As a global sports pitch company, SIS Pitches completes work on multiple continents at some of the most prestigious organisations in their respective countries. Throughout the year, SISGrass and SIS International completed over 50 installations. This case study aims to shine a light on the journey of working with some of our global clients in 2022.
- Parken Stadium, FC Copenhagen, Denmark
- Fir Park, Motherwell FC, Scotland
- San Siro and Inter Milan Training Centre, Italy
- Qingdao Youth Stadium, China
- Estadio de la Cerámica, Villareal CF, Spain
- Japanese National Rugby Team training centre in Miyazaki.
FC Copenhagen, Parken Stadium, February
As one of the most successful football clubs in Denmark, both domestically and internationally, it is essential that FC Copenhagen have the highest standards of facilities. This had been made possible with our long-standing relationship with the Danish giants.
In 2020, SISGrass undertook a full reconstruction of a natural grass pitch at their training centre. The excellence of the Universal machines was displayed with the pitch being completed in 8 days with 3 machines, faster than any competitor can achieve.
Most recently, FC Copenhagen required the supply and installation of a new natural grass pitch. This was made possible through the 2-month winter break the Danish Superliga has.
The playing surface was completed in time for Copenhagen’s return match against Odense Boldklub, in which they came out victorious 2-0, later going on to become champions for the 2021/22 season.
Motherwell FC, Fir Park, May
Despite the best efforts of their cracking head groundskeeper Paul Matthew and his team, Motherwell had been having persistent root problems under the pitch surface. Due to these issues, maintaining a consistent, stable pitch was becoming increasingly difficult and costly.
The Scottish Premiership team decided to join Celtic, Hearts, and Rangers with a hybrid pitch. The SISGrass team was tasked with a full reconstruction, seeding, and stitching of the pitch in partnership with Scottish turf specialist AllGrass.
The work began with clearing the current problematic pitch and preparing the playing surface. This process consisted of installing an improved drainage system, a new irrigation system, and new undersoil heating pipes. The pitch was eventually seeded and stitched and completed by presenting with SISGrass’ all-electric fleet of machines.
Motherwell now boasts one of the most elite playing surfaces in the Scottish Premiership.
Inter Milan, Training Centre, June
Over halfway through the year, with still no signs of slowing down, SIS Pitches was tasked with the design and redevelopment of the existing training centres, Campo Tribuna and Campo Porttieri. The 9-week project was with our local partners, FlexGrass.
The first 7 weeks of the project consisted of extensive ground work and the installation of our SISHeat undersoil heating system and our SISAqua irrigation system. Following this were 2 weeks of turfing and stitching the pitch, and completing the pitch surrounds with SISTurf.
Having world-class training facilities goes hand in hand with their elite performances, with the team currently competing in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Inter Milan, San Siro, August
After just completing the training centre for Inter Milan the previous month, work continued for the Italian giants. There aren’t many more iconic football stadiums than the San Siro, so it was a pleasure to be able to work on the stadium pitch with FlexGrass.
The pitch has suffered over the years. This is due to the less-than-optimal growing conditions, which are the steep stands, large roof, and extensive use from both Milan clubs. After an action-packed end to the 2022 season, it was time to resurface the pitch in time for the 2023 season.
With the season starting in a couple of weeks, it was essential to have two machines running. This was made possible thanks to the nine members of staff operating the machines throughout the day and night. The pitch was completed in less than a week, and it’s safe to say the team’s efforts laid the groundwork for Inter Milan’s challenge for silverware in 2022-2023.
Qingdao Youth Stadium, China, December
December was an extremely busy month for SISGrass. The sheer volume of work, completed at the highest quality is a testament to their dedication to providing the most elite playing surfaces.
The Qingdao Youth Stadium is a newly built 50,000-capacity stadium in the Chengyang district. The stadium boasts a mind-blowing, futuristic design, as it depicts “jumping sea waves,” with certain parts of the stadium being opaque and others lighting up blue, white, and grey. The facility was initially selected to be used as one of the venues for the 2023 Asian Cup, until the tournament was moved to Qatar.
After navigating the challenging quarantine period, the 4-man SISGrass crew got to work stitching the pitch. After just 10 days, the team managed to complete the job on the 7,700 m2 pitch. The ground-breaking stadium now boasts a ground-breaking playing surface fit for the highest standards of football.
Japanese National Rugby Team Training Centre, December
Our connections to the Japanese National Rugby Team go back many years. In 2019, they kicked off their Rugby World Cup campaign with a win at the Anjinimoto Stadium, which had been stitched by SISGrass in preparation for the Japan Rugby World Cup. After an impressive start to their campaign, the Japanese rugby team reached the quarterfinals for their best ever run in the tournament before being knocked out at the same stadium against the eventual winners of the tournament, South Africa.
It was a pleasure to re-ignite the connection again, with the SISGrass team heading over to Japan in December to stich their pitches at the Miyazaki Training Centre. The end result of the 7922sqm pitch was remarkable, as reflected in the photos. With the job handed over, it was time to make the trip back to Europe for one last project for the year.
Villarreal CF, Estadio de la Cerámica, December
After an extremely productive year, the SISGrass team ended 2022 under the sun at the Yellow Submarine. This was made possible with the world cup and winter break putting a stop to games at the stadium for over 2 months.
Once again, we joined forces with our partners at FlexGrass to stitch the 7420sqm pitch. With time of the essence, work on the pitch started four days before Christmas before pausing for a short break for the teams to return home for Christmas. After a few days break, the work recommenced and was completed just before the new year, ready for the Villareal’s return on the 22nd of January.
The beauty of being a global leader with an ever-growing passion for sport is that SIS Pitches is able to constantly visit new territories and provide them with the most elite playing surfaces. No job is ever too big or small; get in touch with us to bring your ideas to life.