Polytan LigaGrass Pro at Eifgen Stadium, Wermelskirchen

The “Oldies” from Borussia Mönchengladbach attended the opening ceremony

As part of a comprehensive refurbishment, Eifgen Stadium in Wermelskirchen – located near Remscheid in the Bergisches Land region – received a modern synthetic turf as a replacement for the original natural grass. The condition was that no plastic granulate would be used in the base layer but sand instead. The chosen surface was our textured turf system LigaGrass Pro. The filament with its triangular cross-section ensures even better fiber stability and gives the turf more volume and structure. The BiColour design further enhances the natural look of the turf with a rich green. The CoolPlus feature reduces turf heating and is particularly effective in reflecting heat radiation in textured turf systems. For Wermelskirchen, our LigaGrass Pro turf system was installed as a sand-filled only variant, making it suitable for multifunctional use – something the football club SV 09/35 Wermelskirchen now appreciates during training and games. The 7,550 m² playing surface includes line markings for both adult and youth football matches. The field at Eifgen Stadium is surrounded by a red Rekortan M running track, known for its excellent acceleration and stride elasticity. It's also fast and features high damping and exceptional sports medicine properties, making it an ideal surface for professional athletes. This track has also been used in the stadium's new long jump facilities. At the grand opening of the new synthetic turf pitch in September 2019, a Wermelskirchen traditional team faced off against the Borussia Mönchengladbach Oldies in a thrilling football spectacle. Over 600 sports enthusiasts attended to witness the “Weisweiler-Elf” – named in honor of Hans “Hennes” Weisweiler, who coached the legendary “Foals” from 1964 to 1975, leading them to three German championships, and who later achieved success with Cologne, Barcelona, New York, and Zurich. The final score was 5:11, but no one in the audience seemed disappointed, as the Borussia players’ performances were simply captivating. Among the Borussia team were Hans-Jörg Criens, Peter Wynhoff, Jörg Neun, and former Bundesliga player Thomas Kastenmaier, who has played in football arenas worldwide. Tradition meets modernity – that would be Kastenmaier’s verdict on LigaGrass Pro: “We older players are not usually fans of synthetic turf. But this one is truly impressive.” Agreed. And even more impressive is the lasting pleasure Wermelskirchen will have with it.