STRI Group

The FIFA World Cup™ officially began last night, with the world tuning in to see Mexico and South Africa kick off the tournament.

As part of the Elite Pitch Alliance, STRI Group played a central role the design of overlay pitch solutions including New York / New Jersey Stadium, Seattle Stadium and BC Place Vancouver Stadium all which are hosting matches over this weekend.

Every stadium has different climatic conditions, usage patterns, drainage requirements, sunlight levels and operational constraints. Designing surfaces that perform consistently across multiple venues requires detailed analysis and planning long before the first ball is kicked.

⚽ Read more on our involvement here: https://strigroup.com/fifa-world-cup-2026-with-elite-pitch-alliance-partnership/

Congratulations to Colin Lyons, General Manager of STRI Arabia, on being named as one of the Saudi 100 at FutureScape Global 2026.

The Saudi 100 recognises the influential leaders, innovators and decision-makers helping shape the future of Saudi Arabia’s environment, and we are delighted to see Colin’s contribution acknowledged amongst such a distinguished group of professionals.

This recognition is a testament to Colin’s dedication to advancing sustainable, innovative and high-performing environments that contribute to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions.

Congratulations, Colin, on this well-deserved achievement.

Work underway at Ewood Park

We’re delighted to be working alongside Blackburn Rovers Football Club to deliver a comprehensive design and build redevelopment of the pitch at Ewood Park.

The redevelopment will focus on improving long-term pitch resilience and sustainability, including upgrades to drainage, irrigation and soil profile performance to help the surface perform consistently under the demands of professional football.

Delivered in partnership with Carrick Construction, the project reflects STRI Group's end-to-end capability across sports surface diagnostics, design, construction and performance support.

Beyond matchdays, investment in high-quality sports infrastructure plays an important role in supporting clubs, their foundations and the wider community, helping create facilities that can deliver lasting value both on and off the pitch.

We look forward to sharing the progress as work progresses. Find out more here:

STRI Group appointed to deliver design and build redevelopment of Blackburn Rovers’ main pitch - STRI We are pleased to be supporting Blackburn Rovers with the full design and reconstruction of the stadium pitch at Ewood Park.

Every summer, the world attention of the world's tennis fans turns to the grass court season. As The Championships at Wimbledon approaches, we sat down with Sam Swires to find out where our team will be in the run up to the tournament, undertaking detailed testing and monitoring of court performance characteristics, helping provide valuable insights into how surfaces behave under elite-level play.

The preparation and dedication that goes into each tournament from grounds teams is incredible, and we wish everyone a fantastic season ahead. Find out more in our blog here:

Supporting elite grass court performance throughout the 2026 tennis season - STRI Every summer, the world’s tennis fans turn their attention to the grass court season. From the opening events in Birmingham and Ilkley through to The Championships at Wimbledon, the demands placed on elite grass courts are unlike any other surface in professional sport. Tight turnaround times, var...

Wishing all those celebrating around the world a joyful and peaceful Eid al-Adha.

May this special occasion bring happiness, good health and time to reflect with family, friends and communities. Eid Mubarak from everyone at STRI Group.

Last week we were delighted to take part in the inaugural community forum for the Port Vale Community Campus.

The session brought together local residents, Port Vale Foundation and club representatives, and a range of community stakeholders from across the city, including partners from the church and science in the city, alongside team STRI.

While the development is still in its early stages, the discussion focused on the long-term vision for the campus and the far-reaching benefits it will bring. The project includes improved sports pitches and padel courts, a community hub building, and wider enhancements to the park itself, including improvements to the landscape and biodiversity.

Those involved in the forum will now come together on a monthly basis to help shape future plans, ensuring the facilities are well used, protected, and maintained for generations to come.

Last week, Sarah Hosmer, Ian Anderson and Christian Spring have been in Newmarket conducting training surface assessments across The Jockey Club Estates’ horse racing training facilities. This work was part of the Horse Welfare Board Trainer Best Practice project alongside the British Horseracing Authority.

The team assessed an incredible 48 individual training surfaces, covering everything from turf and synthetic gallops to canter ovals and arenas - all while battling the famous Newmarket wind, sticky sand, tufty grass and even the occasional hailstorm.

The assessments included:
🐎 21 turf gallops
🐎 15 synthetic gallops
🐎 8 additional training surfaces
🐎 Visits to the British Racing School to assess their synthetic gallop, canter ovals and arenas

The work is part of the ongoing development of industry best practice guidance, helping to improve surface quality, safety and performance for both equine and human users.

The week in numbers:
• 48 surfaces tested
• 1,332 Clegg hammer drops
• 1,776 synthetic surface depth checks
• 168 soil cores and thatch depth measurements
• 80+ miles walked
• 1 hail/sleet storm weathered
• Waterproofs on/off: 18 times
• Strops/paddies/tantrums: 0
• Dinners cooked by Christian: 4
• Sandwiches made by Sarah: 8
• Lunches eaten by Ian: reportedly 0

A fantastic effort from the team and a great example of the specialist work being delivered across the equine sector.

Elite football pitches are under more pressure than ever before.

More matches. More non-football events. Heavier player loads. Tighter turnarounds. Higher aesthetic expectations. And all of it happening under increasing climate pressures.

Recent conversations around player injuries have once again brought pitch performance into the spotlight, but the reality is far more complex than simply blaming the surface.

In this latest opinion piece, Greg Whately, Principal Consultant explores how modern pitch management has evolved into a highly scientific balancing act - where maintenance windows, recovery time, stadium usage and environmental conditions all play a critical role in surface performance.

An interesting read for anyone involved in elite sport, stadium operations or sports surface management.

Why elite level football pitches are under more pressure than ever before - STRI Recent discussions surrounding injury trends in elite football continue to place the spotlight on pitch performance is debunked.

Construction has commenced on the new Vale Park Community Campus, marking a major milestone in the delivery of a £2.3 million government funded investment to enhance community sport and wellbeing facilities in Burslem.

STRI Group is leading the masterplanning and design work, with the Group's construction business, Carrick Construction, providing the build. Carrick has launched the first phase of works with completion of the overall project due in spring / summer 2027.

We caught up with Patrick Shanahan, Will Turner and Matt Hancock from Port Vale FC and Port Vale Foundation, and James Podesta, Development Director, to find out what this next phase means to them, and the community.

Watch them in action and find out more here: https://strigroup.com/construction-begins-vale-park-campus/