If you look around all 20 of the Premier League stadiums, you’d be hard pressed to find a dodgy pitch out there.
The quality of the playing surface in the PL is sublime, yet we are humans so therefore we have to have rankings. Two pitches have won the joint-award as the best patches of hallowed turf in the league, as Arsenal and Southampton’s groundstaff have been named the Barclays Premier League Grounds Team of the season.
Bravo.
The Saints and Gunners came out on top of the five-team shortlist, ahead of Aston Villa, Swansea City and Cardiff City, after the finalists were named earlier this season.
So, as you can see from the picture of Saints’ home field at St. Mary’s on the right, clubs have been getting creative when it comes to pitch design this season. Below are some more examples from St. Mary’s (where the groundstaff should really be up for some kind of artistic award) and elsewhere in the PL as the perfectly manufactured grass make it easier for players to play the wonderful flowing soccer we all love to see.
Before we get to that, is there any direct correlation between the two of the teams who love to play the most attractive soccer in the PL also have the best pitches? It’s one to think about.
Here, as promised, are some fine examples of top quality grass.
The Gunners rejoice... while mowing their lawn:
#Arsenal and Southampton share the Grounds Team of the Season award for 2013/14: http://t.co/Aj3XJsLb6U pic.twitter.com/BMWQ1rrHF3
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 2, 2014
Saints’ crazy groundsman has something special in store, once again:
NEWS: #SaintsFC have been crowned joint-winners of the 2013/14 @premierleague Grounds Team of the Season award. pic.twitter.com/KMlfoJ3HFE
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 2, 2014
Swansea City have a lovely setup down in South Wales:
It's a beautiful day for football, #Swans fans. Where will you be watching today's game from? Send us your pictures! pic.twitter.com/DDTMJ5mL5S
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) March 15, 2014
Newcastle’s pitch is right up there with the best too:
Beautiful day on Tyneside. Howay the lads. #NUFC pic.twitter.com/EpUfuXwZAT
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 19, 2014
Finally check out Scottish side Partick Thistle’s Firhill Stadium way back when. Snazzy:
There are plenty more out there, send us in the best pitch designs you’ve seen in the comments section below.