The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Notts County Tuesday 19th March @ 7.45 (Rearranged)

Pretty sure Paul Hudson said recently that Feb 24 was the wettest Feb ever with 10x the expected rainfall coming in the first half of the month alone.

 

Without us all going in circles yet again on this matter, it really isn't as simple as that kev. The weather is generally the same in each area and other teams pitches are fine. Even bloody sunday league pitches are ok to play on

The REALLY simple thing about all this - is complete lack of investment. As I have said a few times already, there aren't many things in life that won't break if it hasn't had investment for several years

 

I think you will find Steve that the current regime whom you detest have invested far more in the pitch than the previous regime.

 

Weather and match day frequency and timing created the pitch issues not a lack of investment . Local area geography , terrain , and substrate means that the investment you desire would likely mean the pitch totally excavating below the existing stand and terrace foundations. Remember it’s built on a hill side and rock. ( Old quarries ) . Yes it’s going round in circles because a full understanding of what is required and the likely costs incurred just isn’t there Steve, sorry.

 

Whom I detest? Well if I do, it is with good reason. And I certainly aren't on my own am I , given the grumbling of the majority of the fan base

In any case, I don't really care about what the previous owners spent, they have been and gone and gave us some of our best memories supporting this club. To even try and mention them in the same sentence as Rupp, Sparks et al is tantamount to sacrilege. Quite frankly, they aren't fit to lace their boots

My point is simple - there has been zero investment since the pitch drainage was done 6 years ago. I really don't know why you are finding it difficult to comprehend this

 

No need to apologise, we will just have to agree to disagree then Kev, because without investment then it is 100% impossible to improve the pitch. Even clubs that play abroad in fine weather still have to spend some money keeping the pitch playable. People have to stop defending the owners on this matter, because it is an embarrassment to be a fan associated with it

Rupp has plenty of dough, Sparks said we are sustainable and make money - why is there no investment

 

Clearly dough hes no longer willing to part with . Any investment is risk V reward. Saving the odd home game a season in L2 isn’t worth the huge investment required . Especially as it’s not within our ownership. I don’t like it , you don’t like it but we are where we are. I’d rather see it spent on the squad …..

 

Put simply Steve, Rupp doesn’t want to risk his own money on an investment that went sour on him. I totally agree and it is not sustainable for any length of time.

In terms of the pitch, nobody in them right mind would put a football pitch where VP is today, and I doubt it was a sane decision when they first decided to play rugby then football. We are 2/3rds down a hill into the Valley bottom. Water runs down hill, which wouldn’t be so bad if it flowed straight under the pitch. Drains were built under the Midland Road during our PL days which was supposed to be just that allowing the water to flow under us. My guess is they have not been checked for a very long time, it requires a camera down to see if there is any blockages, but it is an expensive investigation. Then we have the surface drains which have worked well up until the damage done to the pitch this year by playing in frosty weather, then followed by excessive rain. The surface drain are probably not working due to impacted sand and soil.

It is no good the club standing by the pitch and wringing their hands and blaming the weather, MITIGATION is the key word here. Whatever the climate throws at us we are a business and we have to conduct our business we can’t just down tools because of the weather, we have to find a solution. Other clubs are going to start complaining if they have to play on a sub standard pitch or the game is off. We might also start getting heat from the EFL!

 

I’m finding it difficult because it’s not true what you say. Every summer under Sparks the pitch has been dug up , ask @wetherbywhaler and until this season the pitch has been good. I know you love Lawn and all he did with cup runs but their neglect of the pitch attracts no criticism from you.

 

Presumably because we had six and a half seasons of a highly commended pitch and no postponements for rain. So, whatever routine maintenance they were doing since 2018 was clearly working well until we had two games on it in adverse conditions that should probably not have been played, followed by the wettest February since records began.

Not sure what extra investment you think they should have been doing to improve on what was done in 2018.

My understanding, directly from the international pitch expert who did the spec for the 2018 work, is that the groundsman appears to have been doing an excellent job of maintaining the pitch in line with accepted best practice, since 2018.

Having said that, I do know that the company who set the 2018 spec was not used by the club to actually do the work. They got another company in who did it cheaper. I’m not saying they did a cowboy job - apparently not, since it has lasted well until recent exceptional conditions - but it does raise doubts in the mind.

 

Rupp has plenty of assets , that's not hard cash. I could sell my business , house and cash in my pension fund and do an amazing job on the pitch. No guarantee of any better returns though . I would just have to live in a tent at foster square.
It appears lots of events have impinged on the pitch in the past 12 months.
Since the drains were re done a few years back, its not been that bad. if it was me, i would have those drains inspected before next season and any work on the pitch.

 

You make a great point, who in their right mind a hundred plus years ago thought 'you know what, let's build a stadium on the side of a hill'.?

 

Not sure if you have me confused with someone else, but I don't love Lawn and I certainly didn't love Rhodes. But we progressed under them, we have REGRESSED under Rupp and Sparks. You cannot deny otherwise

 

The voice of common sense…..

 

Because it was low rent, low value ex quarry and railway land , aka CHEAP .
Absolutely no different to 2024. Those who think otherwise can buy my house…for that pie in the sky valuation that keeps being chuntered about.

 

Might have made some sense 100 years ago, I guess it sums Bradford up as a whole, no one would build a city in this geographical location in this day and age, it has no commercial benefit whatsoever.

 

So sad, but true ...

 

Pretty much sums the place up. Not one defining feature that I'd miss if I left.