The perfect pitch

Croke Park is famous internationally as the home of gaelic games and is rapidly growing into one of the finest stadia anywhere in the world. When the powers that be within the Gaelic Athletic Association decided to lay a new pitch at Headquarters as part of the ongoing development, they were only ever going to bring the best. That¹s why they contacted UK-based Hewitt Sportsturf...

The task of replacing the surface at Croke Park in time for this year’s championship has been a massive one.

It is as demanding as it is crucial. Simply put, the project must be completed to the highest possible standards - and on time! Otherwise, the Association will lose enormous amounts of revenue during its bonanza season.

It’s just as well than that the GAA brought in the experts: leading international sportsturf company Hewitt’s possesses the necessary expertise and wherewithal to competently finalise such a contract to the most exacting detail and has been enlisted to provide its world-renowned professional touch at Croker.

As we speak, Hewitt’s is in the process of laying the new state-of-the-art surface and - despite the tight time restrictions that have been forced upon them - they remain on course to have the contract completed by June, as planned.

The 2.54m euro resurfacing operation is by far the most sophisticated ever undertaken at GAA HQ but is being brilliantly overseen by the professional team at Hewitt Sportsturf. It is a race against the clock, with the GAA hoping to have the pitch ready for Leinster championship matches in mid-June and grass not expected to be sewn until May 1st at the earliest.

But Hewitt’s have been here before. They’ve ‘done that and bought the t-shirt’, as the saying goes. As undisputed experts in their field (pun claimed though not necessarily intended), Hewitt’s know exactly what’s required and months of careful planning and thorough preparation - leaving nothing to chance - guarantee a smooth ride.

The rye grass seed being used in the new surface boasts exceptionally fast growth properties, which means that while there is no room for error, the resurfacing can be completed in an almost miraculously short space of time.

The new pitch, when finished, will be longer and wider than before, which should add even further to the already unbearably exciting experience that is Croke Park on big match day.

Hewitt Sportsturf operates out of Leicester in the UK and was established in 1965 by Mr William Hewitt. The company founder has since retired and his son John is the current Managing Director. John is joined on the Hewitt Sportsturf team by his wife Pat, son Ryan and a team of 55 employees.
From the word go, the company has specialised in the provision of high quality surfaces for sports grounds, predominantly stadium-based. Most of the work is carried out on soccer surfaces, although rugby pitches and other related projects can also be handled in an equally professional manner.
The service being provided for Croke Park is a complete pitch design, construction, installation and consultancy package.

Hewitt’s were awarded the contract basically because of the unequalled reputation it has earned in the UK (and, indeed, throughout Europe) for quality, efficient and prompt workmanship. A quick glance at the stadia Hewitt Sportsturf has worked on previously tells its own story: Highbury, White Hart Lane, Old Trafford, Villa Park, Anfield, Highfield Road, Filbert Street - to name just some.

John admits that the existing contract with the GAA came into place more by accident than design: “To be honest, it’s not something I had looked at before. They approached me and told me what they had in mind and the project seemed interesting. It was something we knew we could handle. Even though it was a fresh challenge in a manner of speaking, because of the new client, this is basically what we’re doing on a day-to-day basis anyway. We removed the new pitch at the beginning of the year and have since been putting the new surface in place.”

The new surface is predominantly a sand-based polypropylene pitch, using a unique stabilising material called Desso Grassmaster . . . the first of its kind anywhere in Ireland.

Hewitt’s have incorporated an innovative state-of-the-art new air system design which basically provides more oxygen to the roots, making for stronger and healthier grass growth - which should add to the appeal of playing in the GAA’s ‘theatre of dreams’.

Notes John Hewitt: “Working on Croke Park is a great honour because it’s the premier GAA venue. At the moment, we’re not sure where this will lead or if there are other GAA stadiums we could work on but this is certainly a prestigious one for the cv. It’s a wonderful place and a superb stadium that’s known to a lot of people here in the UK and throughout the world.”

John has immersed himself in this contract for the best part of a year, visiting Ireland at least once a week over the past twelve months and investing a great deal of personal effort into seeing this ambitious project come to fruition. Such a hands-on and thoroughly professional approach is one of the principle reasons why Hewitts Sportsturf’s service is acclaimed internationally.