Grass at BMO - looking for an update

[ensco]

I'm just putting this up to remind anyone in a position to answer this, or ask Mo about this. Mo speculated out loud about using the Edu proceeds for grass - where are we on that? Was it proposed at the MLSE board meeting yesterday?

I know Anselmi went out of his way to squelch this a couple of weeks after Mo said it, but Anselmi can reverse engines in a heartbeat on these kinds of issues. Anselmi's not a bad guy, at least I have no reason to believe he is, my point is that this is how these things work sometimes.

For those of you with long memories, you will recall that Anselmi was the public face of MLSE's "ACC is unsuitable for hockey" campaign of the mid 1990s (ie before the Leafs bought the Raptors, and subsequently totally reversed their position on this)

[MG42]

I still feel the grass talk was a tactic to distract us from the 2 month winless streak in the summer

[Damien]

Yeh I think you read Mo's comments wrong... he said he was SMOKING grass.

[ensco]

I still feel the grass talk was a tactic to distract us from the 2 month winless streak in the summer

Could be. But I think it was sincere - I talked to him at the team's event in May, and he told a group of us then that he was sick of players saying they don't want to come because of the plastic. Plus he's probably constructing his story for his next employer ("I did everything I could to get them to put grass in, you can't succeed without it")

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

Grass is a few years away yet....lets worry about something important like a contending team for next season.

[j_capitain]

I believe our initial contract with Fieldturf means that we must have an artificial surface at BMO for 3 years.

The club's commitment to provide a winter surface for the city will likely mean that beyond the 3 years Fieldturf will be elsewhere closeby under a bubble (Lamport?).

If you're looking for grass at BMO (as I am) it will be the 2010 season at the earliest.

[rockxlee]

Don't you see the catch? a lot of players do not want to play here because of the turf. So if we want a competitive team we need some real grass to get guys here.

[flatpicker]

I'm curious to know exactly how good our FieldTurf is.
It was recently that there was a quote from some player (non-TFC and maybe even non MLS) that complained about how it was not high calibre turf.

Do we know for sure that we have the best of the best?


- sorry I can't remember the context of the quote... but it was posted in this forum at some point.

[Eastend]

I'm curious to know exactly how good our FieldTurf is.
It was recently that there was a quote from some player (non-TFC and maybe even non MLS) that complained about how it was not high calibre turf.

Do we know for sure that we have the best of the best?


- sorry I can't remember the context of the quote... but it was posted in this forum at some point.

I think we do have the best of the best but it (the turf) is not being used as it is intended. For regular profesional use and play it is the best but when you have someone on it 10-12 hours a day every day, it just can't hold up....hell, can you imagine what GRASS would look like with that community use?


disclaimer: I am not a field turf expert.

[FluSH]

I'm curious to know exactly how good our FieldTurf is.
It was recently that there was a quote from some player (non-TFC and maybe even non MLS) that complained about how it was not high calibre turf.

Do we know for sure that we have the best of the best?


- sorry I can't remember the context of the quote... but it was posted in this forum at some point.

I believe that was Huckerby who was quote by one of our members in SJ... that the turf was the worst he's ever experienced.

[Cristiano14]

I'm curious to know exactly how good our FieldTurf is.
It was recently that there was a quote from some player (non-TFC and maybe even non MLS) that complained about how it was not high calibre turf.

Do we know for sure that we have the best of the best?


- sorry I can't remember the context of the quote... but it was posted in this forum at some point.

When we got the turf it was apparently best of the best, but after continous use its started to get pretty bad. the turf is compacted from all the use, so its almost like concrete. I've played on BMO as well as turf fields at UCC, ester Shriner and other schools and fields. In most cases their turf is alot better or similair to BMOs.

[stretchthetruth]

i thought i read somewhere on here as well that our turf isnt even top of the line, and that it barely passed the FIFA standard...

ah, here it is:

Really?

Everyone I've talked to that knows their stuff regarding artificial turf rates ours at 2 out of 5, one step above astro-turf. Apparently even Varsity has nicer turf than BMO. Someone even mentioned to me that there was a bit of funny business going on with FIFA and Field Turf because on the technical merits BMO should have failed certification.

[flatpicker]

hmmm... this all sounds rather troublesome!
I would like to see official word from someone... how bad is our turf?

[Shaughno]

The major problem in my eyes about the turf after playing on it multiple times, is it's fucking HARD. It feels like it has been compacted so much that it's turned into a solid rock almost. I remember playing on it last year and it was no where near as bad as it is this year.

[flatpicker]

Well, then they really need to get that alternate facility up and running for indoor-winter-city-sports!
All these rentals are ruining the field!!!

[Shaughno]

It's true. I mean you have people playing on it for probably close to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Grass would not stand up as well as the FT has so far, but whatever the 'lifespan' of the FT is, it's been drastically reduced due to the massive usage the field gets.

[Chevy]

I believe that a proper grass pitch can only be used something like 10-15 hours a week, so a second turf field must be ready before the conversion is made.

Sorry for combining two rumours here, but maybe the ultimate plan is to expand BMO and add grass at the same time.

[sidvan]

I believe that the new FT inside the OSA centre is superior to the FT at BMO. Just my opinion after playing on both surfaces.

[CoachGT]

Remember, the change to grass has to be done with the approval of the province and the feds, both of whom threw money at NSS/BMO on the condition that it be a year round facility.

[Hitcho]

Gah - what a mess. We badly need grass on the pitch, but my concern is that a plastic training pitch and a grass match surface will really screw the team up and whatever advantage we have over grass based sides will be gone to boot. We need grass pitch and grass training facility. I know we needed the whole "shared with the city" plan to get BMO Field built, but it's a giant pain in the ass now. TFC/MLSE has to find a way to separate from the city of TO and get the community plastic pitch put somewhere completely unconnected to the club.

What a mess. We're going to be stuck with this shit permanently because MLSE are too cheap to fix the situation properly and the city won't put the moolah up either. And that means the player siging issue will always be with us too.

Bollocks

[spark]

Don't most top flight teams train on field turf?
The field turf website lists all it's clients and has Arsenal, Leeds, Middlesborough etc ... listed as training facilities that use Field turf

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

Don't most top flight teams train on field turf?
The field turf website lists all it's clients and has Arsenal, Leeds, Middlesborough etc ... listed as training facilities that use Field turf

Certain clubs do not all the big clubs. Liverpool still practice on the grass,
Celtic as well, and i cant see the Celtic board spending the money on a plastic practice pitch anytime soon.

[Vindaloo]

Don't most top flight teams train on field turf?
The field turf website lists all it's clients and has Arsenal, Leeds, Middlesborough etc ... listed as training facilities that use Field turf

As are as I know, Arsenal train at the Arsenal Training Centre in London Colney(Hertfordshire). There is 10 full sized grass pitches at the exact specifications of Emirates. 3 for reserves, 3 for youth, 3 for first team, and the last one for matches.

A FieldTurf pitch can be found at the indoor pitch for their YOUTH Academy.

[profit89]

It's true. I mean you have people playing on it for probably close to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Grass would not stand up as well as the FT has so far, but whatever the 'lifespan' of the FT is, it's been drastically reduced due to the massive usage the field gets.

I read 7 years is the lifespan of FT. But the way BMO is used, it has already outdone its lifespan. It's way overused. It played brilliantly at the beginning but now the ball just ping-pongs around. It plays like concrete.

[Marco2K]

damn how could cities like Colorado have great fields and we have that shit field turf and an old facilty at Lampoort.

TFC should invest some money into the grass roots programs around the city

[Fort York Redcoat]

I read 7 years is the lifespan of FT. But the way BMO is used, it has already outdone its lifespan. It's way overused. It played brilliantly at the beginning but now the ball just ping-pongs around. It plays like concrete.

It's the frisbee matches that wore it out.

[jiforio]

As a regular user of BMO field and Varsity field at U of T, I can say that the turf at Varsity field is 10x better, (also newer) but it is also a completely different type of turf altogether. Can't remember what the exact name of it was, but I do know that FIFA inspectors came to look at the field and rated it as the top fieldturf available. (They also said it was the flattest outdoor field in the country, and at that time North America!!!) 3cm drop from the center to the outside, I believe.... But my main point is that my personal experience of playing on the BMO turf is horrible. I can't go for more than an hour on it without my knees hurting. I feel fine of grass and it is fantastic, and definitely the way to go, especially when the health of our players is involved...I wouldn't want to even think about what my knees would be like if I was training on that field everyday. Precisely why, no great player (with any future potential) in his right mind would want to play at BMO.....my two cents

[Fort York Redcoat]

I know people enjoy playing there but come on, it should be hallowed ground reserved for our club only. Build a training pitch already and share the hell out of that with the city.

[rocker]

damn how could cities like Colorado have great fields and we have that shit field turf and an old facilty at Lampoort.

colorado has a stadium in a farmer's field.. that's why they can have all those fields around. cheap land.

in toronto all the land is owned already and its expensive... I wouldn't expect MLSE to go out and buy up million dollar properties to set up soccer fields.
there's no empty plot of land in T.O. that you could buy up and build 10 soccer fields or something. and the pieces of land that are open fields already have soccer fields and are owned by the city.

[redcard]

i thought i read somewhere on here as well that our turf isnt even top of the line, and that it barely passed the FIFA standard...

ah, here it is:

BMO turf has to be more than a two rating...reason being that the turf at the Hershey Sportzone in Mississauga is a 2 and it is horrible...i dont remeber seeing any rubber pellets in it either...just seems like a long stranded carpet.