The Main Pitch

[Keith B]

Purely to get an understanding, and not criticise anyone, especially the ground staff who do an excellent job in challenging circumstances.

 

I was taken slightly aback by the conditions of the pitch at last week's game against Barton Rovers, in that it has clearly taken a battering with the poor weather conditions. However, are we able to sustain a decent playing surface when subjecting it to home games for 5 teams (ATFC 1st, ATFC 2nds, ATFC U18's, ATFC Ladies, Staines Lammas, and the various local league finals)?

 

I don't pretend to be an expert, or question the Club's decisions, but would welcome any views on the demands put upon the pitch at the moment.

 

I know that finances are an important consideration, but I'd be happy to help sponsor water-wings for players and officials having to wade through the corner entrance/exit from the dressing rooms.

 

I also question the sense of the apparent 'League Rule' that the linesmen/women (don't try and get me to call them assistants, as they rarely do) always patrol the same part of the halfway lines, which means they are in danger of damaging their ankles as month-by-month they find themselves running in self-imposed sodden trenches. They must sometimes think they are yomping (if they are old enough to remember the Falklands War).

 

Let's hope we have a decent summer this year to help the pitch return to its' previous very good condition, under the careful and expert management of our ground-staff.

 

Rant over.

[Beano]

It's not a League Rule that assistants can not switch wings, it's a FIFA directive and may even be part of the Laws of the Game.

 

As for the pitch, it was fine until very recently and there was a weekend not too long ago when most other grounds were waterlogged yet there were three matches played at the RPS with minimal damage to the pitch. This has just been an exceptionally long spell of exceptionally bad weather.

 

However, you're right that a good summer would be very helpful!

[Keith B]

Gareth -

 

I appreciate the points you make, but I regret that we are forced to comply with a FIFA directive at our level. At park level, we often have spectator lines - I bet FIFA did not impose that, but it is a very good 'rule'. Is this directive supported by a certain Sepp Blatter who has consistently been in denial over racism and, until recently, the benefit of goal-line technology?

 

I have been to the RPS a few times since Christmas and the condition of the pitch has not been as good as in previous years, even if only because of poor weather. I will emphasise again that my post was not to make a criticism, just to encourage debate.

 

The pitch area entrance would benefit from something like scalpings or shredded bark, just to provide a less (and potentially dangerous) flooded surface.

 

Since my original post, I walked home across Bedfont Rec from Hatton Cross and their main pitch was being cut ahead of the weekend. It is in somewhat better condition and one of my initial points was whether we were playing too many games on ours - probably more than them, and whether finances were a factor.

 

I would like to see our Forum encourage stimulating debate, as I am sure you do.

 

The good news if anyone saw the surface that Championship Blackpool played on at Bloomfield Road last weekend, is that I wouldn't let my cows, or Pompey friends (if I had any) graze on that.

[fatboyatmfc]

It comes down to money. In my view Ben the groundsman has done a great job with the limited time we pay him to spend on the pitch. Beano is correct in that up until the last couple of months the pitch has played ok. I still think its ok seeing as its been played on sometimes 5 or six times a week. We need the revenue streams that the extra games produce, otherwise the pitch will be a meadow! As I said its Money..... Again!

[manurgrate]

The expression, you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear comes to mind.

 

I was quite shocked at the state of the pitch last Saturday as it seems to have detiorated very quickly.

 

Dan's right, of course, we do need to the money but am I right that we lost a few of the cup finals due to the state of the pitch at the end ofd last season?

 

By the way I would endorse others comments about the groundsman doing an excellent job in difficult circumstances.

[Keith B]

Guys -

 

I did go to great lengths to say that I was not criticising Ben's efforts at all and that we have had a prolonged period of poor weather.

 

But the pitch did remind me of when Woolfie (Steve Willmore) was doing his marauding in midfield when he played for us some 5+ years ago - despite Ben's excellent work. I hope if Ben reads this thread I have not dissed him, or Liam will be the first to bollock me!

 

I did also acknowledge that money (or the lack of it) was an important factor.

 

Maybe I'll think twice before raising a topic for discussion on the Forum next time!

[Beano]

Not at all, Keith. It was a question worth raising and I think all of the replies have attempted to address it in a reasonable manner. If there is a lack of debate, it might simply be because there is a consensus that there is little more that can be done given the constraints the club is under financially and the need to just get the season finished.

 

Steve makes a good point that the pitch has deteriorated rapidly, after generally coping well with everything the weather has thrown at it. That, I suspect, is a consequence of the large number of games played on it in relatively short order, coupled with a lack of drying weather. Had conditions been even a little better, I suspect the question might not have come up.

 

It was the season before last when we lost several cup finals, after the sprinkler system broke down as the weather turned warmer. That spring, the pitch was essentially a dust bowl and I think I'd rather have what we have now than that.