Natural Turf Sports Pitch Case Studies

Natural Sportsturf Cricket and football facilities for the people of Shinfield

After 133 years at the old cricket ground, Shinfield Cricket Club were handed the keys to their new community cricket ground and clubhouse. After being granted funding in a joint venture with the local council and the University of Reading the doors were shut on the old club house and the community have moved to this purpose-built facility.

• Successful completion of Cricket Square and Outfield
• Successful completion to Home County Level Standard
• Regeneration of agricultural land to create a safe playing surface for local community
• Designed and constructed drainage infrastructure

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14 Hour Stadium Pitch Conversion

Tasked with just 24 hours to re-turf the whole 7,860m2 in-field after the Opening Ceremony at the Commonwealth Games 2022, our team worked tirelessly until the last roll of turf was laid at 10:30pm, 8 hours before the deadline, successfully returning the pitch back to elite standard ready for Birmingham to host the eagerly anticipated Championships.

• Successful completion of Sport England Type 7 Natural Turf in-field
• Successful completion of two Sport England Type 5 Natural turf practice fields
• Removal and recycling of upper soil and turf layer in preparation for the opening ceremony
• Field prepared for over 5,000 athletes attending the opening ceremony
• Working within tight timescale and successfully delivered the field back to elite level play within 14 hours

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Natural Turf Community Sports Pitches for Eastleigh Borough Council

Following a successful project for Eastleigh Borough Council in 2018/2019 constructing the Stoneham Lane FA Hub, White Horse Contractors were selected again to return to construct 3 natural turf Football Pitches at Woodhouse Lane, designed for local community use.

• Successful completion of three natural turf football pitches to Sport England Type 5 Specification
• Exceeded specified Performance Quality Standards
• Regeneration of agricultural land to create a safe playing surface for local community
• Designed and constructed surrounding landscape amenities
• Delivered access footpaths, street lighting and maintenance haul road

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Kenilworth Road Renovations for Luton Town FC

Following a successful program of pitch renovations at Luton Town FC’s training ground, White Horse Contractors were selected to renovate the natural turf stadium pitch at Kenilworth Road.

• Successful completion of renovations to specification and handover date
• Collaborated with Head Groundsman Richard Bird, to deliver his and the Championship club's preferences on site
• Overcame bad weather by working evenings and weekends to deliver renovations on time

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Wimborne Town FC Natural Turf Pitches

The Dorset club were able to realise significant capital through the sale of land for residential development to Wyatt Homes.

• White Horse Contractors designed and constructioned two natural turf pitches
• Reduced growing-in time by 50%.
• Overcame poor weather and coronavirus challenges to complete works on schedule.

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Stoneham Lane Natural Turf Pitch Constructions

• Construction of four natural turf football pitches to Sport England Level 5 Standard
• Exceeded specified Performance Quality Standards
• Overcame unusually hard ground to create a safe playing surface
• Designed and installed an efficient, effective, drainage system
• Completed the project to agreed timescales and budget

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Welsh Rugby Union Centre of Excellence pitch construction

WHC were appointed to construct four natural grass pitches, three training areas and a world class 130 x 80m 3G artificial turf rugby pitch.

• Four natural grass pitches.
• Three training areas.
• World class 130 x 80m 3G rugby pitch.
• Gravel drainage layer over the drained formation.
• Pop-up Irrigation system.

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Derby County Football training ground construction

Built at an overall cost of £5million, the complex covers 50 acres and has six irrigated full size pitches plus an indoor pitch.

• Built the pitches on preformed platforms.
• Comprehensive drainage system.
• Constructed attenuation ponds.
• Fully irrigated by an automatic pop-up system.

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Chelsea Football Club Pitch Construction

Six full size natural grass football pitches were constructed to a high specification. More than 20,000 tonnes of topsoil was removed from site and even greater volumes of aggregate, sand and rootzone imported.

• Six full size natural grass football pitches.
• 20,000 tonnes of topsoil was removed from site.
• Comprehensive drainage and irrigation system.
• Innovative under pitch heating
• 500lux floodlit match pitch of the same dimensions as Stamford Bridge.

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St Georges Park National Football Centre Pitch Construction

White Horse Contractors were selected for this prestigious project, constructing the National Football Centre for The FA’s national squads.

• 11x premier natural grass pitches.
• 2x full-size 3G artificial turf pitches.
• Fully automated irrigation system.
• Fully automated under-pitch heating.
• Floodlighting systems to elite pitches.

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St Albans School sports pitch and playing fields construction

White Horse Contractors was appointed principal contractor for the construction of the country’s largest, single, sports pitch development.

• 20 fully drained, natural-grass, winter-sports pitches
• Seven cricket squares to minor-county standards.
• Full-size, artificial-grass hockey/tennis area.
• Eight tarmacadam tennis courts.
• Comprehensive irrigation system.
• Three car parks and feeder roads.

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Danes Hill Preparatory School Landscaping and pitch construction

White Horse Contractors successfully converted 12 acres of steeply sloping, rough, agricultural land into an array of top level artificial and natural sports pitches for use by the 880 pupils of Danes Hill Preparatory School in Surrey.

• Five natural turf sports pitches.
• Two cricket pitches.
• Full size sand-dressed artificial sports pitch

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Durham County Cricket Club outfield drainage and irrigation

As part of the ongoing ECB scheme to improve first class County grounds, White Horse were asked to tender for the ground improvements at The Riverside, home to Durham County Cricket club.

• Supply and install of a root zone layer.
• Installation of new drainage.
• Installation of new bore hole-fed infield irrigation.
• Supply and lay washed turf.
• Construction of a bypass drainage system.

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FIFA Club World Cup Football Pitch Construction

White Horse Contractors delivered international standard football pitches; including both tournament match pitches and training pitches; as well as the first full size rugby pitch, to the FIFA Club World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Abu Dhabi.

• Two tournament stadia built to FIFA’s 105m x 68m specs.
• Six training facilities built to FIFA’s 105m x 68m specs.
• Verti-draining to relieve soil compaction.
• Verti-cutting to reduce the matting of surface roots.
• Construction completed in 12 weeks
• Including all lighting, drainage and fencing

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Middlesbrough Football Club stadium pitch construction

• Removal of existing soils to gravel layer.
• Under soil heating.
• Install fully automatic irrigation system.
• Dual layer pitch construction.
• Construction completed in 6 weeks

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