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If they do play on grass, then I think they will need a new floor with drainage and maybe irrigation as well. Things could get pricey.

DanoT wrote:If they do play on grass, then I think they will need a new floor with drainage and maybe irrigation as well. Things could get pricey.

Don't see it happening, as the grass turf would have to be able to move in from outside, there just isn't the room for that to happen at BC Place currently, let alone when the land is sold off surrounding it to the condo developers.

I also can't see them going to natural turf. Maybe they'll look at new synthetic rug though? It would sure dress things up.

Rammer wrote:

DanoT wrote:If they do play on grass, then I think they will need a
new floor with drainage and maybe irrigation as well. Things could get
pricey.

Don't see it happening, as the grass turf would
have to be able to move in from outside, there just isn't the room for
that to happen at BC Place currently, let alone when the land is sold
off surrounding it to the condo developers.

IIRC, the Whitecaps were planning for real grass to be installed and removed in trays at their proposed waterfront stadium. Not sure whether such an arrangement would work at BC Place (I shouldn't think there would be sufficient light to keep it permanently in place - not to mention all the trade shows).

As much as I love the smell of real grass at the ballpark, one drawback to is that it would soon get chewed up if two pro leagues were sharing it on a regular basis. According to NFL players that were polled, Qwest Field in Seattle has the best playing surface in the league. Perhaps we can contact their supplier.

DH 8)

The current trend for large stadia seems to be removable grass turf playing surfaces. As Rammer pointed out there is, or there will very soon be, insufficient space available adjacent to BC Place for storing an entire playing field of grass pallets, but let's play what if.

With so many new buildings looking for green alternatives, a cooperative developer might be willing to provide a home-away-from-dome (or should I say field) for pallets on the roof of their high-profile False Creek structure. There, they'd be watered, mowed, fed, and nurtured. The day before the game, the pallets would get rolled back into the stadium and laid out for painting lines and logos, with minimal watering required. The day after the game (football or soccer, maybe even MLB) the pallets are returned to their roof-top nursery for a some well-deserved R & R.

Isn't fantasy fun? :lol:

And ziggy, what's wrong with the current carpet? It'll look fine under the natural lighting.

David wrote:According to NFL players that were polled, Qwest Field in Seattle has the best playing surface in the league.

Of course the other players like it, they kick the Hawks' arses so easily on it! :lol:

You all realize that whatever renovations are being done are being done to keep the Whitecaps happy?

The news of this roof only broke a few days after the Whitecaps announced their interest in the Stadium.

Before that it was so deathly quiet

Soundy wrote:

David wrote:According to NFL players that were polled, Qwest Field in Seattle has the best playing surface in the league.

Of course the other players like it, they kick the Hawks' arses so easily on it! :lol:

Don't the 'Hawks have one of the best home records in the NFL since moving to Qwest?

As for new turf, I think I heard someone on the radio after the press conference say that BC Place would be getting a new, improved artificial turf field that will meet FIFA standards.

Belize City Lion wrote:

Soundy wrote:

David wrote:According to NFL players that were polled, Qwest Field in Seattle has the best playing surface in the league.

Of course the other players like it, they kick the Hawks' arses so easily on it! :lol:

Don't the 'Hawks have one of the best home records in the NFL since moving to Qwest?

Could be, I was just trying to make a joke

As for new turf, I think I heard someone on the radio after the press conference say that BC Place would be getting a new, improved artificial turf field that will meet FIFA standards.

That would make sense...

QB Club 63 wrote:The current trend for large stadia seems to be removable grass turf playing surfaces. As Rammer pointed out there is, or there will very soon be, insufficient space available adjacent to BC Place for storing an entire playing field of grass pallets, but let's play what if.

With so many new buildings looking for green alternatives, a cooperative developer might be willing to provide a home-away-from-dome (or should I say field) for pallets on the roof of their high-profile False Creek structure. There, they'd be watered, mowed, fed, and nurtured. The day before the game, the pallets would get rolled back into the stadium and laid out for painting lines and logos, with minimal watering required. The day after the game (football or soccer, maybe even MLB) the pallets are returned to their roof-top nursery for a some well-deserved R & R.

Isn't fantasy fun? :lol:

And ziggy, what's wrong with the current carpet? It'll look fine under the natural lighting.

I find it looks uneven in colour and a little worn, even more so when viewed on HDTV. As long as it is good to play on great, looks are secondary.
I never considered that the lighting in the dome might affect it I just assumed it was worn and faded when they picked it up used.

As was cited earlier the concept of roll out natural grass is a bit of a pipedream and the main reason would be lack of storage space for the turf. The new University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, uses a single tray set up where the tray is 234 feet wide X 400 feet long and weighs some 6000 tons. Virginia Tech uses a pallet tray system that involves 4600 4'x4' pallets and that's to cover an NFL/NCAA size field. A CFL field would require roughly 6000 such pallets. That's a whole bunch of roof tops under Rammer's scheme.

As for Fieldturf I believe FIFA does accept different qualities of Fieldturf, but it is contingent on the level of play. Seems to me league play would demand a certain minimum while International play would require a higher quality. In that regard the current BC Place turf is likely acceptable under FIFA guidelines for USL and MLS matches but might not be acceptable for FIFA sanctioned International matches. So it's probably in Pavco's interests to upgrade the turf to enable them to attract higher profile matches.