Pitch Perfect - NOT

[frogpole]

Anyone know the reason as to why our pitch is in such a poor condition?

If it is because it keeps freezing, can't we invest in some undersoil heating ?

If it is because of lack of light, can't we invest in some UV lighting system ?

Reaseheath has a horticultural college - can't we ask them for some advice

[Wartman]

Anyone know the reason as to why our pitch is in such a poor condition?

If it is because it keeps freezing, can't we invest in some undersoil heating ?

If it is because of lack of light, can't we invest in some UV lighting

Reaseheath has a horticultural college - can't we ask them for some advice

Reaseheath needs to be houses and damn quick and rid us of the crap we have to put up with at Gresty Road.

As for the pitch it sums up the club really. We don’t need a decent pitch as we have nobody decent to play on it other than over hyped kids and cheap mercenaries who are capable of playing a couple of games before being injured we have invested in a recruitment team and hamstrung them with a peasants budget. We put a poor squad together and give them an even worse management team albeit cheap to try and compete with. The clubs days are numbered and will not be a football league club in the coming years unless we change we need major investment period.

[gazan]

Considering how crap the Gresty Road pitch is, what kind of surface does the team train on at Reaseheath? There's no point running through a series of practice moves on a laser flat pitch when come match day you're playing on a ploughed up sandpit! The club can no longer use the South Stand casting a shadow as an excuse as the camera from the Pop Side reveals the poor condition prevails across most areas of the pitch.
A decision has to be made about investment in the pitch, otherwise investment in facilities at Reaseheath are pointless. ( yeah, yeah, I know what's coming!&#128580

[frogpole]

The point I was trying to make about reaseheath is that the horticultural college will have the necessary expertise to improve the pitch - just seems odd that no advice appears to have requested when they are 'on the doorstep' ??

[whosbrianwilson]

To think that the club are not being advised on the problem is just plain stupid. I'm sure they are doing everything possible to improve the mess, but the bottom line is that all the advice cannot be put into practice until May

[MeForCrewe]

There is always a turning point every season when it deteriorates badly. The obvious causes are the weather, temperature, etc. but I have noticed that when the covers have been on the pitch it is a real tipping point. This season I would imagine they have been on a lot more than usual.
I had a friend with me on Saturday who was last in the ground around the end of September, he was absolutely astounded by the state of the playing surface now to then. He couldn't stop talking about it.

[frogpole]

To think that the club are not being advised on the problem is just plain stupid. I'm sure they are doing everything possible to improve the mess, but the bottom line is that all the advice cannot be put into practice until May

Fair comment ... let's hope that the warmer weather can improve things.

Be interesting to see what happens at the end of the season

[ShropshireAlex]

The club invested with a new approach to improving the pitch last summer - problem is it's now the worst it's been for years! I gather the firm said it would take a couple of years to see the effects - well it didn't, but not the effects we wanted ........

[frogpole]

Cheers SA, thanks for the info

Thought I would have a look to see how much undersoil heating would cost to install, and stumbled on an article from Carlisle United after they had a game postponed due to a frozen pitch a few weeks back.

They were promoted to L1 in 2006, and decided to install undersoil pipes/heating when they relaid their pitch.

It transpires that the pipes were never connected, and the system that was installed would now cost too much to run, and would need to be replaced by a more efficient one

Problem is a new system would cost six figures to be installed - plus running costs

Food for thought ...

[ShropshireAlex]

Cheers SA, thanks for the info

Thought I would have a look to see how much undersoil heating would cost to install, and stumbled on an article from Carlisle United after they had a game postponed due to a frozen pitch a few weeks back.

They were promoted to L1 in 2006, and decided to install undersoil pipes/heating when they relaid their pitch.

It transpires that the pipes were never connected, and the system that was installed would now cost too much to run, and would need to be replaced by a more efficient one

Problem is a new system would cost six figures to be installed - plus running costs

Food for thought ...

Wow - one mess we're not in at least!