Unfortunately there will not be a natural turf surface. "NO GRASS" boo hiss. PGE Park is a multi-sport multi use facility that wouldn't be able to support an all grass field with as much use as it would get. PGE Park has the Triple AAA Beaver Baseball team, Portland Timbers soccer team, Portland State Univ Football team as regular tenants. There is a multitude of HS Football teams that regularly use the stadium on Friday nights as well. A nice grass pitch wouldn't last more than a couple of months before being so torn up as to be almost unrecognizable. So, it's going to be latest generation of Field Turf for PGE Park.
Supposedly akin to the type that Qwest, Metrodome and Rogers Centre have that is easily interchangable to multiple sports with no gridlines.
Does that mean not having to see the outline for the baseball diamond as well? While not a major annoyance, it does detract a bit from the aesthetics of the Timbers games.
I'm unsure of that, of course my statement is speculative, though informed as I did read the press release and it seemed to indicate that we won't be seeing outlines. Have you seen a Minnesota Vikings or Toronto Argonauts gridball game? I havent, but if you have and you see baseball outlines, then that's what we'll likely get, but with soccer lines, if you don't see baseball outlines, I assume that we wouldn't either. So I guess time will tell, but I'm sure it's going to be much better.
I agree. It will be great for the run of play in the game. It will be a revelation to not have to worry that every short pass is in danger of hurtling out-of-bounds or that a volley is going to bounce 12 ft. over the intended players head due to the poor field conditions. This was the main problem that I have always had with Timbers games. I believe that the players have never had an opportunity to show their true talent b/c they have been forced to adapt their game to the piss-poor field conditions. I think that we would all prefer natural grass, but I have been impressed by the quality of the turf at BMO. If it is anything like that, it should make for more exciting play.
Surely, the turf had been replaced since 1981, right? I played there in the 1981 Portland area club championship for Iron Mountain Rangers v. Shamrocks (or other similar Irish themed team). I had never played on plastic before and it was not that good. We later went on to win the OSSA state title a few weeks later against the same team. Hope the new turf is better and stands up well...if it is similar to what they are putting into indoor places, it will be okay.
Its going to be the same stuff that's in BMO and Qwest. I've seen the new turf. It looks very green, and nice. Should be pleasant to watch. The turf at PGE was replaced in 2001.
The 1981 City final was great, the turf was a bit unnerving (since I had not played on turf much). Over all I am glad I was there at all. I was a kid on a team of older guys and we did ourselves proud. Go Iron Mountain Rangers!
Hey Quakesfan...It was replaced around the mid-90's with a piece of crap. The nexturf was available, but not installed..it was something "lesser" and hard! The team you played against was St. Pat's and I was on it. I believe at about that time Iron Mt. Wolves was being coached by Larry Cohen and Ray (last name ?) I know a bunch of the guys from that Iron Mt. team.