SPORTS PITCHES conditions were extremely challenging but the system was more than prepared to handle the strain . That gave us confidence knowing what was to come .”
Will they , won ’ t they ? As torrential rain continued throughout the day , fans and journalists began to question if the evening game would be called off . One noted the ‘ biblical showers in Istanbul ’ while another tweeted that the two teams would be ‘ playing in a swamp ’ if the game wasn ’ t postponed .
Speculation continued to mount as the U19s competed in a UEFA Youth League match at the nearby Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium . Video of that match showed the ball barely rolling across a heavily waterlogged pitch making it ‘ virtually impossible for players to perform ’.
Unlike Rams Park , Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium is not fitted with SISAir . This demonstrates the importance of effective surface management systems for major sporting events , particularly in regions where poor playing conditions are common . At Rams Park , water was being siphoned off just as fast as it was settling . At the other stadium , the pitch was effectively unplayable .
Shortly after the U19s match concluded , former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said he was doubtful the evening ’ s fixture would go ahead , and throughout the afternoon UEFA officials were seen inspecting Galatasaray ’ s pitch . Some threw match balls into the air to test responsiveness only to find them sticking to the ground upon impact . Many agreed with Ferdinand ’ s assessment at the time , but the SIS team were confident the evening game would kick-off as planned .
“ From 17.15 onwards , we moved the system up gear ,” says Ilyas . “ The vacuums increased from 60 % to 80 %, and both pumps continued to run on / off cycles to remove excess liquid . From 18.30 , a single pump was sufficient to discharge water as the rain began to ease – this approach is used for a rainfall intensity up to 25mm / h . Even so , the two pumps would have been capable of preparing the pitch in time had conditions worsened .”
A vote of confidence Despite an extraordinary amount of rain amid intense media speculation , officials remained confident the game would be played . In the early evening , a statement was released from UEFA , which read : “ We are closely monitoring the weather forecast and at this stage the match will go ahead as scheduled .”
This was a vote of confidence for the SISAir system as rain continued to fall while both teams warmed up . Sensor level trend data showed 2.116m3 of water flowed into the well within one minute at maximum rainfall , indicating an overall rate of 127m3 per hour and a rainfall intensity of 15.61 mm / h . These recordings are corroborated when compared with data from NASA instruments taken on the same evening . “ This figure is not unheard of but over the whole day it constitutes a severe storm ,” Ilyas concludes . “ Even so , we made it clear to UEFA that conditions still fell well within the system ’ s capabilities and the pitch would be playable . In the end , we were able to remove all excess rainwater and keep the pitch resistance-free . For some fans the final score was a disappointment , but for us this was a clear win away from home .” Innovative systems , like SISAir , are just one part of SIS ’ s offering . The company also creates natural , hybrid and artificial surfaces , including running tracks , as well as ongoing maintenance of all pitches regardless of whether they were originally built by SIS .
You can read more about the SISAir here .
GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | March / April 2024 21