Re-introduction of artificial pitches!

SoundAsa£

Well, it's seems that Wycombe and Accrington are at least two clubs who are going to seek permission to have them

Their argument is that it will considerably cut expenditure and generate further revenue by hiring out the playing surface for all kind of events as well as to local football teams etc.

Personally I hope this idea get's kicked into touch by 'the powers that be'......and  ASAP!

Henry Irving

The new generation of artificial pitches are meant to be a million miles from the ones QPR, Luton and Preston had.

If they play like a grass pitch then can't seem a problem.

SoundAsa£

The new generation of artificial pitches are meant to be a million miles from the ones QPR, Luton and Preston had.

If they play like a grass pitch then can't seem a problem.

Thin edge of the wedge Henry. I'm a traditionalist I'm afraid and simply don't like 'em and likely I never will.

Zinedine Bagheri

I don't see a problem with it. The 4G pitches these days don't diminish the standard of football because they aren't like the rock hard pitches that QPR and Luton had in the 80's.

 

Russia and one of the Moscow teams play on one of these pitches and indeed many clubs train indoors on them in the winter so there isnt a massive advantage for the home side. If it is in the best interests of the clubs involved then let them go plastic. I still prefer real grass for The Valley but if it became an economic decision then I wouldn't be against an artificial pitch at all.  

eaststandmike

One of my partners at work has just had his back garden re-laid using artificial turf, it looks like grass and feels like grass, it does not feel like "plastic" at all.

It is soft to the touch and you can stripe it as if it has just been cut.

They had it done due to their two very large dogs digging the old grass up however the dogs dont touch this new stuff.

Very expensive though, I would not say their garden is big and it cost them £4,000    

JiMMy 85

Most Premier league pitches have a big chunk of artificial grass sewn in them already I thought!

Chirpy Red

So does Wembley! Did you see all those horrible patches the other night?

tangoflash

In Gravesend, Ebbsfleet utd have an outdoor Training venue of half a dozen 6-a-side pitches that have artificial grass on them. It looks really nice and feels good too, with a nice bounce to it unlike the old type rock hard surfaces. I haven't played on it (due to being too old for any such excercise) but a few mates have and were very impressed with it.

Rothko

4G pitches play and act like grass, so I can't see the problem.

What Wembley and lot of Premier League clubs have, is plastic inserted into the pitch to hold the grass together, it stops the surface ripping when it's wet.

As for the patches on the Wembley pitch, they were from the pitch markings from the Rugby League and American Football that happened in recent weeks, and the pitch looked in pretty good nick considering

Rothko

It's also worth saying, that Widness will be using a 4G pitch next season in Super League, and Saracens are planning one for their new stadium, so if it's ok for Rugby then it's should be fine for Football

randy andy

Artificial turf is definitely the way to go for lower league sides. Once installed there are virtually no running costs, they don't wear either, so clubs can train on them, meaning they can sell their training ground. They can be used far mire often, meaning reserves and youth team game played on it, and it can be rented out all year round, securing much needed additional revenue streams for the clubs

eaststandmike

I hope Paddy is not reading this, it wont be same without him on his mower cutting the grass :-)

razil

would allow for multi use of venues, I would support it if it plays the same

SoundAsa£

I'm genuinely surprised at all the pro opinions........oh well, maybe I'm just old fashioned.

Henry Irving

I'm genuinely surprised at all the pro opinions........oh well, maybe I'm just old fashioned.

no maybe about it : - )

Seriously, other than tradition what are your objections?

dabos

If it helps to keep more clubs in business, then no amount of the 'tradition' argument is going to beat it.

Dazzler21

We train on it. Not nice for slide tackles but all other aspects are like normal pitches.

1905

I am with SoundAs on this one.  The weather and ground conditions can add another variable to the game which makes for the fun, this would disappear with artificial pitches. 

 

SoundAsa£

I'm genuinely surprised at all the pro opinions........oh well, maybe I'm just old fashioned.

no maybe about it : - )

Seriously, other than tradition what are your objections?

I remember the attrocious ones around back in the 80's....I think they give a significant advantage to teams that are used to playing on them.

But as you say, technology has no doubt moved on apace......but nah.....for me it should be grass.

Rothko

They make people play on the deck, which is a good thing for me.

The interesting thing is that Spartak Moscow have been using a 4G pitch in the Champions League, and have been hammered on it on a regular basis, where as in the days of going to play in Moscow on a rutted frozen pitch they did well

croydonaddick

My son (10) plays on one for his home games and its fantastic for them, with true bounce and roll and seems just like grass- very real. However would not personally want to see them in the professional leagues as I agree it is one of the interesting variables. Just remember all thos old clips from the seventies of mud caked pitches, great!

Leroy Ambrose

I'm genuinely surprised at all the pro opinions........oh well, maybe I'm just old fashioned.

Not taking the piss here, but have you seen 4G pitches? They are light years away from the crappy old first gen astroturf (which was liked green-painted concrete). The rubber crumb stuff is, to all intents and purposes, as close to playing on grass as you're ever likely to get. I don't see a problem with trialling it for a couple of years - if the clubs using it are still seen to have a massively obvious advantage (like Luton and QPR did back in the 80s).

It's also worth saying, that Widness will be using a 4G pitch next season in Super League, and Saracens are planning one for their new stadium, so if it's ok for Rugby then it's should be fine for Football

Not too sure you can make that argument. Rugby is a totally different game - for a start the ball doesn't need to roll consistently across the surface like it does in football.

Rothko

a lot of the issue is about player safety, and if both rugby authorities think it's safe for a high impact sport, then that's one problem removed.

As for a consistent roll across a surface, 4G pitches are probably better for that then grass. The bounce issue seems to have been resolved too. 

randy andy

And talking about it taking a variable away, that's just not true any more. Practically every professional club pitch is all, but immaculate these days. If down to the very foot of the football league, they have grass on all year round. Plus, just like grass, the artificial surface has some zip when wet, which pro-players always seem to like.

From a quality of play and cost stand-point, the artificial surfaces are fine, if not better than grass. As has been said, most top clubs have a hybrid of grass and plastic already, and from the stands they're almost indistinguishable from grass.

I really can't see any objection that could hold them up from mass adoption. Smaller clubs just can't afford to run an expensive stadium that's only used once a fortnight. If they can get a lot more use out of the pitch, then they can use it everyday and greatly improve their cash-flow situation.

buckshee

Just makes me think of fools and horses where the girl asks a non listening Rodney what he prefers "grass or AstroTurf?" and he says "I don't know I've never smoked AstroTurf"

Henry Irving

Just makes me think of fools and horses where the girl asks a non listening Rodney what he prefers "grass or AstroTurf?" and he says "I don't know I've never smoked AstroTurf"

First used by Tug McGraw of the New York Mets in the 70s.  Shameless steal by John Sullivan but still funny.

MuttleyCAFC

A 4G pitch plays like a perfect grass pitch - a grass pitch can play in many different ways, depending on the elements and its condition. I can't see how you can complain about a 4G and accept a mudheap on a wet February. I think we are at a point where artificial ptches are ready to take over the game. What is stopping them is tradition and nothing else and that will take a few years to overcome but in 10-20 years I predict that all pitches will be artificial.

hungaroaddick

Not even the most gifted and imaginative scientist could come up with grass: a surface that adapts to its climate, that breaks the fall of those who fall on it, and allows players to slide and turn on it without undue damage to skin, muscles and joints. Grass has the ability to change in quality and condition, and sorts out those plays who have ability from those who don't. Such variety makes the football season a rich and diverse spectacle, and gives us fans plenty to talk about. In this respect grass has much in common with human referees and human football players.

The Valley playing surface has always been a source of great pride to the club, and is an important part of the club's identity. Covering the Valley in plastic would be a travesty.

Would these astroturf pitches all be the same size, or could they vary like their grass counterparts? Could you buy two for the price of one?

League football should be played on grass. If clubs can't afford to maintain a grass playing surface they should become semi-professional.


  
    

McLovin

See the point of it though not great for the groundstaff who I'd say work incredibly hard to keep our pitch in the fine state it is in.  It is progress I suppose.

Granpa

I actually have astroturf on my front garden, however every time we arrive at The Valley I look at the pitch and comment on how good it looks. That being the case, why change ? I played on mud, now THAT would have been a reason.

cafckev

Maidstone Utd have started work on the new ground, and it will have a 4g pitch. The league has given permission for it to be used, but the higher they go, the less likely they will be to be able to go up due to opposition from other clubs. But they way Maidstone see it is that it will be a few years before they are strong enough to get much higher than they are are now, so worry about it when they need too. It also gives they the chance to allow the wider comminity the chance of using the pitch and earn lots of cash too!