Football’s complicated relationship with artificial turf

A slick playing surface is integral to a professional sports team’s success. Pep Guardiola’s arrival in the Premier League all but redefined the role of the Premier League groundskeeper. A playable surface was no longer the mark of a competent groundsman; nothing less than a pristine surface – watered and mowed to the manager’s precise requirements – became acceptable. The Manchester City manager imposed stringent demands on his grounds staff; the grass at the Etihad had to be shorn to catalyse the speed and precision of City’s new passing game.