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Tense World Cup final for pitch factory workers

Federica Bedendo,North East and Cumbriaand
Mike Zeller,Radio Cumbria
News imageSIS Pitches A worker inside the SIS Pitches factory in Maryport works on a large machine making artificial grass. The woman has long blond hair in a ponytail and wears a purple top and purple high viz vest. The machine in front of her looks like a large loom with green fibres being woven.SIS Pitches
The hybrid technology used in nine out of 16 World Cup pitches has been developed with help from a Cumbrian-based firm

Tension will be high for a group of factory workers across the pond as the World Cup final kicks off at the New York New Jersey stadium next month.

It is because the temporary pitch installed for the tournament, a hybrid of grass and artificial fibres, was the brainchild of a UK company headquartered in the small town of Maryport, Cumbria.

The 49 staff, including 33 manufacturing workers employed at SIS Pitches, will be watching and hoping to see the field in tiptop condition for the big match.

Owner George Mullen said: "There's always a little bit of tension for the first five or six minutes, but as long as the pitch stays in place, it's ok, you sit back and have a beer."

Mullen is no stranger to that feeling, with the company having supplied several World Cup events, including the pitch for Russia 2018.

"There's a bit of tension, especially with the World Cup final - we had that experience in Russia," he said.

"Here it'll be different because we're not actually maintaining the pitches, they'll be maintained by the local grounds staff who are very good and very competent."

News imageSIS Pitches The hybrid grass being worked on by a large machine at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Part of the pitch is covered by a white and pink cover with a large white mechanic structure standing over it. The grass part of the pitch has a large white and green machine on top of it. The stands in the background are empty.SIS Pitches
There has been criticism of the condition of the pitch at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday

There was a taste of that tension during the France-Senegal clash on Tuesday, which was played at the New York New Jersey stadium, with some criticising the condition of the pitch.

Mullen said: "I'm not aware of any issues on the pitches, that pitch was stitched about three weeks ago, most of this stuff will be bedding in."

Mullen explained the pitch is mostly made out of grass, with 5% of artificial fibres stitched in.

News imageSIS Pitches George Mullen standing outside SIS Pitches in Maryport. He has short white hair and is wearing a purple jumper with the company's logo. He is standing in front of the factory, which has purple cladding and the company name on the side.SIS Pitches
SIS Pitches's owner George Mullen said he was not aware of issues with the pitch during the France-Senegal match

He said: "What the fibres do is they just protect the surface, they give it a more consistent feel.

"If you remember in the old days where pitches used to break up and lots of turf would come out, that doesn't happen with these pitches."

The company also has branches internationally and the patent for the technology used in this World Cup is a "team effort across the group", Mullen said.

"A lot of the yarn we use comes out of Maryport," he said.

The area, on the West Coast of Cumbria, has a population of about 15,000 at the latest count, according to the ONS.

SIS Pitches's CEO Ivo Lamot said: "Seeing our technology present at nine of the 16 stadiums being used this summer is a huge moment."

Other stadiums where the technology will be used include San Francisco, Miami, Kansas City, Toronto and Monterrey.

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