Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium presents a challenging environment for turf, with significant shade and limited use of supplementary lighting. Alongside this, the pitch sees consistent use from first team and under-21 fixtures, as well as training sessions.
“Our biggest challenge is a very old, heavily shaded stadium with limited use of lighting rigs,” says Head Groundsman Lee Jackson. “Maintaining grass cover through the season is never straightforward.”
As part of a partial rebuild ahead of the 2025 season, ProSelect 1 Premium Pitch, a perennial ryegrass mixture designed for high-wear sports pitches, was used for renovation and overseeding.
“I’ve used ProSelect 1 for close to 10 years and have always trusted how it performs, so I had no hesitation using it again, even in a completely different environment,” Lee explains.
Establishment proved difficult initially due to high temperatures during summer 2025 and the nature of the rebuild.
“The early grow-in was tough because of the heat, but once it got going the coverage developed faster than I’ve seen for a number of years.”
Following establishment, the pitch was subjected to sustained use, particularly between December and February.
“We had eight first team games and ten training sessions on the pitch during that period, and we’re around 10% up on usage compared to last season,” says Lee.
Despite this, grass cover has been maintained through the winter months.
“We’ve kept more grass cover than many expected through that period, and recovery after use has been strong, especially considering the environment.”
Presentation and surface consistency have also improved across the season, supported by relatively low disease pressure.
“There’s been a noticeable improvement overall, and that’s been recognised by players and staff who have been here a number of years,” Lee adds.
For Lee, performance in this type of environment is the real measure.
“If you can get grass growing and maintain it in this kind of stadium, with limited lighting, it shows its value as part of the overall pitch management programme.”
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