Most liked posts in thread: The Pitch…..what can be done about it?

Thanks a bunch Rod, but I'll do my best...again!
My boss at the time had a saying "I will give you an explanation, if you don't understand, say so and I'll explain again. If I have to explain a third time I've got the wrong person". In the case of this subject I must have posted answers or clarifications over 10 times on this site or C&B and yet still the same people come up with the same ill informed comments or the same questions already answered. I will leave it to them as to whether they fall into my old boss's category.
First some general points. Bradford is the 7th wettest city in the country, it almost has its own micro climate which is why historically the wool industry thrived here, damp atmosphere helped production just as East Lancashire helped cotton. Turning to last week, on Friday Bradford had the most rain in the Yorkshire and Humber region, Saturdays figures are not out at the time of typing this but going home around 3.00 yesterday roads were torrenting water in Bradford and beyond.
Second general points on the pitch. You are right, in 2018 the drainage was relayed, including punching through the much mentioned retaining wall which had acted as a block to free drainage. This work (as mentioned in another of my posts) was designed and supervised by a former STRI consultant who was responsible for the World Cup pitch preparartion of all the pitches in Russia, I suggest he is not an amatuer, dabbling. One bedded in the work resulted in VP having Highly Commended status for the pitch in Season 21/22 and placed 3rd last season 22/23. Some on here have had the good grace to mention the improvement. These placeings are based on marks from both Refs and visiting Managers. This season, as recent as Boxing Day the pitch got special comment on its condition and playing quality from the Ref and, as above the Barrow Manager said apart from the grass the pitch played very well against Wycombe. They can't all be wrong, A far cry from many years in my life when the pitch was a diamond of soil from October with a green bit in four corners.
3/4/5G pitches are not allowed in England, non runner and both Harrogate and Sutton had to tear theirs up on promotion in favour of grass.
Undersoil heating is for PL Clubs or those who have been in PL at some time. Very expensive and doesn't dry out pitches as some on here seem to believe in some sort of fantasy world.
Pitches these days are hardly ever returfed, exception being some goal mouths at some Clubs. Equally reseeding existing surfaces is not done either. The end of season process is to Korrow the surface to remove existing grass and routes plus any 'rubbish' such as weed, apply new fibre sand, in our case 250/300 tonnes, re-grade and seed. Some on here have suggested the time frame doesn't allow root growth. We are dealing with a specific type of seed here not something in a bag from B&Q. Further, if there is no root growth to anchor the grass can someone explain why the grass is still in place with little wear months into the season, clearly ill informed and nonsense conclusion by some.
Turning to air rollers, we have a type which we got from Manchester City from memory around 2018. The prevoious covers were heavy and needed a team to move. Their weight drew water to the surface as we saw in 2015 (Sunderland at home F.A. Cup). These covers are light, frost protection to -4/-5C and are commonly used, giving some rain protection but not the main function.
Finally, yes there is a balloon type tent protection, not commonly used but it has been researched in the last couple of years. The issue is cost, both capital and running. I am guessing but think the former is around £250 k, don't hold me to it, memory vague.
Finally to the current situation. The pitch was fine up to and including Boxing Day. That morning I called Mick Doyle in fear of the heavy rain and all was fine as we saw, at least those of us who go rather than those who throw stones from their armchair!!. I've heard Mick's comments about the Liverpool game but for me the Stockport game dis the damage with the massive attempt to get the game on using suction rollers and leaving the pitch as we see it now. The pitch played well as it did against Wycombe, just looks bad and will until the grass starts to come back.

I hope that helps but I won't be repaeting any in the future, as my old boss said.......

 

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

 

As informative and interesting as your post is, I also find it extremely patronising and condescending. Several times you mock what the majority of fans are putting:

“the same people come up with the same ill informed comments”

“some on here seem to believe in some sort of fantasy world”

“Some on here have suggested the time frame doesn't allow root growth. We are dealing with a specific type of seed here not something in a bag from B&Q”

“clearly ill informed and nonsense conclusion by some”

“those who throw stones from their armchair”


An extremely small percentage of football fans know anything whatsoever about grass, soil, etc, and given the club communications to the fans regarding any matters whatsoever - including the issues with the pitch and the plan to remedy it - are as rare as rocking horse shit, then of course people are going to assume aren’t they!

 

It was a perfectly genuine question Kev and no dig at anyone except a tongue in cheek comment about sparks in my last sentence. All I was asking was do we still have the wheel along lights to help grass grow

no idea what your point is, or why you are trying to have an argument. It’s Friday, I am enjoying my 3 day weekend and really cannot be arsed biting over feck all

 

Exactly, and what about the cost to us mugs, had to stay in the pub that long yesterday I nearly had to get a round in ...!!

 

Have I logged on to gardeners weekly?

 

This is our pitch on Boxing Day and it looks superb, a few days later we played Stockport in torrential rain and it’s cost us dearly.

 

I did ask representative of Shipley Bantams but he declined to comment.......

 

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

 

Anyone suggesting the fans chip in want their heads testing

 

One way or another this problem needs sorting out. Not a good look for a professional sporting outfit.

 

As far as I’m aware there were no postponements due to waterlogged pitch between the work in summer 2018 and the start of this year. So that’s 6.5 years of the groundworks functioning effectively, despite wetter winters in recent years than previously. And throughout that time, as @wetherbywhaler has said, our pitch has been consistently commended for its top quality condition.
This winter, and February in particular, has been as wet, if not wetter, than any I can remember since moving to Bradford in 1980. The question is, is this an exceptional situation that will only arise once or twice a decade (in which case it’s probably not worth investing mega bucks to remedy) or is this going to become the new norm?
I can see why the club might baulk at spending millions on a PL/Championship grade pitch for a ground it doesn’t own. But @Bigrod ‘s suggestion of inflatable covers that can be used on an occasional basis during very heavy rain spells seems like something the club ought to be investigating, for a comparatively modest cost.

 

Looking at Youtube videos of the Morecambe game which was on boxing day the pitch was fine. The game against Stockport should never had gone ahead, thats the turning point which totally ruined the pitch. It was worse on that day than it was for the Salford postponement. Clearly the club put a full away end cash income over the long term prospects of the the pitch, because if that were a game against say Crewe who would have only brought a few hundred, it would have been called off before 4pm.

 

Commented on this several times. Desso which is a mixture of real grass and some fibres, most if not all PL clubs have it, several Championship and the odd other such as Tranmere which I believe may have been part financed as one of the Liverpool clubs plays games there.
Very expensive to install and maintain, anything between £800k and £1 mil although there is a cheaper version, just, at around £700k I believe.

 

Work on the pitch starts Monday after Newport game which is earlier than last season due to Carlisle play off game

 

I see pictures of the pitch are doing the rounds on the football media and aggregator sites. Bit of a laughing stock really aren't we?

 

We're not really a professional sporting outfit though are we....