The State of The Wembley Pitch

Is the pitch Suitable?

Over the weekend Wembley stadium has been hosting a series of American football matches, the last one of  which finished on Sunday afternoon. These games meant Tottenham were unable to use the stadium to host their planned game against Manchester City.

Tottenham were playing their matches at Wembley due to the ongoing redevelopment of their own ground, White Hart Lane. This redevelopment should have been completed by September but has significantly over run, meaning Tottenham had to seek to find a new ground at which to play their home fixtures.

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The match against Manchester City was originally fixed for Saturday 27 October at 3pm but was initially selected by the TV companies for broadcast and moved to Sunday 28 October at 4pm. When it became clear that Tottenham’s ground was not going to be ready they approached Wembley.

Wembley though was already committed to hosting American Football on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 October, meaning the ground was only available on Monday 29 October. The fixture against Manchester City was therefore moved to Monday 29 October causing Manchester City fans considerable cost and inconvenience, none of which has been met by Tottenham.

Apparently Tottenham did ask Manchester City to reverse the fixture and play the game at the Etihad, but this would have meant City were left with an end of season run in of away games, which they considered would give them a sporting disadvantage. So City vetoed any such plan quite rightly.

Putting aside the reasons for the fixture move, there is a real and genuine concern about the state of the Wembley pitch to host a top level football match. The American football matches have taken their toll on the playing surface.

Photographs of the pitch yesterday after the last game showed the pitch has been heavily cut up in a long central strip, and both flanks are heavily sanded. This matters in particular to Manchester City for two reasons.

Firstly playing on an uneven surface can risk serious injury to players who are expected to turn quickly on the pitch.

Secondly, City are a passing side. We play the ball along the ground fast and the state of the pitch will interfere with this. Having the surface of the pitch short and smooth helps our style of play. At the Etihad the ground staff keep grass length as short as possible and the surface is continually watered pre game and at half time to keep the ball moving quickly.

Away at Arsenal this season, the head City groundsmen, Lee Jackson, noticed the Arsenal pitch was being kept dry and the grass long in an attempt to disrupt our passing game.

So whilst the state of the Wembley pitch will have an effect on both sides, the most acute effect may be felt by City. Ultimately it is up to the referee to declare a pitch safe to play on. Right now Wembley grounds staff will be busily painting the sand and soil green to disguise the poor state of the pitch. Let’s hope the pitch does not become a key factor in the game tonight.