MONTREAL, Jan. 20, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Montreal Expos home field, the world famous Olympic Stadium, has selected FieldTurf's revolutionary artificial turf system. But the big news is that the home of the 1976 Olympic Games will use FieldTurf's patented new technology: a removable / convertible system.
Installed in individual 6 foot by 12 foot trays that are seamlessly joined together, approximately 2000 trays will transform the Olympic Stadium playing surface into the ultimate in playing surface technology, in just hours. The Expos will begin the 2004 season on FieldTurf against the Philadelphia Phillies, April 23rd.
Claude Delorme, Expos' Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, said "The new playing field will be a welcome improvement for the players in terms of safety and playability. It represents the closest synthetic surface to natural grass that we have seen on the market today."
The new FieldTurf surface, which has been used by Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Ray's for the past four seasons, can also be quickly converted to accommodate other sports and events. This new removable FieldTurf system will be made available to venues all over the world on a one-time lease basis, enabling any park, arena, or stadium to host a variety of events. This key component satisfies the needs of the Olympic Installation Board (OIB).
"We're looking forward to this installation. The Expos players and coaches will love our turf, and the new technology gives the OIB a lot of flexibility without sacrificing play quality, or more importantly, players' careers." Said FieldTurf CEO John Gilman, "While other venues have successfully hosted all types of events by putting flooring down on top of their permanent FieldTurf field, the Olympic Stadium was adamant about a removable system. This is exactly what they wanted and just what our new FieldTurf system delivers."
Last year McGill University installed FieldTurf at the newly renovated Molson Stadium, which is the home field of the Montreal Alouettes. For the past few seasons the Alouettes have played their playoff game indoors to Olympic Stadium due to increased seating capacity and typically harsh November temperatures. The Alouettes will not have to worry about playing on the old over-used carpet like surface as they have in previous years.
According to Gilman, the fact that FieldTurf is FIFA recommended, "The Olympic Stadium can look forward to hosting some of the biggest international soccer teams as well as the Canadian national soccer and rugby teams' matches. We think this new field will have a tremendous impact on the Montreal sports scene, as well as on international sports and events."
Olympic Stadium becomes the second Major League Baseball stadium to upgrade to FieldTurf's revolutionary artificial grass system. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays installed FieldTurf at Tropicana Field in April of 2000. Other professional baseball teams currently playing on FieldTurf include the Tokyo Giants (Tokyo Dome) Yokohama Bay Stars (Yokohama Stadium) and the Guerreros de Oaxaca (Eduardo Vasconcelos Stadium).
FieldTurf, a Montreal based company, has gained a reputation as the highest quality artificial grass for amateur and pro teams of every sport, worldwide. FieldTurf fields are simply unmatched when it comes to performance, playability, low-maintenance, safety and durability. So far, over 800 satisfied customers worldwide agree. FieldTurf is a privately held company that has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf also offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.FieldTurf.com, or call (800) 724-2969.