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From the archive: ‘The Silicon Valley of turf’: how the UK’s pursuit of the perfect pitch changed football

From the archive: ‘The Silicon Valley of turf’: how the UK’s pursuit of the perfect pitch changed football

This week, from 2021: They used to look like quagmires, ice rinks or dustbowls, depending on the time of year. But as big money entered football, pristine pitches became crucial to the sport’s image – and groundskeepers became stars. By William Ralston

The Audio Long Read

June 5, 202435m 17s

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Show Notes

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: They used to look like quagmires, ice rinks or dustbowls, depending on the time of year. But as big money entered football, pristine pitches became crucial to the sport’s image – and groundskeepers became stars. By William Ralston. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/longreadpod">theguardian.com/longreadpod</a>

Topics

AgricultureFootball