MacLeod Pitch Cover System
Accelerating Natural Turf Recovery and Performance
The MacLeod Pitch Cover system provides our clients with a solution for full pitch reset and recovery, enabling natural turf to regenerate rapidly even in adverse weather and out-of-season conditions. By creating a controlled microclimate that stabilises temperature, manages moisture, and promotes active photosynthesis, the system effectively transforms the playing surface into a managed growth environment. This process accelerates plant recovery, enhances uniformity, and aids the restoration of surface performance to improved levels in a short period of time.
In partnership with clubs such as Northampton Rugby Football Club, Sports & Stadia Services continues to demonstrate the measurable benefits of the MacLeod Cover through independent testing and performance analysis—delivering uniform improvements in grass health.
Pitch Reset & Recovery
Franklins Gardens
Sports & Stadia Study Completed
Northampton Rugby Football Club, March 2025
Sports & Stadia completed a 12 pitch point analysis across the length of time the Macleod Cover was in operation using Labosport’s RedBox- outlined below. These readings were taken on the day of arrival (03/03/2025), mid study (06/03/2025) and post (11/03/2025).
How The Red Box Works:
Redbox captures key metrics such as NDVI, grass coverage, moisture content, and temperature. It uses an optoelectronic sensor to assess sward color and generate standardized turf health insights via NDVI. Redbox complies with FIFA’s NPS handbook. With Redbox, you can rely on reproducible results and an intuitive heat map to monitor surface performance over time.
Here’s how NDVI tests grass health:
The Science Behind It:
Chlorophyll Absorption:
Healthy, green vegetation contains chlorophyll, which strongly absorbs red light for photosynthesis.
Cellular Structure Reflection:
The internal cellular structure of healthy plants reflects a large portion of the near-infrared (NIR) light.
N.B. Pitch Position 5 was a divotted sanded area and therefore should be attributed as an anomaly.
These results indicate an average 20% increase in grass health across the WHOLE playing surface over a period of a week. The combination of maintained soil temperature with results including outside soil temp of 5C compared to underneath soil temp at 18C created an artificially hospitable microclimate on the playing surface to promote grass growth when otherwise dormant. The Co2 generated from burning is also utilised by the plant and expedites growth. These independent results prove the systems efficacy in providing consistent, universal and uniform improvement of pitch health due to the utilisation of the MacLeod Pitch Cover system.
Date: 03/03/2025
Date: 06/03/2025
Date: 11/03/2025
NDVI Improvement
20.00%
22.06%
32.08%
12.50%
-7.32%
10.67%
24.56%
33.33%
29.51%
25.00%
24.59%
21.67%
20.72%
Dormancy to Active Growth
Date: 03/03/2025
Uniform Growth
Date: 06/03/2025
Consistent Growth
Date: 11/03/2025
Pitch Reset & Recovery
Worcestershire CCC
Worcestershire CCC- From Seed to Surface
How the MacLeod Cover Created Growth in Dormant Conditions
During February and early March — a time when ground temperatures across the UK typically halt seed germination — the MacLeod Cover System at Worcester proved its ability to artificially cultivate a growing environment from seed to full grass emergence.
Redbox data revealed a consistent 8–10°C increase in soil temperature beneath the cover compared to ambient outside conditions.
While outside air hovered around 1°C — well below germination thresholds — the covered environment sustained air temperatures of 12–16°C and soil temperature around 9–10°C, creating the exact microclimate needed for root initiation and shoot emergence.
Date: 19/02/2025
Date: 26/02/2025
Date: 07/03/2025
NDVI Improvement
106.1%
123.5%
82.1%
57.7%
37.7%
81.0%
114.3%
148.1%
148.3%
150.0%
74.5%
108.3%
102.6%
Dormancy to Active Growth
Date: 19/02/2025
Uniform Growth
Date: 26/02/2025
Consistent Growth
Date: 07/03/2025
Increase Control.
Derisk Postponements.
Improve Playing Conditions.
Find out more about our innovative pitch and event safeguarding services.
Our Services
Governing Body Protection
Delivering tailored retained services
Sports & Stadia’s proven approach combines data-led preparation, specialist systems, and elite operational delivery.
Tournament Protection
Weather Risk Mitigation for Tournaments
Safeguarding tournaments irrespective of geography, venue, location or pitch profile.
Ad-Hoc Protection
Weather Risk Mitigation
Expert protection for ad-hoc fixtures or one-off events.
Pitch R&R
Powering your Growth
Fast, efficient deployment of large frost covers with reduced labour, making protection simple and reliable.
