What is 3G4US?
A contact group of football clubs, who are supportive of 3G synthetic pitches. 3G4US has the following aims:
- to exchange and share information amongst ourselves concerning practical aspects of our pitches, issues of maintenance, grant funding, loan funding, cost, renewal, testing, guarantees, law-suits, problems arising, etc.;
- to provide information to other clubs on an ad-hoc basis, to arrange visits of our facilities, to assist other clubs in making decisions as to whether to go down the road of installing a synthetic pitch;
- to lobby for increased acceptance of 3G pitches for competitive matches played at the most senior level possible in Cup and League competitions throughout the UK;
- to lobby and communicate to improve understanding in football circles of the positive technical qualities of 3G synthetic pitches, their playing quality and safety, etc.
Which clubs are involved in 3G4US?
We have a group of professional and semi-professional clubs supporting the group. These include Wycombe Wanderers and Accrington Stanley of the Football League, Alloa Athletic and Montrose in Scotland and Whyteleafe, Woodley Sports, Sutton Coldfield, Durham City, Sutton United and Folkestone Invicta from non-league football.
Why 3G4US?
There is growing interest among football clubs in the advantages of playing on 3G synthetic turf. There are many reasons for this:
- 3G turf allows matches to be played in extreme weather conditions; there are fewer postponements and better club income streams as a result;
- 3G turf, which plays like a good quality grass pitch, encourages skilful football at all levels;
- playing on 3G turf has been evaluated in reports as not leading to more injuries than playing on grass;
- 3G pitches can take continuous usage without significant deterioration in playing quality. This means that football clubs with limited land resources are able to provide facilities for all their youth and community teams to play within the club perimeter. This in turn leads to greater use of clubhouse facilities enabling the club to earn greater revenue streams.
- clubs can hire out their pitches to third parties and earn revenue from pitch and clubhouse, car park etc. all round the clock.
Particularly at non-league level some leagues do not currently allow 3G pitches to be used. 3G4US aims to change this situation so that clubs can install revenue generating 3G pitches without this impacting negatively on their ambitions to progress up the football pyramid structure.
On the weekend of 21/22 December 2012, only nine games out of a possible 133 took place in Steps 1 to 4 of the non-league. This will have cost clubs, up and down the country, thousands of pounds.
Why is Maidstone United promoting 3G4US?
Maidstone United was the first football club in Britain to develop a purpose built stadium from scratch with a 3G pitch. The stadium, in the town centre of Maidstone, opened in the summer of 2012.
The club believes strongly in all the merits of 3G synthetic turf as outlined above. It considers the time is now right to build on the growing support in football circles in order to obtain greater acceptance from the Football League and the FA of 3G turf.
How can I get involved in 3G4US?
We are keen to hear from football clubs wishing to join the group and support the cause. Please contact Oliver Ash on oash@richmond-dev.com for further information.
3G4US News
- Ash encouraged by 3G4US interest (24 February 2013)
- Merits of 3G highlighted again (18 October 2012)
- 3G4US urges Football League to allow 3G artificial turf (19 June 2012)
- Football clubs launch 3G4US to promote artificial turf (21 February 2012)
3G in the news
- Gordon Waddell: Ditch turf to bring in plastic makes artificial intelligence (19 May 2013)
- Cardiff Blues seek approval for artificial pitch at Arms Park (12 May 2013)
- Queen of the South artificial pitch work set to begin (7 May 2013)
- KM Sport: ‘A million times better than the old days’ – Kerry Dixon on 3G (29 March 2013)
- Cottee joins calls for 3G pitches (29 March 2013)
- Cardiff Blues consider installing artificial pitch (28 March 2013)
- Artificial playing surface: The new rugby trend? (23 March 2013)
- FA makes £150m pledge to improve run-down pitches and facilities at grassroots level (26 February 2013)
- Artificial pitches, real progress in Finland (21 February 2013)
- Aberdeen FC boss welcomes plastic pitch plan (15 February 2013)
- FC Business Magazine – Success Built-In [Pages 45-47] (February 2013)
- Horsham to follow Maidstone’s lead with new 3G pitch (31 January 2013)
- Blues’ Ceri Sweeney impressed by Saracens’ artificial pitch (28 January)
- Stones looking to expand the Gallagher stadium (25 January 2013)
- Heineken Cup: Dates set for quarter-final games (24 January 2013)
- Runcorn Town not concerned by prospect of playing on an artificial pitch, says Simon Burton (24 January 2013)
- Multimillion pound project to give Wigan Athletic top-class football academy (24 January 2013)
- Cheshunt boss calls for synthetic pitches (24 January 2013)
- Clubs hoping for a return to action (24 January 2013)
- Dunne supports return of artificial pitches (22 January 2013)
- Concord Rangers manager Danny Cowley thinks it’s time to look at 3G pitches (22 January 2013)
- Stones looking to expand home after huge gates (13 January 2013)
- Sutton United – Whither 3G (3 January 2013)
- Saracens train on artificial pitch at Allianz Park (3 January 2013)
- Keynsham Town’s 3G artificial pitch saves Toolstation Western League from fixture washout (31 December 2012)
- Stones fight back to draw (22 December 2012)
- Artificial pitches given go-ahead for FA Cup qualifying rounds (13 July 2012)
- Artificial pitches consultation finds widespread opposition to plans (1 June 2012)
- Football League clubs to discuss artificial pitches at AGM (30 May 2012)
- Artificial pitches a step closer (16 February 2012)
- Clubs want artificial turf return (18 November 2011)
3G4US on Twitter
