Tests begin on world's first retractable football pitch at Tottenham's new stadium built by Sheffield firm

Tests have got under way on the world's first retractable football pitch system at Tottenham's new stadium - and designed and created by a Sheffield firm.

The £850 million, 62,000 capacity ground is edging closer to completion and at the weekend trials on the pitch - the only one of its kind in the world - got under way.

The ground will feature the world's first dividing retractable pitch with the system created and installed by Sheffield engineering firm SCX.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Spurs announced last year that the the new stadium would boast an innovative system involving a fully retractable grass pitch sitting above an artificial surface, meaning the venue can be used for NFL games, music concerts and other events in addition to regular football matches.

The stadium will be the first in the UK to feature two pitches inside the same bowl, with the grass turf set to sit in three pitch-long steel trays weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each, allowing it to be slid under the South Stand to uncover the artificial surface in a process that is expected to take approximately 25 minutes.

Work will continue on the ground throughout the summer in order to have it completed for the start of next season.

Spurs have spent the entire 2017-18 campaign at Wembley following the demolition of White Hart Lane.