A gift of an artificial grass football pitch to the school that made him who he is today. 

Marcus Rashford, the Manchester united player football player has been making the news with his influence and impact on the world today. Recent crusades have seen him take on the government against food poverty and literacy struggles for young people today. Becoming known as the ‘people’s PM’. But he wasn’t going to stop there… 

In October 2021 we worked on a super special project for the impressive individual, which saw him returning to where it all started. Giving back to the children again, but this time closer to home showing the children what can happen if your just dream BIG.  

In a recent partnership renewal with Nike, Rashford and the team at Nike set out to create and install an artificial grass football pitch at Button Lane Primary school. The home of Marcus Rashford MBE and we had the absolute pleasure of making this idea, a reality.  

How it came to be… 

It all started in Manchester where Marcus Rashford’s love for football began. He dreamt of becoming a world class footballer and never turned down an opportunity to play the game.  Whether it was down the park, on the tarmac, or even in a nice facility. The problem was that nice facilities weren’t always available; access was limited and there were only certain opportunities to play.  This is still a common issue these days for young people, dreaming of their sporting careers. That’s where the idea of creating a space for the kids to use without any restrictions during school time began. 

The idea was simple: give the kids a nice new facility to use any time they wanted to, so they could practice daily. Upon celebrating his 24th birthday, and partnership renewal with Nike the idea became a reality. There was no better way to mark this then collaborating with Nike to give the children of the Button Lane Primary the chance to hope and dream just like he did on that playground. 

Being a role model and using his platform to help others in similar situations has always been a goal of Rashford’s. This partnership opened the door to do just that: give kids access to the tools they need to reach their goals. Nike encouraged and supported Rashford on this challenge as they believe in him and the importance of equal opportunities for everyone. But knew that wasn’t going to be enough: they knew that if you want your dreams to come true, you need more than just space—you need inspiration. That’s why they created this beautiful inspirational mural on a wall facing the pitch, reminding everyone that anything is possible! It had empty bubbles for the children to records their dreams, and remind themselves daily of them, highlighting a young Marcus Rashford in the middle with his dream as a reality.  

Our part in the project… 

Rashford’s PR team & Nike contacted the office at Cheshire Artificial Grass, after hearing about us from a friend. They explain the idea and we were more than pleased to help and provide our expertise. The task was to install a MUGA over the existing tarmacked playground. Not your standard installation but nothing we couldn’t do.  

Firstly, we started preparing the area for the work; cleaning the area and creating drainage holes filled fine gravel. This was to ensure the quality and longevity of the installation. As we know British weather can be fairly wet… and the pitch was being laid over a tarmac, which can be slow to drain. The drainage holes help to speed up the water dispersal to make sure the pitch doesn’t suffer and get waterlogged in heavy rainfall. Then before we could get started on the grass, the fencing needed to go up.  This was to enclose the pitch to keep the activities within the space. For this we fitted a massive 84m of a 2m high twin mesh, green rebound, perimeter fence with an entrance on one side and two recessed goals at the ends.  

Once the fencing was up, the team had the perimeter of the pitch to work to. Making it a lot simpler for them to install the edging in a perfect rectangle. For this project we needed a different kind of edging from our usual timber or composite, to go on top of tarmac but provide the same affect. For this we supplied and installed a black 25mm high, HDPE plastic, perimeter edging to the inside of the fencing at floor level. This unique L-shaped edging allowed for a clean finish, concealing and securing all the different layers of the pitch’s surface.  

The next step was to ensure the safety of those using the area. For this, we supplied and laid a 10mm thick foam, shock pad over the prepped tarmac. By doing this we were able to comply with the school’s welfare requirements and create a soft surface to prevent serious accidents and injuries. 

Finally, it was time for the pitch to start looking like a pitch with a touch of greenery. Our team of experts installed a hefty 364sqm of a high quality 30mm pile, 4G multi use artificial turf. Along with white line markings to give functionality and aesthetics of a professional football pitch. This was all glued together a screwed into the edging making sure it wouldn’t move around when being played on. However, this was just any old artificial grass football pitch… we needed to add something special to mark the occasion. We did this by supplying and fitting black mats, customised with Marcus Rashford’s branding, to the entrance and the recessed goals. Giving the children another aspect to look at and be inspired when using the pitch.  

To finish the artificial grass football, pitch off and make it professional, we completed a fine sand infill. What this does is adds durability and texture to the grass, enhancing the longevity of the project as well and giving the balls a good surface to bounce on.  

The difference it has made…

Artificial grass is beneficial for both sports and children whether this be in your own back garden or in an establishment like Button Lane Primary School. Here are just a few we have found from our experience: 

• Continuous playtime – No matter what the weather is doing, the children can get out and play on the MUGA. This because there are no risks of mess as there is no mud, making it possible all year round.  
• Sustainable and durable – Artificial grass takes little to no time and effort to maintain unlike real turf. Also, due to the nature of the fibres, 4G artificial grass is super strong. Meaning that it will keep that just installed look, no matter how much the kids enjoy it. A great long-term investment! 
• Creating a healthy lifestyle – As MUGAs are used for a variety of sports, including football. Children are encouraged to get outside and play in the fresh air. Along with conducting in exercise and interacting with others.  

It was an absolute pleasure, to be a part of this amazing project for Button Lane Primary School. Many thanks to Nike and Marcus Rashford for allowing us to take part in this amazing opportunity. 

Have you got a similar project that need some artificial grass expertise? Get in touch with our team to see how we can help!