Fortuna Sittard invests in future

Fortuna Sittard, founded in 1968 after a merger between Sittardia and Fortuna 54, has a rich history. Based in the Limburg city of Sittard-Geleen, the first professional club experienced its glory days in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982, the team promoted to the Eredivisie, where it soon established itself as a solid mid-table player. 

After several years in the Eerste Divisie, Fortuna Sittard has been playing at the highest level in the Netherlands again since 2022. The club managed to maintain its place in the Eredivisie in the 2023-2024 season and looks to the future with optimism. Even behind the scenes, and more specifically on the pitch, a lot has changed in recent years, as head groundsman Roy Quadakkers testifies.

Focus on soil quality

“With a modest team of two people - Dennis and myself - we make sure that Fortuna Sittard's four pitches are in perfect condition,” Roy Quadakkers quips. “This is also necessary, because in addition to the training sessions, the first team and the women's team play about 40 matches. So the grass has to be able to take some. That's one of the reasons why we have built a completely new natural pitch in 2023. We then also immediately inserted the pitch heating a bit deeper. That way, the pricking will be a lot easier in the future. The drainage was also in dire need of a thorough update.”

“We reconstructed the pitch with the cooperation of Algrozo (Ivo Zoons) and Fert In Time (Philippe Debougnoux). Algrozo took care of the effective construction of the field and Fert In Time played an advisory role when it came to the construction of the soil. Think of the structure, subsequent fertilisation, prevention of diseases, ... To this end, soil samples are used that give a physical, biological and chemical picture of the soil - including water management. With both companies, we naturally had a real top team attached. Ideal for an ambitious tradition team like Fortuna Sittard.”

The right work at the right time

“It basically comes down to the fact that as a groundsman - every day! - do the right work at the right time. With the right products, such as slow-release fertilisers, for example, to get a beautiful, dense and healthy turf. We actually have a very clear example there of how important the puzzle of knowledge (products) and practice actually is. From something we experienced last year. We always cover our main square with a special tarpaulin. But after four days, we pulled that tarp away and saw that a quarter of the field was just gone. The still young grass of the new field had disappeared. This was due to Pythium, a fungus that infects plants when they are weakened by ‘adverse’ conditions. This means that the fungus mainly strikes when plants are given too much water, experience extreme temperatures and/or are under stress. Knowing then that you need to get the lawn back to optima forma in no time, I was glad to have Philippe from Fert In Time on speed dial!”

“I myself have only been here for 2.5 years, but I think we are definitely doing something right. As you may know, all professional pitches are thoroughly checked three times a year by SportLabs, commissioned by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), and we have already received a top score of 9 for our brand-new natural pitch each time. We can rightly be very proud of that,” concludes Roy Quadakkers.