Greener pastures
Stakeholders weigh up benefits of more JPL games on natural grass
Published:Wednesday | August 11, 2021 | 12:08 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
FIFA referee instructor Peter Prendergast says that a move to the natural grass surface for Jamaica Premier League (JPL) matches would be ideal in the future to avoid the long-term effects of playing on the artificial surface at the UWI/JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence (CHBCOE).
The 2021 season has reached the midway point with games being played at the complex as well as the Stadium East field. However, the majority of the games have been played at UWI and in hot conditions, particularly during the 1 p.m. games on Saturdays and Mondays and the Sunday morning games, which have required mandatory cooling breaks for each half. Round three (July 10-12) was the only weekend that games were played at Stadium East.
Prendergast says that the recent hot weather has made playing on the artificial surface challenging.
“It is very humid and because we’re playing on the artificial surface, then the heat that is generated doesn’t help at all,” Prendergast told The Gleaner. “The conditions are very difficult for the players at that time of the day. But in other parts of the world, this happens so it’s not like it’s unusual for players to play in this kind of a temperature.”
AFTERNOON KICK-OFF GAMES
It has been an issue that has been watched by Humble Lion head coach Andrew Price, who was glad for his team getting a late afternoon kick-off as they have also had to deal with the conditions. Price says that it has been a concern that all teams have had to deal with.
“It has been very hot. Nobody can take that away. Both teams are playing on it so both teams have gotten used to it over a period of time. There are evenings that are cool and some evenings where it is extremely hot, but this is where we are playing our games and we just have to get used to it and continue on it,” Price said. “It’s a good surface to play on. Nobody has any advantage over the other team.”
However, Prendergast says that playing on the natural surface will make things easier in terms of limiting the amount of wear and tear on the players, which for him is of utmost importance.
“As far as the surface and the wear and tear on the legs are concerned, then that is a little bit more difficult for the players because it is easier to play on the grass, on the artificial surface it is almost like you are running on sand,” Prendergast said. “So it takes a toll on the legs of the players. So we are hoping that we can move from this type of surface within short order because the quality of the games is going to deteriorate with the legs being overused.”
Professional Football Jamaica Limited director Chad Cunningham said on July 30 that they decided to play more games at the CHBCOE because it met certain requirements in terms of being able to easily execute the season.
Tivoli Gardens head coach Philip Williams says that the surface does allow more of a technical game to be played, but he would welcome a return to the natural grass surface when available.
“It lends itself to a good passing game,” he said. “It lends itself to a good technical game also in terms of the players that they can focus on their passing, on their movement. The grass surface is what we are used to and we would definitely welcome it whenever it is possible, but for now we just work with what is there and try and play the best football that we can on the surface,” Williams said.
This weekend’s JPL games are scheduled to be played at the National Stadium.