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Brian_Ewen

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Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« on: November 14, 2009, 08:53:03 PM »
Not just golf that is obsessed with the colour of the grass   ::)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/15/football-world-cup-green-grass

World Cup grass isn't green enough
Native kikuyu pitches are not bright enough for television, but the replacements will be little long-term use to South Africans
Alex Duval Smith Cape Town
The Observer, Sunday 15 November 2009


Millions of Africans have been saying it for years: the grass is greener in Europe. Now the world's football bosses have decided that Africa's indigenous grass is not bright enough for international television audiences.

In a major blow to South African pride in hosting next year's World Cup, stadiums used for top matches have been told to scrap their hardy African kikuyu pitches and switch instead to tender European ryegrass.

The decision comes amid mounting claims that the month-long tournament next June will be a "playground for Europeans'', providing scant long-term benefit to the largely poor country.

"Fifa decided that our pre-grown kikuyu pitch was not uniformly dark green enough for television so we have started again with ryegrass seed,'' said Pieter Cronjé, World Cup communication director for Cape Town where one of the semi-finals is due to be played.

Yesterday, at the startling £400m Green Point stadium in Cape Town, perky shoots of pale green ryegrass were pushing through the soil three weeks after the seeds were sown. But local specialists say ryegrass – a cold season variety suited to Europe – will not stand the test of time and will have to be replaced after the World Cup.

Julian Visser, the grass subcontractor at the stadium, admitted: ''The ryegrass requires more water, fertiliser and maintenance than kikuyu. There is a lot of talk of the World Cup's legacy to South Africa but in reality the priority is the matches next June and July. The switch from kikuyu will be a disadvantage to the African teams who are used to its bounce.''

At Groenvlei grass farm 20 miles from Cape Town, Visser's staff have for the past year lovingly groomed two pitches of kikuyu that had been destined for Cape Town's stadium. It has thick stalks, broad blades and is springy underfoot. One small area is blueish where it has been over-seeded with ryegrass, according to the original specifications for Green Point.

"We were pleased with the grass,'' said manager Rudie Fritz. "Kikuyu over-seeded with ryegrass is what you find on sports fields all over South Africa. The lawns are not a uniform green colour because they are sown with two varieties but they look and feel great. Our rugby players don't mind falling over on this grass, but it seems foreign soccer players do.''

South Africans are watching with increasing bemusement as the World Cup rollercoaster moves in before the draw in Cape Town on 4 December to determine the 32-team match schedule. Fifa has begun firing off lawyers' letters to guard its £600m sponsors' rights. In host cities, special Fifa bylaws prevent "unauthorised'' advertising in "exclusion zones'' around stadiums. Among the recipients has been a Pretoria pub that painted "World Cup 2010'' on its roof, in breach of Fifa's trademark.

The contractor building the rail link between Johannesburg and OR Tambo airport says it will not be ready until the second week of the tournament, unless the government finds an extra 1.3bn rands (£104m). Amid uncertainty over whether new bus routes will be introduced in time, Fifa has admitted having a "Plan B" for Cape Town transport .

Few people understand why kikuyu, a variety that can be found on every state house lawn in Africa, has suddenly fallen out of favour. Buck-passing began at suggestions that the decision had been taken purely to ensure a better television picture. Tournament spokesman Rich Mkhondo said the Local Organising Committee had taken advice from the Sports Turf Research Institute in Bingley, West Yorkshire.

"Ryegrass is better in coastal areas,'' said Mkhondo, adding: "African teams will get used to it, with practice. I grew up playing football with a tennis ball on gravel.''

Richard Hayden, a specialist from the institute, said ryegrass, directly sown, would have been the best choice in the first place. "June is a winter month in South Africa and kikuyu goes yellow," he said. "The decision is not a sinister European plot. We made our recommendations for the purposes of the tournament and they have been followed.'' But Cape Town's winters are wet months. The peninsula is explosively verdant in June and July.

Sowetan columnist Andile Mngxitama said the decision to plant European grass was clear evidence that the World Cup offers "nil legacy'' for South Africa.

 "The World Cup is a jamboree which will make money for a few South Africans who are rich already. It serves purely to show the Europeans that the natives are still here to service their playground. Taking our grass away is the biggest insult to date.''

Ian Larson

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Re: Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2009, 09:06:19 PM »
It wasn't uncommon for us to paint the kikuyu in areas at Riviera for the PGA Tournament in February. I can't say for sure if it was the request of the Tour for TV or if it was the command of the Japanese management.

Adam Clayman

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Re: Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2009, 10:21:55 PM »
Perhaps Ian will clarify, but The Double K is very evasive. Over watering Kikuyu is a recipe for disaster. Disaster being too soft for even soccer.

I noticed last week at Pacific Grove the Ice plant is mostly all gone, but the new super is trying to justify a higher green fee with greener conditions. I saw Rhizomes (or is it Stolons?) worming their way on to the dunes.

 
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Ian Larson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2009, 11:55:55 PM »
Yes, kikuyu is super uber evasive. It's just a big beefy grass that for many reasons is a tough grass, but it can be just as sensitive to alot of herbicides. And if it's thatch accumulation is not kept to a minimum with very agressive dethatching it will be a soft surface that is a nuisance to mow while constantly scalping.

It was weird moving down the street to LACC from Riviera. At Riviera Kikuyu was king.....at LACC it was our worst enemy and constantly being attacked with herbicides, give it a chance and it will spread like wildfire.

As far as the article goes, Kikuyu is native to Africa. I don't see how it's logical to switch to Ryegrass. We are not even talking about a busy golf course where it's hard to fit in cultural practices here. It's a kikuyu football pitch that's empty most of the time. I can see if they are looking for color, but it can be painted to appear perfectly green. I'm also sure they may be looking for the abilty to burn in stripes which could be a deal breaker with kikuyu. But as far as the firmness goes, an empty kikuyu pitch should be constantly dethatched and topdressed. If done, it could be as any pitch needed to be regardless of water.


Funny thing......I always got a kick driving in and out of the gate at Riviera to go to work. There is a stop sign across from the Paul revere school that always had a single kikuyu stolon runner growing all the way to the top of the stop sign. It was always a cool reminder of the piece of property you were going to spend your day on.

Jason McNamara

Re: Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2009, 01:32:40 AM »
How does Kikuyu do during the winter?  Remember the World Cup will be during winter down there, and some of the locations definitely get chilly enough.  Bloemfontein is almost a mile up, and lows will be near freezing.  So maybe the rye grows better at that time, rather than having no chance to re-grow grass?

Fwiw, SA's soccer league doesn't play during the winter.

In any event, who cares about the grass.  If FIFA really wants to do something to improve the 2010 WC, they'll get rid of those stupid horns.

Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2009, 12:03:42 PM »
Jason,
KK goes dormant in winter. It loses it's green color turning a shade of yellowish brown. It also lays down and plays reasonably tight compared to summer.

As a matter of fact, if you have never been to Riviera, and you do get or arrange an invite, try to make sure it's when the KK is dormant.
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Jason McNamara

Re: Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2009, 07:14:42 PM »
Jason,
KK goes dormant in winter. It loses it's green color turning a shade of yellowish brown. It also lays down and plays reasonably tight compared to summer.

As a matter of fact, if you have never been to Riviera, and you do get or arrange an invite, try to make sure it's when the KK is dormant.


OK, so it really is like Bermuda.  Perhaps the Rye might grow about between games, if that is a concern.

I'll have to get right on that Riviera invite, though honestly I am not going to quibble about the month.

Matt Day

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Kikuyu not green enough for TV
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2009, 08:39:57 PM »
a foliar application of iron and manganese turns Kikuyu dark green pretty quickly.  We do it every two weeks through spring and summer with Primo and have no problems.

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