VfB Lübeck's pitch heating system fails: game canceled due to frost!

VfB Lübeck's pitch heating system fails: game canceled due to frost!

The regional league game between VfB Lübeck and VfB Oldenburg had to be canceled on November 22, 2025 due to ground frost. The ongoing sub-zero temperatures had created a playing surface that was declared “unplayable”. Dangerous areas of ice formed, particularly in the shady area of ​​the Alte Holze, which increased the risk of injury for the players. This marks the first weather-related game cancellation this season for VfB Lübeck, which is in a financially strained situation and did not use the pitch heating in the summer due to high costs [ln-online.de].

The operating costs of lawn heating should not be underestimated. Around 3,000 euros per month for the network fee adds up to 36,000 euros per year, plus the variable costs for actual consumption. A decision that the club management made in August with the economic conditions in mind, as pitch heating is not mandatory in the lower leagues.

A good hand or good planning?

VfB Lübeck's pitch heating, which has been in place since 2021, could become even more important in the coming season. From the 2024/2025 season, the German Football Association (DFB) will stipulate that lawn heating systems must be powered by renewable energy and that thermal insulation under the heating pipes is also required. The company rasenplan.com offers solutions that are unique in Europe. Their innovative systems use groundwater or air heat pumps to reduce flow temperatures to a sustainable level of 10 to 12 degrees, making the expansion of conventional heating systems obsolete.

Another plus point: the energy-saving lawn heaters pay for themselves quickly – in just two years compared to traditional systems. When installing conventional lawn heating, there are also high costs for insulation, which can be saved with modern technology. A new building with energy-saving lawn heating costs around 250,000 euros, while conventional systems cost significantly more and also promise annual energy savings of at least 80 percent.

The future of football in Lübeck

So what’s next for VfB Lübeck? The tickets that have already been purchased for the canceled game remain valid for the rescheduled date set later, while the tickets can also be returned. For the future, it is to be hoped that the club will find ways to both hold the games as scheduled and to master the challenges of renewable energy in the installation and use of lawn heating. A good hand in financial planning could set the course for sporting success, in keeping with the spirit of the traditional club, which is determined to assert itself in regional football.