Friday, September 1, 2000
Football News Online

Football turf must be relaid

Michael Knight, Australia's Olympics Minister, has ordered Canberra to relay the turf at its Bruce Stadium because the existing grass is dying and "not fit for competition".

He said: “Our primary objectives are to ensure that Olympic football matches are played in Canberra as scheduled and that the pitch is of the highest possible standard.”

Canberra is to host 11 of the 48 football matches at the Games. The grass at Bruce was relaid earlier this month. However, the grass had been transferred from Cairns in tropical Queensland and suffered thermal shock when it was exposed to Canberra’a freezing temperatures.

The cost of relaying the pitch will be met by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government.

Workers are expected to carry out the relaying next week though FIFA, the international governing body for football, will decide whether the Canberra matches should be relocated after an inspection after relaying is completed.

Craig Lord
The Times