Omniturf

Omniturf is a sand-filled second-generation artificial turf, the first artificial surface to be used by an English Football League club. The first club to install this 'plastic grass' surface was Queens Park Rangers who installed the new pitch for the start of the 1981/82 season. Despite much publicity around the supposed unfair advantage the pitch would provide Rangers, they proceeded to lose the opening home Division Two match on the new surface by 1-2 against Luton Town.

The pitch did prove to be successful for Rangers though, as they reached the FA Cup Final in the 1981/82 season (as a 2nd Division club), and then won the (old) 2nd Division Championship the following season.

The innovation at Loftus Road brought mixed results, for while the ball ran smoothly enough over the hard surface, it was unpredictable when allowed to bounce. This caused confusion among defenders and goalkeepers in particular.

The Omniturf pitch lasted at Rangers' Loftus Road ground for seven seasons; the pitch was torn up at the end of the 1987/88 season.

Other Football League clubs which also laid similar artificial surfaces during the 1980s were Luton Town, Oldham Athletic, and Preston North End.

For American football, Omniturf was installed several college football stadiums in the United States. Its first major venue was Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon in Eugene in 1984. It had generally favorable results and installed a second field in 1991. Martin Stadium at Washington State University in Pullman switched to Omniturf in 1990, and used it for a decade.

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