How much money do V.League football fields need to replace the grass?

Currently, Vinh Stadium of Song Lam Nghe An Club is being "banned" by PVF from hosting V.League 2020 matches because it does not meet the quality of the lighting system and the field surface standards.

Not only the grass, the ground here has not been replaced for the past 20 years, along with having to be regularly leveled, making Vinh Stadium hard when it is sunny, and the underground irrigation system is broken, making the field slippery when it rains.

Some football fields in V.League currently have good pitches such as Thong Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Hang Day (Hanoi Club), Thien Truong (Nam Dinh), B. Binh Duong. According to research, to have such pitches, the cost is not too high.

Clubs in V.League mainly use two main types of grass: ginger leaves and pine leaves. Graphics: TK

Football fields in Southeast Asia and Vietnam mainly use two types of grass: ginger grass and Bermuda (coniferous grass). With ginger grass, the cost of making the field surface is about 800 million VND, maintenance is about 30 million VND/month and the lifespan is only 3-5 years. Meanwhile, Bermuda grass costs about 2 billion VND to make the field surface, maintenance is 50 million VND/month and the lifespan is 7-10 years.

Bermuda grass is also popular because the surface can be adjusted such as stripes and checks, making the field look very eye-catching, the grass is smooth, adheres to the ground and can withstand impact. The biggest advantage of Bermuda grass is that it can withstand drought and has long-term durability. Meanwhile, ginger grass is often used by V.League clubs because of its lower cost.

Currently, in V.League 2020, there are 3 football fields using Bermuda grass: Hang Day, Thong Nhat and Hoa Xuan. Meanwhile, because of its advantages of being cheap and easier to grow and care for, ginger grass has been chosen by 8 fields in V.League 2020: Pleiku, Go Dau, Cam Pha, Thien Truong, Tam Ky, Thanh Hoa, Lach Tray.

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

Vinh Stadium is mainly ginger grass but in reality, most of it is mixed grass, including many types of mixed grass. The disadvantage of ginger grass is that it needs a lot of nutrients and water, otherwise it will quickly fade. In addition, ginger grass has large leaves, so players often have more difficulty playing on this field.

In the future, if Vinh Stadium is chosen to use ginger grass or coniferous grass, the harsh weather in the Central region will have to be taken into account. Having the same weather conditions as Nghe An, Ha Tinh Stadium uses Paspalum grass, a high-quality grass similar to Bermuda grass.

With SLNA's Vinh stadium, the total cost of using coniferous grass will be more than 2 billion VND. If the entire stadium is replaced with ginger grass, the cost will be around 1 billion VND, or even more because many other sub-items such as underground irrigation system, ground must also be replaced...

Vinh Stadium is currently using many types of mixed grass. Photo: TK

In the immediate future, SLNA Club has received the consent of the sponsor, spending 300 million VND to renovate and maintain the field to be qualified to host the remaining 12 matches of V.League 2020. It is expected that the Vinh Stadium Organizing Committee will re-dig the ground and continue to use the same types of grass as before.

Mr. Ho Van Chiem - General Director of SLNA said: "In this situation, we are forced to renovate the field to play at home. If we have to play on a neutral field, not to mention the cost, the performance will definitely be affected."

Vinh Stadium was 'fire-treated' for 300 million, SLNA borrowed Thanh Hoa Stadium

(Baonghean.vn) - According to information from SLNA Club, during the maintenance period of Vinh Stadium's grass surface, the Nghe An team will choose Thanh Hoa Stadium as their home field if V.League 2020 is organized to compete again before May.