VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- FieldTurf has been selected as the new artificial turf for B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, the world's largest air-supported stadium. The announcement was jointly made today by B.C. Place Stadium General Manager Howard Crosley and FieldTurf CEO John Gilman. FieldTurf will replace the previous AstroTurf at B.C. Place Stadium.
The FieldTurf installed at B.C. Place Stadium, the home of the Canadian Football League's BC Lions, will be the company's revolutionary tray system. For multi-purpose facilities that desire a removable field, FieldTurf developed a system that involves approximately 1500 6'x12' trays that are seamlessly joined together. The turf can be installed and/or removed in eight hours or less. When not in use, the trays can be stacked and stored. B.C. Place Stadium is actually acquiring the FieldTurf tray system that was leased to Montreal's Olympic Stadium for the Expos' final season there.
"This is a great announcement for the Lions' football club, the CFL, amateur sports groups that regularly use our facility and for the City of Vancouver," said Crosley. "It puts the stadium one notch higher as a world class facility that is occupied over 200 event days per year."
"Everyone in the FieldTurf family is so thrilled to achieve this association with B.C. Place Stadium, the Lions and the City of Vancouver," said Gilman. "FieldTurf is a Canadian company and we are very proud of our roots. It's a tremendous honor that one of Canada's most prestigious venues has selected a Canadian product for this high-profile installation. And with FieldTurf being the undisputed worldwide leader in artificial turf, I am supremely confident that the Lions, their fans and the stadium administration will be thrilled with the results."
"We've been building one of Canada's best football clubs in Canada's best stadium," said Lions General Manager/Head Coach Wally Buono. "This is positive news as our club gains momentum and prepares to host the 2005 Grey Cup."
B.C. Place Stadium opened in 1983 and seats over 60,000 fans for football. It will become the fourth CFL stadium with FieldTurf, following Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, Olympic Stadium in Montreal and Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) in Toronto. The new FieldTurf surface at B.C. Place Stadium will debut on June 16 when the Lions host a preseason game against the Calgary Stampeders. In addition, B.C. Place will host the 93rd annual Grey Cup on November 27.
FieldTurf was the first artificial surface approved for World Cup play by FIFA, soccer's world governing body. In the U.S., 21 of the NFL's 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadium and/or practice facility. More than 20 NCAA Division I universities have FieldTurf in their stadiums. Additionally, three Major League Baseball teams will play their home games on FieldTurf in 2005 (Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Minnesota Twins).
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system and installation technologies have resulted in over 1300 installations in more than 40 countries and has made it the first choice for top stadiums around the world. FieldTurf is a privately held company that has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com or call (800) 724-2969.