Lots of interest in piece of ‘old’ grass from Galgenwaard stadium

FC Utrecht has decided to renew the turf in stadium de Galgenwaard, which has already enticed some 650 fans of the soccer club to buy a piece of the old turf.

The club is offering the pieces of grass in pots. Fan Martin van Geelen picked one up today for on his brother’s grave. “He passed away two years ago, and he was big FC Utrecht fan. So this grass I’m going to put on his grave. Normally you put down a plant, but I really liked this action,” he told RTV Utrecht.

Utrecht fan Bas van Mansom also seized the opportunity to own a piece of the Galgenwaard’s grass. “I’ve had a season ticket for thirteen years and now I can take a piece of grass home with me, which is nice for the garden anyway.” Exactly which piece of grass he got, he does not know. “But I don’t think from the goal area, because we had almost no grass left there,” the supporter said.

The pitch in the Galgenwaard has been a pain point for the club for ages. Back in 2018, the turf was also replaced because many players, including from the home club itself, strongly criticized the poor and bumpy ‘field’ or ‘sandbox’. Director Edo Keuning is therefore pleased that the club is now replacing the entire floor and not just the grass layer.

He talks about the electric field heating that will be in the new field. Keuning: “As a result, we will have 67 percent less energy consumption compared to the current field heating. That solution is not yet anywhere in Europe. That is quite exciting.”

Once the new grass is in place, nature will have to do its work. A practice game will be played in early August so the players can get used to the field before the league begins on Aug. 11.