The Pitch

Oh, wasn't aware of that AB!

 

Didn't we get a company from Harrogate in the summer of 2018. They replaced all the drains and kept posting videos of the work. I think the drainage works otherwise we wouldn't have got the game on last night,but the pitch itself has been neglected and little work went into it last summer. Hence the state of it now.

 

Yeah and someone tweeted them to ask a question that I saw and they just denied all responsibility and they aren't officially tied to the club they can't comment or something.

 

100% agree. The drainage doesn't appear to be the problem now but laying seed instead of re-turfing when we have a pitch that struggles to get sunlight in some areas even in the height of summer, seems shortsighted to say the least.

 

Spot on, it's not rocket science is it, they seeded it and the birds got about 25% of it and it never gets time to mature. I saw the pitch about one week before the season started and there was bald patches all over, it never stood a chance it's not drainage it's lack of grass the main ingredient. Put as many lights on you like you can't turn mud into grass, there is no GRASS.

 

This is old but interesting - seems to cut the grass a lot:

https://www.pitchcare.com/news-media/bradford-city-bantams-wait-is-over.html

 

From what I have been told the Harrogate firm did the drainage and from the videos they took it looked like they did a good job. Then I think the pitch was done with help and advice from the people at St Ives Bingley. They seem to have a fixation with Fibre Sand, which is probably why large bare patches on the pitch resemble Blackpool beach.
We should ask Carlisle United for advice. On Boxing Day their pitch looked like it hadn't been played on! And that that area floods from time to time. Do they have a large budget for the playing area? I doubt it.

 

Social media, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram - those 'social diseases'?

 

Ive shamlessly nicked this off twitter, but it is in today's Athletic . Believe this would be from Richard Sutcliffe, Jr's pal

 

You can see at ground level that the pitch is now much more profiled for better drainage - real slope at the sides. Still the problem is that a proper long term solution means a new artificial/natural weave pitch and major drainage work. Minimum cost nearing £1 million pounds according to clubs who have recently had this done (e.g. Sheffield United). This is a big hit for fourth division team and why would you do it to improve someone else's asset?

 

And what's the legacy of that windfall? An enduring deficit, no assets of our own, League 2 football and a plodding squad with few, if any, saleable assets.

 

Their pitch would of been relayed

I don't think the current deal City are getting on the stadium will work for the next 10 years though.

The stadium needs vastly improving in areas like the toilets etc plus the pitch is a worry each season. Like @AJP says why should we cover the costs for someone else's asset then pay them rent.

We need to negotiate a better deal if we are to stay at VP.

 

You say better deal, what is our collateral in those discussions? Both parties need each other in this instance, its not like we've got anywhere else to go and we ain't ever gonna build a new ground. Gibb holds some of the better cards here in that we actually need a ground to play at and this is the only option.

 

I fully accept the Pension Fund has us over a barrel atm. However, we do need to find a way out or otherwise we will be condemned to occupying a stadium which we cannot upgrade as it is the equivalent of throwing money down the drain. We must be the only Tenant that has to upgrade and maintain our own property and pay rent. How much money have they made out of us over the years?

 

Whilst I very much agree with all you say Onside. You only have to look at Coventry City to see how issue's with a landlord could very quickly escalate, also the egg chasers from Odsal.

 

Surely the Ricoh is slightly different though? Doesn't it get used as a multi purpose venue and host music events? It's not like the landlord only has one revenue stream.

 

As much money as they can possibly make out of us, football is a business like any other and businesses are there to make money. City will obviously fight their corner and put their case across but s it stands Gibb calls the shots more than we do. What can we threaten him with? We're gonna go else where? As Lard arse mentioned Coventry tried that trick. Our plight is different to Cov in that Gibb needs us to pay the rent or he loses money as there is no there is no other use for the stadium bar scrap value and a pretty low land value.

 

Mismanagement of Coventry for years had led them to a position where they no bargaining power whatsoever for a stadium originally designated for them. Its clear Wasps and their owner couldn't care less whether they play there or not.