MONTREAL, Sept. 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- FieldTurf has been chosen as the new surface for the Oriel Park stadium at Dundalk FC, the club's first-ever FIFA-recommended "2 Star" synthetic grass pitch.
The FIFA-recommended "2 Star" for artificial turf is designed specifically to mirror the playing characteristics of professional football. FIFA final round competitions and top UEFA competitions have the FIFA Recommended "2 Star" turf in their respective competition regulations.
Oriel Park stadium will play host to all of Dundalk FC's home games in the FAI League. The installation of the 7,420 m2 pitch, including run-off areas, was completed in time for the a third round FAI Cup Match against Drogheda United.
One of FIFA's accredited testing houses arrived on site on Tuesday, August 23 and undertook all tests to ensure that the surface conformed with the "2 Star" requirements. The tests took just over a day and the FieldTurf surface passed with flying colours.
The FieldTurf system is recognized throughout the world as the best synthetic surface with over 1,500 installations in 40 countries. FieldTurf is the turf of choice at 15 of the UK Premiership Clubs' Training Grounds, as well as the Olympic stadiums in Montreal and Moscow, Giants Stadium in New York and the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
FieldTurf's Irish representation, Pride Sports & Leisure, handled the sale and the installation. Other recent installations in Ireland include four soccer pitches for ex-Ferrari F1 driver, Eddie Irvine.
FieldTurf is the result of years of research -- evident in the patented FieldTurf infill mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber and patented layering process that deliver a system that emulates natural grass. Additional benefits are found in improved player safety, reduced maintenance costs and flexibility for conversion -- allowing stadium managers to quickly change the field from one sport to another or to easily host a variety of sporting events, concerts and other special events directly on top of the FieldTurf surface.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 1,500 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.