How much money is needed to replace the turf on V.League stadiums?

Currently, the Vinh Stadium of Song Lam Nghe An Club is banned by PVF from hosting V.League 2020 matches due to insufficient lighting quality and poor pitch conditions.

Not only the grass, but the ground here hasn't been replaced in the past 20 years. The lack of regular leveling has made Vinh Stadium hard in sunny weather, and the broken underground irrigation system makes the pitch slippery in the rain.

Several stadiums in the V.League currently have good pitches, such as Thong Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Hang Day (Hanoi FC), Thien Truong (Nam Dinh), and Binh Duong. According to our research, the cost of acquiring such pitches is not excessively high.

V.League clubs mainly use two types of grass: ginger grass and needle grass. Graphic: TK

Football pitches in Southeast Asia and Vietnam primarily use two types of grass: ginger grass and Bermuda grass. With ginger grass, the cost of pitch construction is around 800 million VND, maintenance costs are about 30 million VND per month, and the lifespan is only 3-5 years. Meanwhile, Bermuda grass costs around 2 billion VND to construct, maintenance costs are 50 million VND per month, and the lifespan is 7-10 years.

Bermuda grass is also popular because its surface can be customized, such as by cutting it into stripes or checkered patterns, making the pitch look very attractive. The grass is smooth, grips the soil well, and is resistant to impact. The biggest advantage of Bermuda grass is its drought resistance and long lifespan. Meanwhile, ginger grass is often used by V.League clubs because of its lower cost.

Currently, in the 2020 V.League, three stadiums use Bermuda grass: Hang Day, Thong Nhat, and Hoa Xuan. Meanwhile, due to its advantages of being cheaper and easier to plant and maintain, ginger grass has been chosen by eight stadiums in the 2020 V.League: Pleiku, Go Dau, Cam Pha, Thien Truong, Tam Ky, Thanh Hoa, and Lach Tray.

Ginger grass is used at Malaysia's Bukit Jalil Stadium. Photo: Trung Kien

The pitch in Vinh is primarily covered in ginger grass, but in reality, it's mostly a mixture of various weeds. The disadvantage of ginger grass is that it requires a lot of nutrients and frequent watering; otherwise, it will quickly lose its color. Additionally, ginger grass has large leaves, making it more difficult for players to play on this surface.

In the future, if Vinh Stadium chooses either ginger grass or needle grass, the harsh weather conditions in Central Vietnam will have to be taken into account. Similar to Nghe An, Ha Tinh Stadium uses Paspalum grass, a high-quality grass similar to Bermuda grass.

For SLNA's Vinh Stadium, the total cost of using needle-leaf grass would exceed 2 billion VND. If the entire stadium were replaced with ginger grass, the cost would reach 1 billion VND, or even more, due to other ancillary items such as the underground irrigation system and the soil foundation also needing replacement.

The Vinh Stadium currently uses various types of weeds. Photo: TK

Currently, SLNA Club has received the support of its sponsor and is allocating 300 million VND to renovate and maintain the stadium to meet the requirements for hosting the remaining 12 matches of the V.League 2020. It is expected that the Vinh Stadium organizers will till the soil again and continue using the same types of weeds as before.

Mr. Ho Van Chiem, CEO of SLNA, said: “In this situation, we are forced to renovate the stadium so we can play at home. If we have to play on a neutral ground, not to mention the cost, our performance will certainly be affected.”

Vinh Stadium receives 300 million VND for emergency repairs, SLNA borrows Thanh Hoa Stadium.

(Baonghean.vn) - According to information from SLNA Club, during the maintenance of the Vinh Stadium pitch, the Nghe An team will choose Thanh Hoa Stadium as their home ground if the V.League 2020 resumes before May.