Truth & Rumors > Soccer

Toronto adding grass for Euro friendly?

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07:20 AM ET 04.13 | Rumor has it TFC is getting ready to announce a summer friendly with a major European team. Part of the deal is said to be a grass field brought into BMO for the game.

Toronto Sun

Mo Johnston, Getty Images Mo Johnston, Getty Images
April 13, 2009  08:28 AM ET

and perhaps permanently.... to officially end the rumors of the Argos moving in and ruining the atmosphere and the stadium....

April 13, 2009  09:41 AM ET

So they're all getting high before the game? crazy!

April 13, 2009  09:42 AM ET

Good luck with getting actual grass...part of the deal for BMO Park was that it could be a multi-use complex. Hence, the field turt stuff. More durable and I bet the maintenance costs are a lot less.

April 13, 2009  10:43 AM ET

when i was watching the highlights from the seattle game i thought it looked like real grass, guess this clears it up

April 13, 2009  10:54 AM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Good luck with getting actual grass...part of the deal for BMO Park was that it could be a multi-use complex. Hence, the field turt stuff. More durable and I bet the maintenance costs are a lot less.

deals have a way of changing, seattle was approved by the voters to have natural grass (to be used for mls), then the primary user (seahawks) wanted fieldturf so they got it, toronto fc is the primary user, and if hte fans wans natural grass, they'll get it

April 13, 2009  11:21 AM ET

its not staying... this happens at all turf fields hosting big friendlies or intl' games.... sucks, but they'll keep the turf

April 13, 2009  11:52 AM ET

paul beirne's (mgr of ops tfc) twitter feed has confirmed that the friendly they were planning has fallen through and no new plans yet.

April 13, 2009  12:40 PM ET

Isn't TFC a MLS team? If they play a major european team, they will get crushed!

April 13, 2009  12:55 PM ET
QUOTE(#8):

Isn't TFC a MLS team? If they play a major european team, they will get crushed!

AH, you mean like how the fire were crushed by Everton & Celtic?? DCU were crushed by Celtic??

of course there are examples to prove your point such as NJRB getting creamed by barca, and you may argue that neither Celtic nor Everton are "major european" teams, but Celtic plays in CL regularly and Everton has been a top side (top 5-7) in EPL for some time.... while they arent Barca or Man U or Inter, they are in fact solid teams

April 13, 2009  01:02 PM ET

Does anyone know the effect beer thrown on the pitch will have on natural grass at BMO?

April 13, 2009  01:15 PM ET
QUOTE(#5):

deals have a way of changing, seattle was approved by the voters to have natural grass (to be used for mls), then the primary user (seahawks) wanted fieldturf so they got it, toronto fc is the primary user, and if hte fans wans natural grass, they'll get it

Not quite so simple. TFC doesn't own BMO Field, they are the primary tenant and Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment "manages" the facility on behalf of the city. Problem is, if they want to switch the surface, they'd either need to buy the place outright or build an alternative facility that the city and province could use year round.

April 13, 2009  01:17 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Good luck with getting actual grass...part of the deal for BMO Park was that it could be a multi-use complex. Hence, the field turt stuff. More durable and I bet the maintenance costs are a lot less.

Not just multi-use, but year round use. In winter time, they cover the surface with a big bubble dome and continue to host rec league soccer there. So maintenance was indeed a huge factor in the selection of field turf.

April 13, 2009  03:17 PM ET
QUOTE(#10):

Does anyone know the effect beer thrown on the pitch will have on natural grass at BMO?

Yes, the grass is unable to stand up straight and buckles under any weight....

April 13, 2009  03:25 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

Yes, the grass is unable to stand up straight and buckles under any weight....

eek, not saying great things about canadian beer... O.o

April 13, 2009  04:06 PM ET
QUOTE(#3):

Good luck with getting actual grass...part of the deal for BMO Park was that it could be a multi-use complex. Hence, the field turt stuff. More durable and I bet the maintenance costs are a lot less.

They're looking into building a practice facility with the money recieved from the Edu transfer (somewhere in the neighbourhood of 500K). The field turf at BMO is horrible. Theres more of those rubber beads than actual turf left its so wore out. Plus the ball takes a lot of wierd erratic bounces you wouldn't get on a properly laid grass pitch. When TFC isn't playing or practicing on it, its being rented, maybe 12 hours a day for the last 2 years that it's been open.

April 13, 2009  04:11 PM ET
QUOTE(#1):

and perhaps permanently.... to officially end the rumors of the Argos moving in and ruining the atmosphere and the stadium....

They couldn't accomodate them, they'd need to either remove the beer garden or the south stand, and neither will happen. MLSE knows they have a good thing and really don't need the second tenant to make the stadium viable, it would be more of a nuisance to accomodate them.

April 13, 2009  04:16 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

Yes, the grass is unable to stand up straight and buckles under any weight....

Don't forget that it makes the grass more likely to hook up with ugly, brownish-yellow dead grass when inenbriated.

April 13, 2009  04:17 PM ET

inebriated?

April 13, 2009  04:17 PM ET
QUOTE(#14):

eek, not saying great things about canadian beer... O.o

Couldn't be much worse than natty ice and PBR! ;)

 
April 13, 2009  06:22 PM ET
QUOTE(#18):

inebriated?

It provokes the desire but it takes away the performance...

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