Article code: 33-050
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PanStadia International Quarterly Report: Volume 3 No 3, June 1996.


[TURF PROTECTION]


A COVER STORY


The history of
pitch protection
owes much to
the contribution
of one man.



It was about 1970 when Iain MacLeod watched his beloved Derby County defeated by a less skilful side on a pitch that resembled a ploughed field. The consensus was that on a better pitch, the result would have been quite different.

Around the same time Leicester City were trying out their new 'Bubble' tent pitch protector - a one piece plastic fabrication which covered the entire pitch. It was inflated by means of four axial fans raising the cover to a height of approximately four metres and stabilised by a number of guy ropes.

At the time it seemed the perfect answer to pitch protection so what went wrong? The principle problem was one of size - the bubble tent needed up to 50 people to remove from the pitch. There were also difficulties caused by the bubble tent's hothouse effect which produced serious fungal problems.

Derby County approached Iain - a design engineer - seeking a cover for their pitch. They wanted all the advantages of the Leicester system without any of the disadvantages.

Iain produced a sectional cover which was anchored on either side of the pitch. It was raised above the playing surface by inflatable polythene tubes which used centrifugal low pressure and high volume heater/fan units. Each section could be managed by just eight staff. The cover was used successfully; on one occasion after a week of heavy rain Derby had the only playable ground in the Midlands. However, Derby abandoned their cover in favour of a 'Chipman' sand pitch which was dug up just two years later.

Iain became disillusioned about the attitude of clubs towards his cover idea. He left the industry to spend the next 17 years as an engineering troubleshooter in the oil industry.

Out of the Blue

In 1988 Iain was contacted via the patent office by ICI. They had an idea to develop further his original cover patent using the latest film technology. The MacLeod cover was reborn.

By coincidence Queens Park Rangers contacted Iain around the same time. They were looking at the possibilities of a multi-purpose use for their stadium facilities and they wanted him to design a turf protection system.

This was the birth of a new generation of turf protection. Iain designed an interlocking tile which could accommodate heavy pedestrian traffic without damaging the grass below. The product was called 'Terraplas'.

QPR rejected the idea but Steve Tingley of Wembley saw its merits. He asked Iain to develop the system further.

Having sold one system to Wembley and another to Atletico Madrid, Iain retired from the business to live in Holland.

Four years later he had a chance meeting with Michael Steffen who at that time was the Managing Director of a leadling German production company. Michael used Terraplas himself but he was all too aware of its shortcomings both in terms of transport logistics and non-stadium use such as on greenfield sites.

A totally new approach was called for based on Michael's requirements. Iain set out with a clean sheet of drawing paper and designed the first generation of heavy duty flexible flooring. It was designed to suit the needs of both the promoter and the site owner. Rollaway 'Greenfield' was on the market by April 1995. It gained great success in applications such as the Papal visit to Central Park, NYC and many other non-stadium events in North America and Eastern Europe.

New Designs

A new breed of high tech pitch construction system was being installed in key stadia such as the Olympic Stadium Munich. This required a completely new design while retaining the advantages of Rollaway Greenfield. Iain designed a new product as a joint venture which has since been tested and approved by the Olympic Stadium Munich.

Rollaway 'Mark Two' was born and was christened the 'Stadia' system. It offers a very sophisticated approach to stadium requirements and includes a revolutionary expansion jointing system. It allows the natural expansion and contraction of the surface to take place without distortion.

The Rollaway system also has advantages on sand and gravel surfaces. It settles immediately to provide a perfect flat surface. Recent trials by the state department in Miami in conjunction with the American Disabled Association found it to be "the finest surface in temporary roadways for wheelchair travel".

The MacLeod cover is enjoying international attention from leading European football clubs including Middlesbrough FC and Borussia Dortmund. After 25 years of involvement in turf protection Iain is expanding his design parameters to encompass the whole spectrum of ground and turf protection.




Iain MacLeod's systems have been used extensively. Their recent application includes:

Olympia Stadium, Munich
Olympic Stadium, Seoul
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Wembley Stadium, London
Parc des Princes, Paris
Stadio del Alpi, Turin
Olympic Stadium, Barcelona
Praterstadium, Vienna
Parkenstadion, Copenhagen
Central Park, New York
Hyde Park, London
Stockholm Water Festival
Cellnet Stadium, Middlesbrough
Loftus Road, London (QPR)
Durham CCC
Stockton CC

and for concerts by the following artists:
The Rolling Stones
Bon Jovi
Rod Stewart
Tina Turner
The Three Tenors
Michael Jackson
The Kelly Family