Maintaining FIFA Quality Pro Performance at Sutton United

Key Achievements

• Monthly 3G pitch maintenance programme
• Delivered for over 5 years (since pitch installation)
• Repeatedly achieving FIFA Quality Pro certification
• Flexibility in bringing maintenance forward as per client request
• Delivering longevity and high performance standards

The Challenge

Sutton United are a professional football club in south London. Formed in 1898, The U’s have been a mainstay in non-league football and were promoted to their current position in the National League in the 15/16 season, following the installation of their new 3G Stadia pitch by S&C Slatter.

Making the switch from natural grass to a cutting-edge 3G artificial grass stadia pitch was a trailblazing choice at the time, which paid off with the club reaping the benefits, generating new revenue from pitch hire and more than doubling their crowds.

Of course, a new style of pitch requires a new style of maintenance, with artificial turf requiring different maintenance to natural turf. All pitches, whatever type, require regular maintenance to ensure maximum performance, safety and longevity.

As a FIFA Quality Pro certified pitch, Sutton United wanted to ensure that their new 3G pitch would consistently deliver that high level of performance required for professional match play and training – and achieve its maximum potential lifespan – especially when the pitch is hired out for community use.

The Solution

As leading experts in artificial turf pitch design, construction and maintenance – and having constructed the pitch at Sutton – The U’s turned to our dedicated Maintenance Division to design and deliver a monthly maintenance programme.

With the pitch already well known to our teams, our Maintenance Division took into consideration Sutton United’s objectives as well as the surface type, site location, expected usage and level of play.

Our experts created a maintenance proposal with this in mind and deliver monthly specialist 3G pitch maintenance on site, a service we have delivered since the pitch’s construction in 2015.

The Result

The S&C Slatter maintenance team work in close collaboration with the club and players, ensuring that we are flexible in bringing forward maintenance when necessary, e.g. due to extra-high usage or debris caused by poor weather.

With specialist monthly maintenance delivered since handover, the pitch has successfully retained its FIFA Quality Pro certification, which is retested each year, since 2015 and is well on track to maximise its lifespan.

When speaking to Bobby Childs, Business Development Manager at Sutton United, he explained why he chose to work with S&C Slatter and how the maintenance programme has delivered on the club’s objectives:

“We are 5 years into an 8 year lifespan and S&C Slatter are an integral part of this objective. We trust their judgement and honesty and when they have information that can benefit us they share it readily, we enjoy working with them”.

S&C Slatter’s dedicated Maintenance Division has helped to maximise the club’s investment in the pitch, delivering consistent performance to FIFA Quality Pro standard, despite the high level of usage, to support the team’s performance and maximise the overall lifespan of the pitch.