Oxford United Football Club – Kassam Stadium Second Season Pitch Renovation

The Fineturf team were delighted to return to the Kassam Stadium in May 2024 to conduct end of season renovations, which would see the successful use of the pitch for a second season.

Fineturf and Tillers Turf carried out the full hybrid turf pitch installation in June 2023, a major investment and project for the club and one that was tasked at the outset with lasting for two seasons. The works last year included the commissioning of a new state-of-the-art Hunter irrigation system, removal of existing carpet and rootzone, installation of Tillers Turf hybrid turf system and comprehensive grow-in nutritional programme.

Under the expert supervision of the Oxford United grounds team, the pitch performed outstandingly throughout the 2023/24 season and was thereby able to deliver a second season as requested.

Fineturf operatives returned in mid-May to renovate the stadium pitch. This began with a single pass with the Maerdo MT170 Flex Fraze-Mower. With the top of the grass surface loosened and lifted, multiple passes were conducted with a brush affixed to our 1.6m Koro for the successful removal of the extracted material.

90 tonnes of Mansfield Moist Mansil 40 medium sand was applied using our GKB TD330, before being drag-matted and brushed into the profile. Following this, we dimple seeded the surface with MM60 grass seed using our Redexim Speedseed at a rate of 70g per m². A pass with the Wiedenmann Terra Spike, to deliver all-important compaction relief and enhance drainage, completed the mechanical operations.

We then created and supplied a fertiliser programme to assist with the grow-in, consisting of Headland Multigreen 28.3.15, Headland Greentec 6.5.18 and Humber Palmers 14.6.8.

With the renovation complete, all materials were removed from site to ensure a clean and tidy finish, and the pitch was successfully returned to the stewardship of the club for another year.