SOLENT University’s Test Park sports facility is under pressure after recent bad weather has hit the 3G playing surface with a sum of up to £500,000 needed for reconstruction.
Heavy rainfall has meant the pitches have been flooded and many university sporting fixtures have had to have been postponed.
The facility was implemented in 2011 and was opened in 2012. The shock absorbers which give support to athletes as well as the cushioned astro turf surface is looking worse to wear.
According to SIS Pitches, 3G astro turf playing pitches should be reconstructed and relayed after 8 years of use.
Solent football’s first team captain Samuel Pearce shared his irritation to Solent Sports News: “Yeah very frustrating for an all weather pitch for it not to be able to handle rain doesn’t really add up, I think it’s three games called off now it’s really frustrating.
“The surface isn’t great either, I do twist my ankle and bend my knees the wrong way, all sorts happens on there, just not a good pitch at all”.
Roomers have circulated over whether a new pitch is in the works to be released. Groundskeeper Sam Nailor is hoping for some sort of new improvements to the current pitch too.
“A brand new one would be nice. We’ve reached that 12 year period where we’d look to get a new one due to the FA’s recommendations.
“I don’t know if it’s the area in particular (that needs to be changed) because I know our grass pitches have slight draining issues, so I don’t know if it’s the layer it’s based upon, that’s probably partly to do with it. It’s also probably due to the age of the pitch itself, being 12-13 years old.”
