Ian Mallon: Ireland has spent €500m in plastic pitches that will be outlawed in 2023
CHANGES INCOMING? A general view of an astro turf pitch. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
IT MAY not look that threatening, but the European Commission’s ‘Amendment to Annex XXX No 1907/2006’ has the potential to be the most devastating piece of legislation to affect Irish sport.
The amended EU Act will be approved by the European Commission in 2023 and will force the banning of plastics used in up to 2,500 artificial pitches across the country, and tens of thousands of surfaces in the EU.
The outlawing of microplastics, the primary ingredient in all-weather sports surfaces, will have major impact on sports clubs, schools, communities, colleges and universities here - if enacted without compromise.
What we know for certain is that the EC will implement a ban on microplastics with a fresh emphasis on the rubber crumb granules used as infill on artificial surfaces used for football, hockey and to a lesser extent GAA and rugby training facilities.
What we don’t yet know is just how severe the ban will be, and the timeline set to eradicate rubber crumb from pitch surfaces.
The timelines for changing the artificial materials forecasted by Fifa, Uefa and the FAI range from six to 10 years, but a worst-case scenario being considered could be as little as two years – although a completely unworkable situation.
In Irish football, there are approximately 600 all-weather full-sized pitches attached to soccer clubs, with up to 2,000 more small-sized facilities in communities, schools and colleges.
The cost of building a full-sized facility is between €400-600k currently, a price which will rise substantially if new builds are forced to use more environmentally-friendly means, with coconut shell and cork being considered as replacement components.
The problem here is that no matter what timeframe is given, the cost of replacing current surfaces with eco-friendly replacements – whenever that deadline is – will raise costs substantially.
Rubber crumb is mainly created from old tyres and other distressed plastics, while the production of the alternatives will result in perhaps a doubling of cost for the new materials.
While rubber crumb granular infill will be banned, the hope is that the EU will not order a short-term removal timeframe and the surfaces can remain intact until they are due to be replaced at the end of their natural lifecycle of 10-12 years.
This is something that Uefa is lobbying hard for in Brussels, with the FAI and its EU partner associations supporting from the wings.
As things play out, no new builds will be allowed to use the rubber compounds into the future, forcing a budgeting rethink for the hundreds of new pitches at planning or early construction phase across the country.
The EC hasn’t given a date for which it will enact legislation but the FAI told The Pitch that the new law is “imminent”.
The change stems from a 2006 Act concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the establishment of a European Chemicals Agency directive to prohibit the use of synthetic polymer microparticles.
While the hope is that Brussels will show leniency for current surfaces, the nature of environmentally impactful ingredients being permitted at all could be enforced immediately.
In the words of one interested observer: “With European law you cannot predict how much tolerance will be given, and that’s the real fear with Brussels bureaucracy.”
In a series of communications with The Pitch, UEFA said that “there is an ongoing policy process at EU level on a proposed EU-wide restriction on the use of intentionally-added microplastics in artificial pitches”.
“UEFA is in touch with its members associations and the EU about the topic,” it continued.
“Under our formal Arrangement for Cooperation with the European Commission, UEFA works in partnership with the EU to support European priorities including EU environmental objectives and sport’s role (in promoting positive outcomes) across Europe.”
The FAI outlined its position on the issue and what steps it is taking as the due date for an EC ruling comes closer into view.
The FAI said it will “continue to monitor the imminent decision from the European Commission to implement a ban on microplastics, including crumb rubber/rubber granulate infill, in artificial turf pitches with a suggested 6-year phase-in period”.
“FIFA and UEFA representatives are working on behalf of all relevant Member Associations on the likely impacts this will have and we support the current direction being provided by both governing bodies,” said a spokesperson.
“FIFA and UEFA’s view is that the 6 year transition period foreseen in the European Parliament’s proposal will not be sufficient to avoid serious negative financial and socio-economic impacts for football across Europe as the average life cycle for an artificial turf pitch with current technology is 10-12 years.
“The FAI will be running an information webinar in January 2023 to discuss the proposed ban, likely impacts and alternative infill methods going forward (and) this information has been shared with all clubs with full details of the information webinar to follow.”
**
DESPITE its on-field success, ticket prices across the Qatar World Cup were cheaper than for Russia 2018, The Pitch can reveal.
Average prices for tickets for the event on resale site Viagogo were seven per cent cheaper than four years ago, with buyers forking out an average $585.20 per ticket across the tournament.
This compares to $623.43 average paid out in 2018, and while the prices are not face value, they are a more accurate reflection of the demand amongst the wider non-stakeholder general public.
Irish customers of the reseller paid $329 for their tickets, down from the $387 they forked out for Russia – opting for fewer in-demand matches.
In an interview with The Pitch, managing director of Viagogo Cris Miller urged FIFA, UEFA and other sports including rugby to provide a more transparent process of selling tickets rather than delivering them directly to federation bodies.
Miller believes that the “unfair” distribution of admissions by governing bodies was one reason there were so many empty seats at key matches in Qatar.
“There are so many different allocations that are cut up (before general sale) - there are clubs, you have the federations, sponsors, coaches, players, you have family and friends, you have the venue allocation, travel companies, all done prior to the ‘On Sale’,” he explained.
“What’s unclear is exactly what (ticket volume) makes it to the ‘On Sale’.”
Miller also confirmed that Viagogo will not move its global headquarters from Limerick in the wake of increases in corporate tax for large companies here.
In 2014 Viagogo transformed part of the former Flextronics building in the Kilmurry Business Centre in Limerick into a 14,000 square feet, state-of-the-art Operations Centre which acts as its international customer services operation hub with 170 staff.
“It wouldn’t affect us,” said Miller.
“We chose Limerick and Ireland for a number of reasons. No 1, it had great access to talent and what our operational centre needs to do, it needs a level of ability that we felt Ireland, the University system, and what we could access there is very attractive to us.
“In addition to some of the monetary benefits that you get, (Irish) talent is critical for us, so that to us - ‘people’ - are the single-most important asset in the company and we wouldn’t change it because of some tax change.”
To mark what will be the highest profile year for Irish women in sport, some of the nation’s leading female athletes will kickstart 2023 with a celebration of their many achievements.
World Cup-bound Republic of Ireland stalwart Louise Quinn will join Hockey World Cup silver medalist and 100 cap heroine Roisin Upton, along with former MMA Champion Aisling Daly and Olympian basketballer Sarah Byrne for a star-studded night at Rascals Brewing Company in Inchicore, Dublin, on January 18.
The event, which is hosted by Off The Ball presenter – and talented Camogie player – Aisling O’Reilly, will see all money raised from the event going to Women’s Aid.
The evening of fun and informal celebration promises to be an insightful and entertaining chat with a look back at some historic and memorable moments in Irish sport, as well as a look to the future and what's in store for the Women’s football team at FIFA World Cup ’23.
Emma Devlin, co-founder and general manager of Rascals Brewing Company described the initiative as “a great tribute to all that has been achieved by our women in sport, on a national and international level”.
Tickets to the event are available at:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/mnawesome-celebrating-the-success-of-irish-women-in-sport-tickets-481831610317
