Wembley officials have axed their head groundsman, Steve Welch after having to replace the pitch for the SEVENTH time in two years after taking a battering in the press from multiple coaches, players and press outlets.
While a lot of people have talked about a design flaw with the stadium and lack of light hitting the grass, it was only a matter of time before someone had to take the fall. Poor guy must have thought he’d gotten his dream job not too long ago.
Via DailyMail
Wembley head groundsman Steve Welch paid the price for the shocking state of the £757million national stadium’s controversial pitch.
While workmen yesterday began installing the seventh playing surface since the new Wembley was opened two years ago, Welch became the fall guy for a pitch that has become a laughing stock in world football.
The Football Association last night refused to comment but JonathanGregory, communications head for Wembley National Stadium Limited, the wholly-owned FA subsidiary who run the stadium, was reported to have said: ‘Officially, we will be making no comment until next week.’
On Friday, stadium chiefs announced they had brought forward the planned relaying of the pitch in the light of the embarrassing coverage it had received, at a cost estimated to be £100,000.
The intention had been to tear up the surface after England’s home World Cup qualifier against Andorra on June 10, but now the first game to be played on a new type of surface will be the FA Trophy final on May 9 between Stevenage Borough and York City.
The pitch, which will have a sand/soil base instead of the controversial fibre and rye grass construction, will then be used for the Football League play-offs and the showpiece FA Cup final on May 30. The poor state of the playing surface has been blamed on the large number of other events hosted at the stadium in order to meet the interest repayments on the massive loans taken out by WNSL to build it.
After the Andorra game, Wembley will host concerts by rock bands including AC/DC, Coldplay and U2. It is understood the pitch will then be replaced again in time for next season.
On his appointment in 2005, Welch, groundsman of the year in 2002 when he was employed by Nottingham Forest, said: ‘Working at the national stadium is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am thrilled that I have been chosen to take on the prestigious role of ensuring that the new Wembley Stadium’s playing surface is as good, if not better, than its famous predecessor.’
