Borussia Dortmund Uses 'Artificial Sun' To Keep Field In Top Condition

Bathed in an "eerie yellow glow," the field at Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park is receiving some "tender loving care" ahead of the resumption of the Bundesliga season, according to Adam Shergold of the London DAILY MAIL. The strange light is the result of a hi-tech "artificial sun" lighting system used by the team to keep its pitch in top condition. With the stadium capacity a massive 80,645 for league matches, the tall stands block out natural sunlight, meaning "the pitch can easily become dry and patchy." For the past two years, Dortmund has hired Dutch company Stadium Grow Lighting to construct a "portable grid of powerful lamps above the turf in between matches to ensure the grass gets all the necessary nutrients." It has created a "pristine surface." It is a similar situation at many of the 80-odd football clubs across Europe that use SGL's technology, with pitches today representing a "vast improvement on a decade or two ago" (DAILY MAIL, 1/8).