The pitch last night....

[Elite_Pie]

.... looked absolutely fantastic. I know it usually looks pretty good for the first game of the season but I've never seen a playing surface at Meadow Lane look that pristine. Interesting to see how it copes with the winter.

[Notts78]

Me n my young 'un watched the warm up and there was not a single mark left after. This pitch of ours looks good for lasting the season ahead.

[Steward]

And the gravel/stones have been removed from the cinder track.

[jacobncfc]

Anyone else noticed that the pitch seemed to have been narrowed fairly significantly?

Makes sense to be fair, we've got a relatively old team and a lack of really quick players, so having lots of wide open spaces doesn't really benefit us.

[Old_pie]

Anyone else noticed that the pitch seemed to have been narrowed fairly significantly?

I thought the plan was to widen it a touch? Did I misremember - thought not:


Alan Hardy‏Verified account @Bigalanh5 May 30

Alan Hardy Retweeted Jordannnn

Yep; 2 great wide men bombing down each touchline. Made the pitch wider for a reason 😂😜

Or is this another tweet to disregard? Don't know now.

[Elite_Pie]

Anyone else noticed that the pitch seemed to have been narrowed fairly significantly?

Now you mention it, the touchline on the DP side did appear to have been moved inwards a yard or two. Can't see the JS side too well, so I don't know if it's the same there.

[jacobncfc]

I thought the plan was to widen it a touch? Did I misremember - thought not:


Alan Hardy‏Verified account @Bigalanh5 May 30

Alan Hardy Retweeted Jordannnn

Yep; 2 great wide men bombing down each touchline. Made the pitch wider for a reason 😂😜

Or is this another tweet to disregard? Don't know now.

Haha, might well have been my eyes deceiving me, but i'd probably disregard it. He probably fell into the age old trap of thinking that a wider pitch is more conducive to attacking football, but thinking has changed on that over the last few years.

[countygump]

Now you mention it, the touchline on the DP side did appear to have been moved inwards a yard or two. Can't see the JS side too well, so I don't know if it's the same there.

It may be that the outside has been re-stoned and tidied up and I noticed some wooden edging boards on the pitch but it did look like they'd made the pitch smaller/ gap wider on the Pavis side.

[jonnyt1]

It may be that the outside has been re-stoned and tidied up and I noticed some wooden edging boards on the pitch but it did look like they'd made the pitch smaller/ gap wider on the Pavis side.

That makes sense as that's where the Sun doesn't shine in Winter and where the pitch really looks bad. That touchline strip is also the main reason games get called off through frost.

So probably a decent decision.

Meadow Lane is still a large surface.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

That makes sense as that's where the Sun doesn't shine in Winter and where the pitch really looks bad. That touchline strip is also the main reason games get called off through frost.

So probably a decent decision.

Meadow Lane is still a large surface.

I think it's sensible to move the pitch as close to the JS stand as possible, and if narrowing it also moves it away from the shade of the DP stand a metre or two then that could make a big difference to the issues that have blighted that part of the ground.

[freemuzzy]

Anyone else noticed that the pitch seemed to have been narrowed fairly significantly?

Makes sense to be fair, we've got a relatively old team and a lack of really quick players, so having lots of wide open spaces doesn't really benefit us.

Yep - remember Derry did exactly the same. Direct style of football = narrower pitch.

[Notts78]

Neither team on Wednesday struggled to create space out wide. So as pitches go I don't think it is as narrow as some think.