Derby set to kick off Championship season with new pitch similar to one which will be used in 2018 World Cup final
Rams have installed a SISGrass pitch at the iPro which is the same as one at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow
DERBY are set to kick-off the Championship season with a new pitch similar to one which will be used in 2018 World Cup final.
The Rams have have installed a SISGrass pitch at the iPro which is the same as one at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow - and uses state-of-the-art technology which makes it the most advanced playing surface in the UK.
Derby will benefit from the hybrid-pitch which offers increased pitch stability and delivers more playing hours than natural grass surfaces.
Phil Blackwell, SIS Pitches UK Project Director said: “We’re delighted to be able to provide Derby County Football Club with a new hybrid pitch.
“We have been working flat out to ensure that the pitch is ready for the team ahead of the first match of the new season.
“The players will feel more stability on the grass and it will recover faster, meaning the pitch’s quality will be consistent all year round.”
Derby are looking to mount a fourth straight promotion challenge after two play-off defeats and a late-season capitulation in 2014/15.
To get used to the new surface, the club had SISGrass installed on four of their training ground pitches.
And midfielder Craig Bryson was delighted with the new pitch after playing on it daily at the club’s Moor Farm complex.
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He said: "I have enjoyed training on the new SISGrass pitches at training.
"The players have already noticed how well the playing surface plays."
The Rams first game is at home to Brighton on Saturday.