Sheffield firm plays key role in installation of Tottenham Hotspur's world-first retractable pitch

SCX, the Sheffield-based engineering firm, is playing a key role in the installation of the world-first dividing retractable pitch at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.

The new design sees a grass pitch sitting directly above an artificial surface at the Premier League club’s new stadium.

This marks a UK first as the stadium will have two pitches inside the same bowl in order to create a multi-use venue.

The fully retractable grass surface will be used for football matches whilst the artificial pitch underneath will be used for NFL matches, music concerts and a range of other events, in order to protect the integrity of both playing surfaces.

SCX has designed, engineered, built, and is now installing the real turf football pitch, which was stored in South Yorkshire before being transported to the capital.

The playing surface sits in three pitch-long steel trays, weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each. The pitch will split into three sections before retracting under the South Stand, revealing the artificial playing surface underneath.

The process of switching from one surface to another is expected to take approximately 25 minutes.

Each of the three pitch-long trays is made up of 33 smaller trays, 99 in total for the entire playing surface. The first batch is now being delivered from the completion of a journey which started in South Yorkshire to the new stadium site at night over the next fortnight.

Each batch will make up one of the three pitch-long steel trays.

Simon Eastwood, SCX managing director, said: “This is a massive and complicated moving structure. We have a proven track record in solving bespoke problems that involve moving and lifting huge structures at venues.

“All the mechanical and control system engineering skills are in-house and genuinely world class.”

Danny Pickard, SCX’s lead engineer, added: “Our expertise and heritage enables us to push the boundaries of moving structures and precision engineering. This pitch technology embodies everything we strive for and care about - delivering precisely what the client needs, with the engineering flair that has become a hallmark of SCX.”