In 2012, a full-size football pitch was created in a plantation of spruce near the Scottish border town of Selkirk1‘Forest Pitch by Craig Coulthard’. 2022. Forest Pitch <http://www.forestpitch.org/> [accessed 31 October 2022].
Trees were felled and the timber used to make the goal posts, crowd barriers, benches, and changing rooms. The pitch had been carefully tendered.
For just one day, four teams of amateur players — two men and two women —comprising mostly recent British citizens or those who had Leave to Remain, played in front of a ‘gate’ of 500 spectators. The games were broadcast live on the internet. Some of the players had never played football before. See here for a video of the games.
The games were part of the London 2012 Festival.
Afterwards 800 native trees were planted along the white lines of the pitch and nature left to take back the area. A living sculpture called Forest Pitch.
Alas, many of the trees have not survived, particularly the ones along the centre line, and ‘hallowed’ turf is reverting back to a Scottish bog.
- 1‘Forest Pitch by Craig Coulthard’. 2022. Forest Pitch <http://www.forestpitch.org/> [accessed 31 October 2022]
Leave a Reply