New Turf at THF?

Looks like THF is getting new turf. At least it looks like if from this Twitter picture.

Hopefully that means that they're planning to use it . :scream_cat:

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I hope they found and eliminated the knee gremlins that got Zach and Jeremiah!:blush:

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There has to be data available on incidence of these “no-contact injuries” for the various types of playing surface. I find it hard to believe that it’s just bad luck that so many of our players go down. My vote is to spend what is necessary to protect the players and preserve the possibility of winning - otherwise, there is little point in fielding a team.

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That turf was only 6 years old and wasn't used at all last season.
The Stadium is owned by the City, Is this on the City's dime or on the Caretakers??

I have no idea what the actual setup is but I imagine the city is responsible for bigger capital projects and the Cats as main tenant/operator are responsible for routine maintenance.

I’d also guess the city is probably responsible for the turf but at a bare minimum while the Cats are free to invest on their own for an upgrade if it’s in their best interests…

When you’ve lost over 2 seasons worth of half million dollar starting QB salary to injury, turf uograde probably becomes palatable budget wise.

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I believe the new turf has more cushioning . The soccer people will be happy . Nobody likes diving on an unforgiving surface . :grinning:

Pat Lynch (the old astroturf at Ivor Wynn was like cement painted green)

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My last year of high school football (fall 2002) was also the last year for the astroturf surface at IWS. I remember going to bed after a Friday afternoon game and having the turf burn on my hips heal to my bed sheets.

The final surface at IWS was modern infill type AstroPlay and was installed for Hamilton’s infamous 1-17, 2003 season. The Tiger Cats were still playing on that surface through to IWS’s final game in 2012.

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I wonder what they did with the turf they just removed. When they pulled the turf out of IWS, there was a guy who scooped up a bunch of it and was selling it on a lot on Wilson St in Ancaster.

Do you remember the lottery to raise money for the first artificial turf at Ivor Wynn ? Some season ticket sections even had turf installed in the aisles . My brother and I suffered with bare cement :slightly_smiling_face: in section 7 .

Pat Lynch (those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end)

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Good question . I’m putting up a new gazebo in my backyard in a week or two . Turf from THF would make for great indoor-outdoor carpeting for this project .

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Are they really replacing it? does seem to be a waste of taxpayers money when there is a pandemic and the city sinking into debt.
Maybe Bob Young is paying for it, he’s got the CPL team and they use it more than the Ticats.

Ottawa already replaced it’s turf last year to field core turf .

It must not last that long .

My understanding is that these surfaces last 10 years max.

THF opened in 2014. That makes this year, year 8. If pro salaries/injuries of pro players are at stake, it can be in the best interests of the Ti-Cats/Forge FC to replace/upgrade sooner.

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Just like in Hamilton, the soccer team was getting a lot of use out of it.
But I wonder if it was OSEG, that owns both teams paying for it.
Same in Hamilton is it Bob Young paying for it?

I believe OSEG paid for it .

:sunglasses: The official story on the new turf appeared in the Spectator, along with a picture back on May 15.

The brand new surface will meet the standards required to host FIFA competitions such as CONCACAF, international rugby events and of course the CFL and primary tenant the Hamilton Tiger Cats.

It includes an absorption pad underneath, which the original surface did not have.

No news on who is paying for the new turf though !!

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I hope Ottawa makes some adjustments with the new turf. It was difficult to see the line markings on TV for night games.

I don’t know if the problem was the turf or the lighting, but it was annoying.

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That’s because Ottawa didn’t have the sewn in soccer or football lines. I think that was a requirement when they hosted the women’s FIFA. You can’t remove the football lines if they are sewn in.
At least when you watch a CFL game in Ottawa you don’t see the soccer lines

THF lines were not sewn in, they were painted according to the sport being played.