Ambitious Oliver Deeming successfully executes his vision at FC Copenhagen

When Oliver Deeming moved to FC Copenhagen from the UK to become Head Groundsman, he never imagined he would be working in a stadium where no sunlight hits the pitch from October to February. Let alone that within 12 months he would be named both Employee of the Year and Colleague of the Year.

But Oliver grabbed the challenge with both hands - and also the chance to shape his own vision. Having worked at Tottenham Hotspur for several years, both at the stadium and at the training complex, he was ready for the next step. “The best thing about this role is that I get to set the strategy,” he says. “The pitch was very inconsistent for years. My first goal was to achieve stable quality. Then I could take steps towards sustainability: fewer chemicals, less fertilisers and less water consumption.”

Lighting plays a central role in that approach. With a sliding roof over the Parks Stadium, Oliver has to manage light and airflow carefully. “I try to keep the roof open as much as possible,” he explains. “If it's closed, the grass gets stressed. Fortunately, with nine LU440 HPS units and fans, we can create an artificial climate when needed.”

Always looking to improve, Oliver recently tested LED grow lights for the first time. “I had never worked with LED units before, so I wanted to see for myself if they could match HPS,” he says.”

He set up a direct comparison: one target area with LED, the other with HPS - both completely shaded during winter. “We were just coming out of winter break and neither area had had sunlight. An ideal time for a comparison.”

And the result? “We achieved 100% grass coverage in both target areas. That gave me confidence that LED is absolutely equivalent to HPS. I was genuinely impressed.”

For Oliver, the benefits of LED go beyond field quality. “Big clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City are switching completely to LED. That says a lot. And I've now seen it for myself.”

He is especially excited about the energy savings and control that LED offers. “With LED, we don't have to constantly turn on the heat. As a result, we avoid heat stress and save water and fertilisers - which also reduces costs.”

His verdict? “After this trial, I'm completely won over. I am 100% convinced. You achieve the same results, with more control and higher efficiency.”

From managing a pitch in one of Europe's coldest football environments to successfully testing new lighting technology - Oliver shows that experience, vision and innovation are a powerful whole.