Artificial Turf to Commonwealth Stadium

[hamiltonfan]

Looks like Commonwealth Stadium, once our only suitable large soccer venue, will be going plastic.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/A ... story.html

Even though this is not the type of facilities Canada Soccer or a NASL even MLS team would be looking at now adays, still sad to see it go to the bad side.

[gator]

Could that be the end of big soccer events at Comonwealth? They seem to think the fake grass will be quite suitable for soccer, guess they haven't followed the developments at BMO! In truth though, how many big matches are actually played there anymore? I'll miss seeing the Central American teams running around with gloves on in October if this is the end! Here's another article on it:http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/football/2010/03/09/13175286.html

[Lord Bob]

I wrote a post at the Maple Leaf Forever about this.

But, in summary: let's not forget how unbelievably bad the grass at Commonwealth already was for soccer.

[tmcmurph]

I wrote a post at the Maple Leaf Forever about this.

But, in summary: let's not forget how unbelievably bad the grass at Commonwealth already was for soccer.

It was bad for the Caps vs LA game but looked great for the Canada vs Mexico WCQ. That could be it for WCQ games out west until Vancouver gets their stadium built or FC Edmonton build one.

The cold weather is a problem so fake turf is the answer? Hello? You may want to call MLSE and ask about that heating system idea. As for the line "Studies also have demonstrated that the best turf fields are more user-forgiving than natural grass, causing fewer injuries." what a load of marketing hype. The key part is "the best turf" and guess what? I bet they will go with the cheapest one they can find. I hope I'm wrong but I bet they won't go with the Limonta/GeoSafePlay cork-o-nut top of the line stuff. I bet they will go with the cheapo silica or crumb rubber crap.

[Lord Bob]

I was unimpressed by the pitch at Canada - Mexico, but yes, it was the best I'd ever seen it.

Of course, proper undersoil heating, drainage, etc. would help a grass pitch immeasurably. But why would the Edmonton Eskimos and the city invest the cash required for a tenant who shows up once every three years? It wouldn't make sense and it would still result in a lovely, level pitch that was being torn up by Canadian gridiron players a dozen times every year.

[tmcmurph]

Yea they want CFL and concerts so we lose a very unique place. The only 50k+ stadium in Canada that was real turf. All WCQ games will be in Montreal and Toronto until Vancouver gets their stadium which may be never or 5 years. Sigh. Hopefully they don't cheap out but I bet they will.

[Lord Bob]

The Edmonton city council unanimously approved FieldTurf at a council meeting mere hours ago.

[GlueGun18]

"Ron Smyth, manager of the city's community facility services branch, said the Canadian Soccer Association supports the conversion. The city can still host qualifying games for FIFA with the new artificial turf.

Smyth said another benefit of an artificial turf field is there won't be any permanent lines. Depending on the sport -- football, soccer or rugby -- the lines can be painted on."

http://www2.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=a706df72-fd17-4a73-98cc-12cf159a7fb7&sponsor=

I'm not sure if this is the total truth or not. It is my understanding that FIFA still typically frowns on the idea of playing on artificial surfaces. Perhaps the CSA supports the conversion so they have a better excuse to not hold matches in Edmonton anymore...

[Guest Ed]

Regarding FIFA and artificial surfaces: Not today. Costa Rica plays the majority of its home qualifiers on artificial turf with FIFA's blessing.

[hamiltonfan]

;'As Simon Jackson was quoted on RedNationOnline.ca

"It’s all about winning games and obviously the atmosphere does help,” he said. “Being from Mississauga you want to see a lot of games in Toronto, but if bringing the Mexicans to Edmonton and letting them freeze is going to get results then that’s what we’ve got to do. You have to make it difficult for teams like that.”

We need a facility in northern Canada for this exact reason. A small majority pro-Canada crowd in Toronto doesnt have the same impact on a visiting tropical country compare a cold match in Edmonton, St. John's(great location for players overseas), Quebec City.......yellowknife

Not saying games in Toronto are not an amazing time, its all about the W though.

[sloth8]

Regarding FIFA and artificial surfaces: Not today. Costa Rica plays the majority of its home qualifiers on artificial turf with FIFA's blessing.

Good point about Costa Rica. However, they will be playing on grass out of their brand-new National Stadium (thanks to the Chinese government) by this time next year.

[Cheeta]

To be honest, regardless of what the CSA says about the acceptability of FieldTurf, there must have been some sense of resignation in Edmonton that Commonwealth had moved rather farther down the WCQ pecking order as soon as it was announced that BMO Field was going over to natural grass.

Given the travel and time zone handicaps Commonwealth had against it (compared to eastern locations) once the field surface advantage was removed from the calculations the justifications for Edmonton hosting MNT events "in season" became less clear. I'm not sure soccer has ever been given a lot of weight at the venue but if I'm right, the loss of Commonwealth's only advantage (the field) may have been just another consideration in the decision to switch to plastic.

Won't admit I like this decision, but in a practical sense it may have been inevitable.

[Free kick]

Worth noting. There poor quality of the field turf at BMO field was attributable to its usage more so than actaul quality of the playing surface . Recall that as a condition of city hall, it was being used 12 hours 360 days a year by the comunity. No other pro sports venue faces that and you really started to notice the poor quality and conditions that affected the game, by around the middle of the second year and definitely in the third year.

The natural surface of Commonwealth for that qualifier versus Honduras, was terrible and thats obviously because of usage for gridiron football. So I cannot see Fieldturf being any worst. OK, some players dont like it. But how much of that is due to a mindset moreso playing conditions and risk of injury is still up in the air. On a new surface, I noted that the ball rolls and bounces very fairly. Sure a Darren Huckerby or David beckham may not like it but, as mentioned by others, The costa ricans dont seem to mind nor do other South Americans. Argentinian teams seem to excel on that surface.

[Mr.Impact]

Can't blame city council for going "Plastic", seeing this a multi-purpose stadium.

[trueviking]

Ironic that by installing plastic they are turning their 'multi-purpose' stadium into a 'single purpose' stadium...at least as far as sports go. Edmonton has certainly seen it's last major soccer and rugby game. The grass was the only reason either ever happened in Edmonton (especially with brutal attendance over the last number of years)....the city once took pride in hosting international sport. That is a thing of the past now.

thankfully BMO is changing...to have a country our size withoout a single proper stadium with a grass field is embarassing...it says a lot about the culture of sport in our country....

[gator]

Ironic that by installing plastic they are turning their 'multi-purpose' stadium into a 'single purpose' stadium...at least as far as sports go. Edmonton has certainly seen it's last major soccer and rugby game. The grass was the only reason either ever happened in Edmonton (especially with brutal attendance over the last number of years)....the city once took pride in hosting international sport. That is a thing of the past now.

thankfully BMO is changing...to have a country our size withoout a single proper stadium with a grass field is embarassing...it says a lot about the culture of sport in our country....

Very true too bad for Western V's but we should see more games at BMO now! More road trips for you Westerners!

[devioustrevor]

We need a facility in northern Canada for this exact reason. A small majority pro-Canada crowd in Toronto doesnt have the same impact on a visiting tropical country compare a cold match in Edmonton, St. John's(great location for players overseas), Quebec City.......yellowknife

Was the stadium used for the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse a permanent facility?

[Tuscan]

I like where trevor is taking this. There has been a lot of talk since the WCQ08 meltdown about looking to smaller, but more Canadian-weather, venues in order to give ourselves a bit of an extra edge at home. I think it'd be foolish to not play in both BMO and SS, but for the third game, what about Winnipeg or Calgary, or Halifax or somewhere where the weather won't be as peachy as that of southern Ontario or Montreal.

[Varsity Tyler]

Was the stadium used for the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse a permanent facility?

The primary legacy of the CWG is a fantastic rec centre, but there's no outdoor stadium associated with it. The only soccer component is the indoor fields.

It's too bad there isn't a proper 5000-8000 seat field here in town since an event like an important WCQ would go over huge. Right now we're set to host the Canuck X-Country Ski Nationals and everybody knows about it. Give a WCQ even a smidge of publicity and the place would sell out. And yes I realize that 8000 people is 1/3 of the people in town, lol

I would looooooove playing Mexico or Honduras up here ..... in October ..... when it's already -20. For the November WCQ matches I could ride the skidoo to the match : )

[nfitz]

I'm not sure this is great for Canadian soccer ... but it's a good news for Toronto fans. With the National team complaining about BMO Field in the past; with all the changes, Montreal and Toronto will be the only pitches to play on for the next few years.

[tmcmurph]

I'm not sure this is great for Canadian soccer ... but it's a good news for Toronto fans. With the National team complaining about BMO Field in the past; with all the changes, Montreal and Toronto will be the only pitches to play on for the next few years.

Sob, sniff, waaaahhhhh

Yes you are correct and even with Commonwealth being grass I mentioned the possibility that the last WCQ game against Mexico could be the last we see out west. I hate it. Edmonton was a 2 hour drive, Toronto is a 4 hour flight! Hopefully some airline will have seat sales next WCQ round. Another nice thing about Commonwealth was that you could always get tickets. Sigh.