The Pitch

You can't have seen the state of the pitch on Friday, the drainage did its job. Its the surface and just below it thats the problem.

 

Unfortunately we were stuck between a rock and a hard place at the time. We had no choice but to take whatever was offered, due to the previous mismanagement of Richmond, Rhodes and others.

Of the two, could Gibbs have been the better owner? Clearly knows how to get the best out of a deal. Maybe he might buy the club back at the end of the lease, having earned a pretty penny for his family pension fund.

 

So is it down to our inability to grow a good playing surface, do we cut the grass too short, do we roll it too often ?.

 

It’s poor management once again. The last time Rhodes was in charge the pitch was neglected and it was a total embarrassment to the club. The hard work had been done in his absence and all he had to do was the maintenance and again he’s decided to ignore that and spend on players. We see the end result being similar to the last time he was here. It’s false economy. It’s ok having decent players but if they can’t play decent football on a decent pitch, what’s the point? Doesn’t he get embarrassed when meeting the other opposition board members on a match day?

 

If the money is put on the table the playing surface will improve. Want something doing? Do it right.

 

Grass is growing everywhere and has bee'n for weeks, our problem is we have none to grow, just bits that have survived. Saturday was a total disgrace for us as a professional football club and it won't do and it won't be long before the FA are on our case, can't someone tell Herr Rupp that we need a pitch for the team to play on.

 

If you looked close before the first game of the season it had a lack of grass on it. You wouldn't have necessarily noticed it if you sat far away but there were noticeable signs of a lack of grass. Not sure why McCall is wanting to speak about it come the end of the season, the plans should already be in place to lay a fit for purpose surface in the summer.

 

McCall has every right to want to speak about it now because it's a disgrace.

Clearly just relaying it in the summer isn't enough.

 

The drainage done two years ago did its job or the game would have been off. How many posters said before the game and indeed the Stevenage midweek game that there is no way the game will be played. We haven't had a single game called off due to the weather since the drainage was done in summer 2018 . The FA and EFL don't like games called off and us being the only one as was the case when our home game against MK Dons 2 years ago was called off in last minute and even Avenue were able to play. Unfortunately the surface was neglected at first by Rahic and last summer by Rhodes and hopefully this will be rectified.

 

The closed season the new drainage was put in there were areas in front of the Sunwin and in front of the Northwest stand that were bare and that was only a couple of weeks before the season kicked off, it was commented about it on here.

 

What do you want them to do then? Start relaying tomorrow? I'm pretty sure the club knows there's a problem, they see it every day.
And what's just relaying it isn't enough? What more do you want to do?

 

Well the pitch needs to relay the pitch twice a season at least.

It's a disgrace.

 

Do these new surfaces require different ways of treating it to get the best growing situation, it always makes me smile when many seem to think just relying a new surface will cure it, then you watch the post match comments with the experts and behind them you see 5/6 guys with what look like Lawn mowers .
I accept that is usually at Premier League games but do pitches need immediate attention after game or can it be left till the following day, be interesting to hear from someone who works in that field ( no pun intended).

 

Im presuming you mean club relay the pitch. I like you Fordy but sometimes I just can't take you seriously. Relay the pitch twice in a season? You right in your comment that the pitch is a disgrace, I'd like to think the club have it in hand but at this moment in time I couldn't be sure.
The work done on the pitch will be an accurate marker as to Ruoos commitment to the cause. It's clearly a problem and one that will take an investment to put right. Is. He willing to underwrite the cost of it? The income from cheap season tickets doesn't go far.

 

I'm guessing different scenarios require different maintenance schedules. I don't think there's any magical myth at play here, fact is we didn't spend the required amount in the summer to the benefit of a good surface. Get the experts in and let them get on with it, it's not rocket science.

 

Serious question..............

So what was all this about then and what more would they have to do....?

 

I think the problem is day to day week to week maintenance it may be just an area of grass but it needs constant maintenance which doesn't come cheap. A fair comparison is a bowling green which is an area around 40 yards square and to keep it in fair condition requires constant almost daily maintenance.

 

Don't want to talk about Rupp and Rhodes.

The pitch problem needs solving end of mate.

We don't own the stadium and as I have said I don't blame the owner for cutting corners but we can't have a mud bath ground every winter.

The cheapest why to solve the problem would be to relay the pitch twice a season.

 

he has to say it to build up the lack of support defense

 

Didn’t the grounds man win a trophy a couple of years ago