TORONTO – Toronto FC aren’t asking their fans to bring a snow shovel to Saturday’s home opener – yet.
A freak blizzard hit the Toronto area on Wednesday, dumping more than seven inches of snow in parts of the Greater Toronto Area. BMO Field was not spared and a coating of white could still be seen on the pitch as of Thursday morning.
No worries, says director of business Paul Beirne. So long as there is no more snow between now and game time, the pitch should be in top condition.
“The $3 million we invested in the pitch allows the snow to melt from the ground up,” Beirne said around noon ET on Thursday. “The pitch is actually warmer than the air right now.”
The system is designed to let the sun do most of the heavy lifting. When workers physically remove the snow, it can pack down the bottom layer and create problems with ice. With sunny skies forecasted until Saturday, Beirne says the pitch should be a lush green come 2 pm ET on Saturday.
The game will mark the earliest home start date for TFC. The previous benchmark was in 2009, when the Reds played Seattle on April 4. According to Beirne, Toronto would ideally like to hold their home opener later in the season.
“We’d prefer to play two to three weeks on the road,” Beirne said. “From both a fan comfort level and a safety level, that would be ideal.”
Beirne points out that BMO Field isn’t winterized and having the stadium open in cold months can cause issues with the plumbing.
Competitively, playing that many games on the road to start the season would put TFC at a disadvantage, however, Beirne says that’s why the business and stadium operations side of the club look to compromise on the home opener date.
“It’s about finding the right balance,” he said.
