How 4G and all weather sports pitches can help grassroots football

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Grassroots football in the UK is plagued by cancelled games due to adverse weather conditions. In an ideal world pitches would be playable all year round, but the lack of game time and inability to train is having a serious impact on the development of young players.

4G and artificial sports pitches may well be the answer to ensuring young footballers can play week in, week out. At the very least they can provide an all year solution to training problems as they are completely unaffected by the weather, provided they have an effective drainage system, of course.

There are other benefits to having an artificial sports pitch too though! For one thing, they require much less maintenance than a regular pitch that requires mowing, line marking and general care throughout the course of a season. This can provide a real cost saving benefit over time for cash-strapped clubs who spend a small fortune each year on grass seed, equipment and time spent maintaining a grass pitch.

In addition, there’s an argument that artificial pitches are easier on the joints due to a layer that absorbs shock. This can lead to much fewer injuries throughout a season, which can be especially important for younger players whose joints haven’t fully developed and strengthened, as well as the older players.

There’s also a commercial opportunity should a club choose to rent their pitch out when it’s not in use. Clubs can charge between £20 – £30 an hour for an artificial sports pitch, which is a great income source for a small football club. Over time it can eventually pay for the upfront cost of installing the pitch. This isn’t achievable with a normal pitch due to fears of its condition being worsened before a game.

Modern artificial pitches are able to replicate the conditions of real grass much more accurately than ever before, meaning there are very few disadvantages to having a pitch installed. Although they may never fully replicate the feeling of grass, there’s not as much difference as you might think.

M J Davidson install and construct artificial sports pitches for all purposes, we have vast experience in constructing them for schools, sports clubs, football clubs and more. Take a look at some of our case studies here.

To enquire, call us on 01772 616640 or email enquiries@mjdavidson.co.uk.