Pure PT: Redefining the future of football surfaces

Two landmark projects are showcasing how Pure PT by TenCate Grass, delivered in the UK through TigerTurf, the industry’s leading non-infill synthetic surface, is transforming the game from grassroots to elite academies

ith Bangor City Stadium and Sheffield Wednesday both embracing TigerTurf’s Pure PT technology, the new surface is setting a new benchmark for performance, safety and sustainability across football.

Raising standards from Wales to Yorkshire

Bangor City Stadium in Wales has become the first site in the UK to install a full-size Pure PT pitch. Delivered by Sportex with support from the Cymru Football Foundation, this £350,000 project is part of the FAW’s Fit-For-Future Facilities Programme. The pitch offers world-class playability without the need for rubber infill, combining durability with a lighter environmental footprint. For Bangor, it’s not just about a surface, it’s about creating a hub for thecommunity, with upgraded changing rooms, catering and more to follow. Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday has invested in Pure PT at its Middlewood Road Training Facility as part of its biggest training pitch upgrade since 2015. As the first professional football academy in the UK to adopt the surface, the Owls are backing their long-term vision for player development and performance. The surface improves player comfort, safety and ball control while reducing maintenance demands, a strategic investment that will benefit generations of players.

For Bangor, it’s not just about a surface, it’s about creating a hub for the community

Proven at the highest level

Pure PT is no experiment. It is the result of years of development at the Centre for Turf Innovation (CTI), TenCate Grass’s global R&D hub dedicated to advancing surface technology. Since 2019, Pure PT has been refined through more than 50 design iterations, shaped directly by feedback from elite players, coaches and performance experts. Validated at PSV Eindhoven’s FieldLab, the process involved extensive on-field testing and player evaluations to create a surface that feels and performs like natural stadium turf. The result: softer fibres, greater stability and superior ball control.

Pure PT feels like natural stadium turf, with softer fibres, greater stability and superior ball control

A sustainable future for football

Beyond performance, Pure PT delivers major sustainability gains and significantly lowers total cost of ownership over its lifetime. As it is 100% non-infill, it avoids issues of microplastic pollution and requires less maintenance. This means no infill top-ups, no decompacting and fewer cleaning cycles. Transport emissions are drastically reduced: a full-size Pure PT field needs only about six vehicle moves for installation. Over a decade, that means lower fuel use, fewer replacement parts and fewer resources spent. Pure PT’s lifespan is around 30% longer than typical infilled turf, meaning reduced replacement frequency, reduced waste and a better environmental footprint. At end of life, Pure PT’s material composition makes recycling more straightforward and cost-efficient.

At both Sheffield and Bangor, the decision to install Pure PT is about more than performance, it’s about building for the future. By removing rubber infill, Pure PT reduces environmental impact, cuts maintenance, and extends pitch lifespan. These benefits deliver long-term savings while ensuring facilities remain at the highest standard for years to come.

The bigger picture

From elite academies to community grounds, Pure PT is reshaping how football thinks about artificial surfaces. At Sheffield Wednesday, it’s about creating the right environment to nurture talent. At Bangor, it’s about raising the bar for facilities and inspiring future generations. Together, they represent the beginning of a shift where innovation, sustainability and performance come together to support the next era of game changing fields.

As Aled Lewis, Director at the Cymru Football Foundation, puts it: “We are passionate about testing and trialling innovative approaches and embracing new technology to deliver the best facilities for our communities—and this project represents a significant milestone in the development of artificial pitch technology.” Find out more: [tigerturf.com](https://tigerturf.com/)