Five new SGL projects in The Netherlands and the UK

SGL is pleased to announce that, both in The Netherlands and the UK, the SGL Concept is spreading rapidly. Last season’s Dutch runner-up AZ Alkmaar and S.C. Heerenveen will be using the SGL Concept next season to have a top quality pitch year round, as well as Tottenham Hotspur and FA Cup finalists Liverpool and Westham United.

After PSV en S.C. Heerenveen, that already applied the SGL Concept last year, AZ is the third Dutch club where the SGL Concept will be used. In the new DSB Stadium, opening this August, several techniques will be used, including the SGL Concept, to keep the pitch in top shape year round. Stadium Manager Wijnand Vermeulen is delighted with the agreement: “The DSB stadium will be a beautiful theatre for football. Thanks to, amongst others, the SGL Concept we can also offer a beautiful stage during the whole year.”

In the Abe Lenstra Stadium in Heerenveen the SGL Concept was already used last season. “We are very happy with the results so far and therefore decided to double the capacity so that we are able to treat a larger part of the pitch", says Stadium Managaer Ab van der Meulen.

The SGL Concept is also expanding in the UK. With the projects at The Boleyn Ground (West Ham United) and White Hart Lane (Tottenham Hotspur) starting by the end of this summer, there will be four London based pitches where the SGL Concept is applied. West Ham groundsman Dougie Robertson is looking forward to working with the new concept: “I’ve seen the results at Arsenal and PSV and I am convinced that it will be a success at Upton Park too”.

Darren Baldwin, groundsman at the Spurs, too is convinced that the SGL Concept will boost its pitch quality: “Last year our grounds team already did a tremendous job, but next season we will have to perform even better, since Tottenham will be playing in the UEFA Cup. This means more matches, but also millions of people across Europe that will get to see the pitch quality. I am sure that with the SGL Concept we can deal with that and even have a better pitch than last season.” Darren will also be using the SGL Analyser, the optimizing tool which analyses and registers all growth data. “The Analyser provides us up to date information about the conditions of the grass, enabling us to take the quality and efficiency of the ground works to an even higher level”, says Darren Baldwin.

Latest FA Cup winner Liverpool will be working with smaller, customized units. “The pitch entrance at Anfield road is very narrow”, says SGL’s Nico van Vuuren, “that’s why we developed a unit which is half the size of our normal unit and will fit perfectly through the pitch entrance”.

SGL is very satisfied with the expansion of the SGL Concept in the UK. “Next season there will be at least nine UK based pitches that are treated with the SGL Concept. All of the projects have shown great results and we expect more to come”, says Nico van Vuuren.

For more information about the SGL Concept visit the SGL website: www.sglconcept.com