Lighthouse Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Just been watching MOTM/FLS and when our game came on it struck me how immaculate our pitch is. It looked like a bowling green. I know this has been covered before, but on todays showing it looks better than anything in the Prem or the FL. Congrats to all involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Saint Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 That said I think it looks the worst it has at this stage of the season for a long time. The ruts that appear in the penalty box at the Chapel end during the game don't look too clever at times. The Swindon goalie was looking for a solid patch for his standing foot at goal kicks quite a few times today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Just been watching MOTM/FLS and when our game came on it struck me how immaculate our pitch is. It looked like a bowling green. I know this has been covered before, but on todays showing it looks better than anything in the Prem or the FL. Congrats to all involved. More worrying was the state of bompey's ploughed turnip patch the ball was holding up and sticking all over the place it looked barely playable (although not as bad as Notts county's mud patch) I can't see our lot enjoying playing on that. Not that it's an excuse but you can see why it must be a bit of a shock to the saints players when they have to play on some other teams pitches after the dream pitch that SMS has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Garrett Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 More worrying was the state of bompey's ploughed turnip patch the ball was holding up and sticking all over the place it looked barely playable (although not as bad as Notts county's mud patch) I can't see our lot enjoying playing on that. Not that it's an excuse but you can see why it must be a bit of a shock to the saints players when they have to play on some other teams pitches after the dream pitch that SMS has. Bournemouth played away today ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lighthouse Posted 27 February, 2011 Author Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Yeah, they were at Daggenham, where we've already won much more convincingly than they did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 More worrying was the state of bompey's ploughed turnip patch the ball was holding up and sticking all over the place it looked barely playable (although not as bad as Notts county's mud patch) I can't see our lot enjoying playing on that. Not that it's an excuse but you can see why it must be a bit of a shock to the saints players when they have to play on some other teams pitches after the dream pitch that SMS has. We have already played Dagenham & Redbridge away this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 QUOTE=Saint Garrett;977156]Bournemouth played away today ! yes they did. D&Rs pitch is a ploughed turnip field then. I think the point still holds though some of the pitches in this league are a disgrace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkshire Saint Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Accrington's pitch in League 2 was pretty appalling too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 I think the point still holds though some of the pitches in this league are a disgrace. - I doubt any other groundmen in League One has the budget and resources that the Saints head groundsman has available to him. - Being on the South Coast helps with its "relatively mild" climate compared to those up north. - Not having rugby matches - Not having any training sessions on the main pitch (like some other clubs had to when it snowed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpsaint Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 As good as it looks on tv i'd say the pitch is the worst i've seen it since we moved to SMS. They skimmed the top soil and laid fresh turf down pre season instead of seeding it and its been cutting up bad ever since. That said though,its still one of the best pitches in the FL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 - I doubt any other groundmen in League One has the budget and resources that the Saints head groundsman has available to him. - Being on the South Coast helps with its "relatively mild" climate compared to those up north. - Not having rugby matches - Not having any training sessions on the main pitch (like some other clubs had to when it snowed). All true shouldn't be an excuse though football pitches are quite an important part of the game. Clubs should be required to keep them to a basic standard they really should have grass on them be playable after some rain and not have big holes in them. Just IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggface Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Good pitch Pitch is vital to entertainment. IMO there should be minimum standards of which many are below IMO, these clubs should be forced to re turf mid season if not up to scratch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 As good as it looks on tv i'd say the pitch is the worst i've seen it since we moved to SMS. They skimmed the top soil and laid fresh turf down pre season instead of seeding it and its been cutting up bad ever since. That said though,its still one of the best pitches in the FL. Theres a spot in the chapel end 6yrd box that cuts up every game the keepers are forever shoving the turf back into the whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanh Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 As good as it looks on tv i'd say the pitch is the worst i've seen it since we moved to SMS. They skimmed the top soil and laid fresh turf down pre season instead of seeding it and its been cutting up bad ever since. That said though,its still one of the best pitches in the FL. Not true. The pitch was seeded, not turfed. I was at the new kit launch in July and the grass on the pitch was growing then. Agree that it's been cutting up more this season that in previous years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_John Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 As good as it looks on tv i'd say the pitch is the worst i've seen it since we moved to SMS. They skimmed the top soil and laid fresh turf down pre season instead of seeding it and its been cutting up bad ever since. That said though,its still one of the best pitches in the FL. Wrong they re-seeded it. I collected some of the old top soil (with some plastic bits in it) for my back garden. I also spoke to the groundsman when out on one of my runs and he told me what he was doing, i.e. how many weeks it would take before it showed, how many weeks before he would be cutting etc. (From memory he said something about 7 weeks and would be cutting the week before the 1st game, which I thought was cutting it a bit fine). He didn't have the best of growing condition in that they was very little rain in August and he had to use "tap water" with all the chemicals in it etc., also winter came very early this year i.e. December, and that stopped the root development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordswoodsaints Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Just been watching MOTM/FLS and when our game came on it struck me how immaculate our pitch is. It looked like a bowling green. I know this has been covered before, but on todays showing it looks better than anything in the Prem or the FL. Congrats to all involved. I did mention this to my mate yesterday,considering the winter we've had it looks excellent,well done to all involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saints-cris Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Thought the exact same when I was watching it, going from one duff pitch to the next, then our one just shone out. Top effort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpsaint Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Wrong they re-seeded it. I collected some of the old top soil (with some plastic bits in it) for my back garden. I also spoke to the groundsman when out on one of my runs and he told me what he was doing, i.e. how many weeks it would take before it showed, how many weeks before he would be cutting etc. (From memory he said something about 7 weeks and would be cutting the week before the 1st game, which I thought was cutting it a bit fine). He didn't have the best of growing condition in that they was very little rain in August and he had to use "tap water" with all the chemicals in it etc., also winter came very early this year i.e. December, and that stopped the root development. I stand corrected said the man in the orthopaedic shoes. I thought with the way it had been cutting up they'd done a Wembley and just laid fresh turf down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonibell Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Yes nice pitch but did anyone see Dagenham and Redbridge pitch yesterday. Nearly called the game off between them and Bournemouth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 It's 2 yards narrow under Adkins so there's less grass to mow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfc1971 Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 Sometimes i feel our pitch and training ground condition can be our undoing. maybe a good idea to rough up one of the pitches at S/wood and get the lads to train on it prior to going to places like D&R, Notts C etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simo Posted 27 February, 2011 Share Posted 27 February, 2011 It's looking the worst that its been of years ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 28 February, 2011 Share Posted 28 February, 2011 Just been watching MOTM/FLS and when our game came on it struck me how immaculate our pitch is. It looked like a bowling green. I know this has been covered before, but on todays showing it looks better than anything in the Prem or the FL. Congrats to all involved. Funny that, I've been concerned about how poor it's been all season, the penalty areas in particular now carve up massive chunks of turf whenever there's a goal kick or any kind of sliding tackle - pretty sure on a decent pitch Fonte wouldn't have slipped over trying to cut out the ball to Hernandez in the FA Cup, and every time there's a backpass I'm expecting a dodgy bounce. It never used to be like that, whatever they did in the close season hasn't really worked out too well. I wonder if they're using much in the way of artificial fibres ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooney Posted 28 February, 2011 Share Posted 28 February, 2011 Does cut up more than before at SMS. Seems to have a lot of sand underneath presumably for drainage, May be better next season once the new grass has had a year to bed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastleighSoulBoy Posted 28 February, 2011 Share Posted 28 February, 2011 It's 2 yards narrow under Adkins so there's less grass to mow. The dimensions of the pitch have been debated by esteemed posters 'in another place'. One good fellow, the erstwhile Herbie Taylor, club tour guide and EA Sports Fan of the Year 2010, reproduced the regulations regarding pitch sizes after another fine fellow, and poster on here, actually proposed that he thought the pitch had been narrowed recently. Please note the highlighted piece. Do you think we would have had dispensation to alter the pitch during the course of a season, were our circumstances 'exceptional enough'? Official Football League regulations. Herbie: "13.1 The dimension of the field of play for all League organised matches shall be as follows: Maximum length 120yds (110 metres) Minimum length 110yds (100 metres) Maximum width 80yds (75 metres) Minimum width 70yds (64 metres) 13.2 Clubs must register their pitch dimensions with the Executive prior to the start of each Season. It will be misconduct on the part of a Club to alter its pitch dimensions during a Season unless with the prior written consent of the Executive, which consent will only be given in exceptional circumstances. The Executive may at any time require a Club to submit a report from a qualified independent source certifying the pitch dimensions. 13.3 Each Club shall take all reasonable steps to maintain its pitch in good order. The Executive may require a Club to take such steps as the Executive shall specify if not satisfied that an adequate standard of pitch is being maintained, including but not limited to the Executive commissioning an independent report on the state of the pitch by a Club, the cost of such independent report to be borne by the Club concerned." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 28 February, 2011 Share Posted 28 February, 2011 Yeah, they were at Daggenham, where we've already won much more convincingly than they did. We weren't "convincing" at Daggers IMHO. We bossed the first half but Dagenham could easily have swung the game their way when they had two or three great chances when the score was poised at 1-1. I came away thinking that Dagenham were unlucky not to get a point out of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffo Posted 28 February, 2011 Share Posted 28 February, 2011 The pitch at Wolves looked **** on Saturday too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_John Posted 28 February, 2011 Share Posted 28 February, 2011 As I said above I spoke to the Groundsman back in June (around the 14th or 15th I believe) when they had just re-seeded the pitch and were packing up. (see 7th June article + free video from Saints Player for what they doing). http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2063702,00.html (and 14th June article for what they did) http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2067113,00.html After talking to him I was left with the impression that it was always going to be a rush to get the pitch ready for the start of the season. (Remember the 1st game was only 7-8 weeks away and the pitch cut up very badly in that game - see a couple of the pictures http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10280~2114628,00.html). He left me in no doubt that there was no plans to have a pre-season "big game" (Ted Bates trophy etc.) on the pitch. I know that is going to make me very unpopular with certain people who would like to spin another reason, but it was always going to be a rush to get the pitch ready. Why they did it this summer, i don't know. I have my own view about the Rugby World Cup in a few years having something to do with it, and I said previously when i collected some of the top soil there were one of two bits of plastic mat bits in it. (Goal mouths perhaps ??). Must the pitches be ALL grass ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint simes Posted 28 February, 2011 Share Posted 28 February, 2011 I thought a lot of the pitches in the Championship looked pretty poor too, so we better start getting used to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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