The Pitch…..what can be done about it?

Irrespective of your thoughts of him as a player or captain, the fact remains, the pitch is a disgrace and the laughing stock of the league.

Hardly a good advert for attracting decent players this summer

 

Yes I totally agree with you. I am fed up of various friends & family taking the piss week after week. But I cannot stand these media soundbites from various players following a crap result, especially when they blurb out an inconsistent statement like Smallwood has done this week. We played great against Wycombe, and pumped MK 4 nil a week or so before, plus the Sutton win. Didn't see any players bitching about the pitch then

And as for attracting players in the summer, our basket case running of the club will firmly put paid to that

 

Yet, rewind back to December when it was clear the pitch wouldn’t withstand heavy rainfall and the Salford game was postponed, there were fans on here defending it saying we can’t help the rain.
No we can’t, but it rains everywhere else too in the UK.
We won’t attract good footballers in the summer if they know what the pitch will be like through the winter.
We need to know what the club intends to do about it?

 

I have just read the Smallwood interview and to be fair to him he said it was a small part of playing football. He said the ball didn’t bounce. However, what did alarm me was the psychological impact it appears to have on the players ie planning. Getting ready for the match as they set off from home. Not knowing whether they would be playing or not! We are the same a lot of fans just gave up on attending as they didn’t know whether to go to the expense of travelling and investing in the emotion of wanting the team to win, and all the other stuff that goes through your head before a match. You only have to look at the pitch to be worried about it playing up. No matter how much we try to excuse it away, we can’t, the grounds staff have done an incredible job, but they are not miracle workers. They are providing the best playing surface they can given the cards they have been dealt. However, I did notice the pitch did look greener, so the grass has started to grow.

We just have to find a solution to our pitch problems, that can only be done by experts, we cannot stop the rain, but we can mitigate against it damaging the pitch. Starting with a full investigation into the problems that have occurred and suggestions on how to solve the problem. No half measures. Plus you could make any investigation report available to fans, now wouldn’t that be novel?

 

The pitch for me is yet another lame arse excuse this sort of shit has gone on for years now even with a decent playing surface.

We are fooking mentally weak the end no doubt we will turn up Saturday and no doubt turn up when the seasons all but over.

Honestly please dont get suckered in by this shit anymore these lot aint worth wasting Saturday afternoons on anymore they simply dont care and the other night proved that no fooking leaders no nothing.

 

Are they still using those big halogen lights that are fastened to a gantry on wheels? Apparently they were previously used on a weed farm or something, and the police confiscated before they came to us. Knowing Sparks, he's probably banned them due to the cost of electricity!

 

Indeed the pitch is a disgrace.
Interesting comments by Smallwood regarding this.
Don't be bleating about it, telling us that players whilst preparing for the game don't know if its on or off.
Ok, it would be much better to have a bowling green to play on, but as it isn't, then it should be used to our advantage.
Opposition travelling much further, don't know either if its on or not, hence affecting their preparation.
When I played amateur football, I much preferred a good pitch, however if we were playing a cup game against a side higher up the pyramid, I loved a boggy heavy pitch, a great leveller and time to get blood on your boots.
The first tackle on Tuesday night in the bog should set the standard against all visiting teams, not only do the opposition not want to play on it, they don't want smartening up on it. Make it welcome to hell, make it intimidating
Then when the pitch is back to a playable state, change tactics accordingly.
Its psychological, don't complain about it, use it to our advantage.
Not pretty but it'll get points on the board.

 

Genuinely, I think what Smallwood has said is just one part of the psychological make-up of the players when playing at home. When we're playing a big team/higher division (Wrexham/Wycombe/Stockport) they just focus on getting up for that challenge and tend to perform alright. When it's a little/poor team (FGR/Donny etc.) they assume they are going to win, mentally slack-off, and then things like the pitch etc. creep into their thoughts.

If GA really wants to fix the issue of playing at home I suggest he hires a sports psychologist to work with the players as clearly something in the players' mentality isn't right.

 

Smallwood shouldn't be saying these things publicly. Internally, by all means, because the pitch is a laughing stock. But its the same for both teams, and our shocking home record has been an issue for the last few years, even when the pitch was decent.

Weak mentality.

 

I agree it has been going on for years. So what exactly is the problem? If it affects different players and different teams, what the he’ll is it? I also agree we need a sports psychologist and fast!

Allowing teams without our resources come to VP and waltz off with 3 points is a something we have been doing for years. Why is that?

 

Just another frustrating interview from a player on his way out.
Perhaps Mr Smallwood would like to tell us how he intends to beat the first man from a corner that his something he could put right and leave the pitch condition to those who make a living in that profession.

 

Just seen Leeds's pitch today. They have at least 10/12 lights that look to be growing grass.

 

Yeah Sparks probably flogged them ours for a bacon butty and packet of crisps

 

They will have received over £100 million for getting relegated last season, it helps a little bit.

 

Answered this previously Steve. We have two full rigs and have had for the last few seasons

 

They also have a Desso pitch and under soil heating as far as I know

 

What do the other 23 league 2 clubs have that all have a bowling green pitch compared to ours?

 

Train at a school through the week then playing on a shite pitch on match days!

No wonder we are a poor side!

 

I see we've called in an expert now.

 

Go help Fordy washing cars instead then. We'll let you know if and when things improve.