SIS have been called in a 4th time to install a new natural grass pitch for a UEFA Champions League Final. Very appropriately, it was for the first all-England UEFA Champions League final between Manchester Utd & Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on May 21 2008. Hence British teams will on a pitch installed by a British company.
There had originally been an artificial pitch at the Luzhniki stadium for
the England v Russia match in December 2007, subsequently overlaid
with a grass pitch grown on a palletised system. However, this particular
surface was not deemed suitable for the UEFA Champions League Final so it
was removed and the pallets left in place. This was when SIS were
called in.
“After
we were called in, we laser levelled the sand surface over the pallets before
bringing in 8,000 square metres of turf grown in Slovakia to lay over the
pallet system. The operation went very smoothly and the surface was levelled
using box grade lasers to deliver levels that will allow both teams to play
a passing game.” (SIS Chief Executive Officer George Mullan)
- 28 refrigerated trucks were required to transport the turf
- Transportation took 7 days to cover 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles) from Slovakia to Moscow
- 10-man strong SIS crew installed 8,000m2 of turf in just 2 days
- The SIS crew was the same team who installed the UEFA Champions League Final pitches in Amsterdam (1999), Hampden Park (2002) and Schalke04 (2003)
View Pitch Installation Slide Show
Official Press Release - UEFA Champions League Final Pitch Installation
