Source: Daily_Mail
PICTURE SPECIAL: Wembley stripped of its turf as tractors move in to relay pitch for FA Cup final
Work has begun on relaying the Wembley pitch ahead of the FA Cup final.[LNB]FA chiefs backed down over the controversial pitch at Wembley and decided to tear it up after widespread criticism following the semi-finals. Tractors moved in yesterday, taking advantage of the fine spring weather.[LNB][LNB] Enlarge Soiled goods: Wembley Stadium with the turf removed from the pitch following complaints from the FA Cup semi-finalists[LNB] [LNB] Tractor boy: Ground staff get to work on the Wembley pitch ahead of the FA Cup final on May 30[LNB]Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger labelled the pitch at the £800m stadium 'a disgrace' following his team's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea last Saturday and Sir Alex Ferguson said the 'dead' surface was the reason he played so many second-string players against Everton.[LNB]Wembley promised a thorough investigation following the complaints and will put down a new surface which can be used for the Coca-Cola League play-off finals and the FA Cup final at the end of May.[LNB]Stadium officials claimed last night that the new pitch will be a different composition to the ryegrass currently used and it will be road-tested before the FA Trophy final between Stevenage and York on May 9.[LNB]Wenger was furious last week over the state of the surface at the national stadium and admitted that it was a major disappointment after the FA had gone to great lengths to build it on the previous Wembley site.[LNB] Turf account: Wembley's pitch cuts up as Manchester United's Carlos Tevez (right) shoots despite the attentions of Everton winger Steven Pienaar[LNB] Wembley claim that the new surface will be 'sand-soil' based and insist that it will be better suited to the stadium design. It is thought that the lack of natural light and poor ventilation inside the 90,000-capacity stadium are contributing factors to the poor pitch condition.[LNB]An A spokesman said: 'Wembley Stadium is a multi-purpose venue and needs to be able to offer both a quality playing surface and a quality calendar of events. The pitch has always been, and will continue to be, at the heart of the stadium and of the business.'[LNB] [LNB] FA chiefs have already relaid the pitch five times since the stadium opened in 2007 but they believe the new composition will provide a solution for the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Everton. Wembley chiefs initially believed the ryegrass surface would prove more durable and be able to withstand the various non-football events that are helping to reduce the mountain of debt incurred by the FA when they went ahead with the stadium project.[LNB]Wenger claimed before the semi-final with Chelsea that he had not been impressed with the surface in his only previous visit to the stadium, which was as a spectator for the 2007 FA Cup final.[LNB]Arsenal's boss has always been a stickler for perfect playing surfaces and insists the grass at the club's training ground is cut to exactly the same height as at the Emirates.[LNB]After their defeat by Guus Hiddink's side, he claimed the surface at Wembley is worse than any in the Premier League. Wenger said: 'When you build a new stadium, the first priority is that the pitch is good. If that's not right, the whole stadium is bad. 'Before everybody wanted to play at Wembley because the pitch was so special. Now, nobody wants to play at Wembley.' [LNB] Wembley turf war: No one wants to play on worst pitch in country, says WengerGunners boss Wenger continues laying into Wembley's 'lost cause' pitchFever pitch: Wembley not fit for my stars to play on, blasts fuming FergieArsenal skipper Fabregas on FA charge after Hull spit claimsAvailable to YOUR club on a free! Our guide to this summer's top BosmansARSENAL FC
