Polytan LigaTurf RS Pro for Hammarby IF from Stockholm

Artificial turf as the only training option

When football arrived in Sweden in the late 19th century, it faced challenges in gaining popularity. Ice hockey, handball, and bandy—considered the predecessor of modern ice hockey—were the favored sports. In its early days, Swedish footballers played a hybrid game resembling a mix of football and rugby, dubbed 'Swedish football,' which likely had a rough-and-tumble nature.Today, football is among the most popular sports in Sweden with a rich tradition. Legendary is the 1958 World Cup final held on home soil, where Sweden was defeated 2-5 by Brazil. It marked Brazil’s only World Cup triumph on European soil to date, and a then-17-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, scored twice to make history.Fotbollsallsvenskan is Sweden’s premier league, now competitive at European levels. Swedish players are highly sought after and play in leagues worldwide. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the most prominent contemporary example, while Ronnie Hellström was once among the world’s best goalkeepers and nearly denied Germany's path to the 1974 World Cup final – and eventual victory.Hellström, later celebrated as a hero in Kaiserslautern’s Betzenberg, started his career with Hammarby IF from Stockholm. Founded in 1889, the club has a history of financial struggles, frequent relegations, and promotions, which has led to continuous reinvention—a fact that doesn’t bother their fans. On the contrary, Hammarby’s support base is one of the largest and most active in Sweden, holding the highest average attendance in the league for years. Their persistence finally paid off in 2001 with their first and only championship, following in the footsteps of their women’s team, which had claimed the Swedish title back in 1985.The Årsta IP training facility serves as the home ground for Hammarby IF, providing daily use of our installed LigaTurf RS Pro artificial turf field for all age groups, from eight-year-olds to senior players. This surface, filled with sand and TPE, delivers excellent performance characteristics and exceptional durability thanks to smart yarn design and exclusive material formulation. During the replacement of the old artificial turf in October 2019, the stakeholders prioritized creating a fast and precise playing surface akin to Hammarby’s home arena, the Tele2 Arena.Polytan first carried out minor repairs on the existing elastic layer, which didn’t require replacement. Simultaneously, new drainage systems were installed to collect and dispose of granules from the surface. The asphalt edge around the field was extended to facilitate better granule removal. Additionally, parts of the irrigation system were updated to enhance field watering during the renovation. Polytan executed the installation process efficiently and on schedule, minimizing training interruptions, as the artificial turf is Hammarby’s sole training option.The Årsta IP surface offers a natural grass feel with ball rebound characteristics that match those of the home arena. To maintain these high standards, the field is brushed and cleaned one to three times a week, depending on usage frequency. The field has been certified as FIFA Quality Pro. We wish you Lycka till!