Frank Clair Stadium’s Field Featuring Sportexe Synthetic Turf is FIFA 2-Star Recommended Installation
November 6th, 2006
Ottawa, Canada. November 6, 2006- Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa received the FIFA RECOMMENDED 2-Star rating for synthetic turf on Oct. 25 - a first for North America and a first for Sportexe. The Frank Clair Stadium is one of six locations that will host the Under-20 FIFA World Championships in 2007. Sportexe provided the synthetic turf system, which was installed by Defargo Sports Surfacing.
The new soccer field installed at Frank Clair Stadium, totaling 10,242 square meters (110,250 square feet), is the new BladeMaster™ by Sportexe which has passed the testing requirements to qualify for the FIFA 2-Star recommended surface - the latest generation of synthetic turf. The FIFA RECOMMENDED 2-STAR is the highest synthetic turf rating from FIFA and is issued to each facility after a battery of test by a FIFA approved testing agent. The dimensions of the field that will host a portion of the 2007 Under-20 FIFA World Championship matches are 64 meters (70 yards) wide by 100.5 meters (110 yards) in length. The BladeMaster turf system features MonoTech™ fiber, a monofilament fiber that provides all the similarities of natural turf. The BladeMaster system is a 100-percent rubber infill system that was designed to maximize speed and pace of play for the world’s largest sport.
“We’re very excited to have one of our fields be the first in North America to receive a FIFA 2-Star Recommendation,” said Mark Nicholls, president and CEO of Sportexe. “It’s rewarding to have reached this milestone in our progression towards innovative synthetic turf systems for the growing sport of soccer.”
As of the 1st of November there are only 21 other FIFA 2-Star certified fields exist worldwide, with 20 in Europe and one in Africa.
According to the FIFA web site the FIFA RECOMMENDED 2 Star for synthetic turf is designed specifically to mirror the playing characteristics of professional soccer. FIFA final round competitions and top UEFA competitions have the FIFA RECOMMENDED 2 Star in their respective competition regulations. The FIFA RECOMMENDED 1 Star is mainly for recreational, community and municipal use. Both the FIFA RECOMMENDED 1 Star and 2 Star have to go through a series of stringent laboratory and field tests before the highly respected FIFA certificate is issued.
Currently the Sportexe Frank Clair Stadium field in Ottawa is the only FIFA 2-Star recommended field in North America and the entire CONCACAF region. CONCACAF consists of North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.
“We are absolutely thrilled,” said Doug Moore, manager of Venture Properties for City of Ottawa’s Real Properties Asset Management, which oversees Frank Clair Stadium. “This is huge for both the stadium and for the City of Ottawa, which is already a hotbed for soccer. It will be a boost for community.
“We have already received very positive feedback from local university teams that have used the field.”
The Canadian Under-20 squad is looking to continue its recent success in world championship competition, which includes a quarter-final appearance in 2003, as it plays host for the series next summer. This will be Canada’s eighth appearance after qualifying in 1979, 1985, 1987, 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2005.
Sportexe is committed to develop and design the world’s best synthetic turf system for soccer and is proud to be part of this historic occasion.
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