Source: Daily_Mail
Wembley pitch 'the best it's ever been' insist officials ahead of Carling Cup final
Wembley bosses insist the pitch for Sunday's Carling Cup final will not be the 'disgrace' it was for a number of high-profile matches last year, when players repeatedly slipped and huge divots appeared.[LNB]Officials have said the surface is now the 'best ever' and promised there would be no national embarrassment when the Champions League final is staged at Wembley in May.[LNB]A system of 114 million artificial grass blades has been installed in a bid to give the pitch the stability it lacked during last season's Carling Cup final, the FA Cup semi-final between Tottenham and Portsmouth, and England's friendly against Egypt.[LNB] Life's a pitch: Michael Dawson slipped at Wembley and allowed Frederic Piquionne to score in last season's FA Cup semi-final[LNB]Spurs boss Harry Redknapp branded the pitch 'farcical' at the time. But Wembley managing director Roger Maslin said: 'You won't see that big chunk of earth come out. The pitch is the best it's ever been.'[LNB]The synthetic strands were embedded over six weeks last summer at a cost of ?250,000 - double the price of relaying the pitch using the old system.[LNB]Maslin said the money had already been recouped as the pitch did not need relaying after this season's Community Shield or England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro last October.[LNB]There will be no events other than football taking place on the Wembley pitch ahead of the Champions League final on May 30, but Take That have eight Wembley tour dates scheduled for the end of June.[LNB] Martin Samuel: The problem with Manchester City is their mewling paranoiaLeo's London: Toothless Tottenham show just why Harry wanted hitman[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Harry Redknapp Places: Egypt, Montenegro, United Kingdom
