Crystal Palace Football Club tendered the project through OBI Sports, selecting White Horse Contractors and GrassMaster Solutions to deliver a high-performance stitched hybrid pitch for their 1st team training ground, with OBI Sports overseeing the KSI throughout the build. The Premier league club required a fast-draining state-of-the-art pitch which would mirror closely the pitch used at their Selhurst Park stadium.

The White Horse Contractors team mobilised during the off season to remove the previous natural turf pitch using our Koro Field Turf Maker. We arrived on the designated start date from the club. Our dedicated in-house team installed primary drainage using our AFT Wizz Wheel at 10 metre centres before the secondary drainage was installed perpendicular the primary drainage. New irrigation system was also installed during this phase of the construction.

300mm of sand was then pushed out before new rootzone was instated on top of the sand layer. White Horse Contractors team then cultivated the soil with amendments prior to seeding.Once the surface had grown in for a few weeks our partners at GrassMaster Solutions arrived to stitch over 20 million state-of-the-art Tarkett PE fibre, manufactured at our state-of-the-art facility in Abu Dhabi, was chosen for this project. Stitching commenced when the grass was approximately 4 weeks from seeding.

Two specially trained operators utilised our Gen-5 fully electric stitching machines, which are lightweight and highly manoeuvrable, to complete the process with precision. Working between 8 AM and 6 PM due to local restrictions on evening lighting, we ensured minimal disruption to residents. Though restricted by lighting, the machine noise levels remained well below the threshold for 24-hour operation, making noise pollution a non-issue. The pitch was stitched to an exceptionally high standard, with no need to mow the fibres after installation. The Gen-5 machines caused minimal surface disturbance, preserving the perfect playing levels and placing no stress on the young grass. The project was completed on time and within budget, delivering premier surface ready for the 1st team to train on.