From the archive: ‘The Silicon Valley of turf’: how the UK’s pursuit of the perfect pitch changed football – podcast | News

We’ve scoured the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classics from years gone by, with new introductions from the authors.

This week, from 2021: They looked like swamps, ice rinks, or dust bowls, depending on the time of year. But when big money came into football, pristine pitches became crucial to the sport’s image – and keepers became stars. By William Ralston

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