pitches more economical and easier to maintain. 

Following on from 3G pitches, 4G pitch installation has started to become a service offered by some companies. As opposed to 3G pitches which require sand or rubber infill between the fibres, 4G pitches are so densely packed with fibres that they do not require any. One of the downsides to going through with 3G pitch installation is the regular infilling needed to maintain the quality of the pitch. 4G pitch installation avoids this by being completely constructed by synthetic fibres. 4G pitches are not technically considered to be a real thing as they have not yet been accepted by the Football Association.

One of the most high-profile synthetic pitch types is the new hybrid pitch. Unlike 4G pitch installation, hybrid pitches combine synthetic fibres with natural grass to create a diverse mix of the two. Tiny fibres are injected deep into the grass roots and encouraged to tangle into them as the grass grows. These pitches are the most expensive and only used by teams with a high budget. They require the least maintenance and recover quickly after games. It should come as no surprise that all teams in the Premiere League now have hybrid pitches with Wembley being the first to showcase them.

License: You have permission to republish this article in any format, even commercially, but you must keep all links intact. Attribution required.