The Pitch Last Night

[Toomer]

Anyone else notice that the pitch last night started to cut up, going back over the years at The Dell and since we have been at SMS I can't remember a pitch cutting up like that.

Edited 25 August, 2010 by Toomer

[scott_saints]

Cortese out.

[Glasgow_Saint]

Got any pics of this pitch cutting up? If you have you owe Cortese money....

[niceandfriendly]

Yeah it's been cutting up all season, very strange for SMS.

[scott_saints]

I heard it's because Cortese sacked the groundsman and asked Pardew to undertake the task as well as managing the side.

[Glasgow_Saint]

I heard it's because Cortese sacked the groundsman and asked Pardew to undertake the task as well as managing the side.

 

source? if this is true, it raises massives questions about APs future

[SuperMikey]

There were a few divots on Saturday, and the pitch wasn't in great shape either tbh.

[Spudders]

There were a few divots on Saturday, and the pitch wasn't in great shape either tbh.

 

Are you available for wedding parties and other such functions?

[moon monkey]

I noticed the lines around the pitch were not completely in line and the penalty spot was not painted clearly enough. This is a total disgrace and the club have got a lot to answer to. Sack the groundsman, sack the chairman, sack all of them!!!!!

[SuperMikey]

Are you available for wedding parties and other such functions?

 

Base rate of £30 p/h, I also do balloon tricks and ventriloquism.

[Whitey Grandad]

There was one enormous divot that Kelvin had to replace where he had taken a goal kick. I suppose it's due to the relaying over the summer, but we did have a bit of rain yesterday.

[bpsaint]

Looks to me like after they removed the layer of top soil (which was advertised on the official site for fans to collect free of charge), that they laid fresh turf over the top of it instead of seeding it and it hasn't bedded in yet which is making it cut up easily,just like Wembley.

[John Boy Saint]

While we are mithering about the pitch it has been narrowed again on the Kingsland side the drain cover that use to be close to the corner flag in the Chapel Kingsland corner is now quite a way away by comparison now. I also noticed on Saturday that our pitch has a crown (middle of the pitch is higher than the sides on a line goal to goal for drainage, look at the skates when they next go on TV their crown is like a baseball pitchers hump the length of the pitch) when SMS was opened one of the facts about the pitch was it was perfectly flat.

 

When Puncheon was taking corners against Bournemouth he made a massive hole with his right standing foot. I also notice that there are covers over the "sun roof" at the front of the Chapel roof, maybe the very hot spell we had late May into June has hindered the new pitch taking as well as they hoped.

 

Hood down..................... Anorak Off!! ;-)

[saintsforlife7]

Agree with the topsoil comment, there have been some huge divots coming from our turf, and although it plays well still this is an unusual scene for a much envied Southampton pitch over the past years!

[beatlesaint]

I thought all decent pitches had crowns to help with natural drainage.

[John Boy Saint]

I thought all decent pitches had crowns to help with natural drainage.

 

So did I, that's why the comment in the club PR about the pitch being totally flat when SMS first opened stuck in my mind. The substructure of the pitch was designed to ensure optimum drainage. But then there was supposed to be a pump/heating system that could handle "8" of rain in an hour", as we know this was never connected up, subsequent threads on the subject following the rare abandoned games pointed out that the drain system around (and away) from the stadium could not cope with the amount of water this pump could produced if it was put into use, plus with only one game in about 20 odd years lost to freezing conditions the heating was deemed to be a bit of a waste of money so it never happened. So maybe the substructure is no longer as effective as it originally was, hence the noticeable appearance of the crown.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Base rate of £30 p/h, I also do balloon tricks and ventriloquism.

 

If he can talk out of his a55e he'll fit in with us lot on here!

[CanadaSaint]

Given our performance on crap pitches last year, I hope they'll address this PDQ.

[angelman]

there was one **** load of rain on Sunday night (apparently something like a month's worth in an hour) or there was with me 15 miles away, so I am not surprised if it cut up a bit. I think that there might be some selective memories about the Dell. When there had been a lot of rain, the Archers end got quite boggy and could cut up. Seem to recall that the East Stand corner was the worst. Or is my memory playing up??

[Colinjb]

Could there have been anything different about the pitch re-seeding methods that where undertaken in the summer?

[northam soul]

The pitch has been cutting up since the first game of the season, i believe it is to do with the new surface that the turfs were laid on as it is extremely sandy.

Large areas of turf seem to come out when tackles are made (remember the plymouth guys bad challenge)

[Rory]

If only we had a shirt sponsor this year, we'd be using that money to treat our pitch. Alas.

[The9]

If only we had a shirt sponsor this year, we'd be using that money to treat our pitch. Alas.

 

Found an interesting article on Shirt Sponsorships yesterday... http://www.footballeconomy.com/content/shirt-sponsorship-deals-soar

 

Blackpool are getting £500k for a Premier League season. We wouldn't be getting anything like that, it's a drop in the ocean compared to player salaries and transfers, even at this level.

[Huffton]

Considering 5hite pitches were our undoing last season, could this be a bit deliberate?

[Liquidshokk]

Pardew did a fine bit of stomping on Tuesday to replace a giant lump of turf that I believe one of schneiderlins mental slide tackle brought about...