Ben Hamer: Valley surface is a concern

loe.ldn.wpack

http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/sport.cfm?id=3781&headline=Ben Hamer: Valley surface is a concern

Pretty strong words from Hamer about the state of our pitch, can't imagine Colin Powell will be too happy. Might he have a point though? Is this why we've been so bad? Or just an easy excuse?

Bedsaddick

BEN Hamer has blasted the state of The Valley pitch - and demanded an improvement in the playing surface.
The Charlton keeper believes that it is a major factor in the club’s struggles at home. Chris Powell’s side have only won there four times this season and lost 2-1 to Sheffield Wednesday on their last outing in SE7.
Hamer, speaking in Friday's South London Press, said: “Our pitch this season has been in absolutely awful shape and we’ve not been able to play our football game.
“Apart from against Cardiff they have not been free-flowing matches - they’ve been nothing short of poor. The pitch has been a big part of that.
“We need to get that rectified. It was a lot better last season. Lawrie Wilson had the ball on the byline [against Sheffield Wednesday] and when he was just about to play his pass it was all bobbly and horrible.
“I’m confident in our ability but I don’t feel confident of the pitch. You don’t know what it is going to do, because it is boggy one week and then hard and bobbly the next.
“I know it’s easy to say that is the excuse for not being good at home but it is a really major factor.
“God knows why it is so poor - all I do know is that it is not in good nick. It is not conducive to what we’re trying to do. For Sheffield Wednesday it didn’t matter because their strength is launching the ball into the box and winning the aerial challenges.
“We’ve been playing on some really decent surfaces away from home and have been able to exploit that. Burnley was very good, so was Derby.
“Watford was exceptional - especially considering they play rugby and football on it. It makes you wonder why ours is so terrible when it only has one game on it every two weeks.
“Our groundsman won’t be too happy with what I’ve said - but it is something that needs to be addressed.
“Our downfall has been our home form - we haven’t been good enough and have lost too many by the odd goal. We play with more freedom away and have got one of the best away records in the league.”

WSS

He has a point.

Expect people to say "It doesn't stop you jumping for a looping header though Ben..."

oohaahmortimer

if Ben could give Robert Lee his boots back and stop slipping over then that may make all his decent saves count

WSS

oohaahmortimer said:

if Ben could give Robert Lee his boots back and stop slipping over then that may make all his decent saves count

Or that.

Covered End

He does have a point.
However, it didn't stop Orient, Palace, Watford, Barnsley, Boro, Ipswich & Hudds, beating us by playing football along the ground.

Bilko

I have got to agree with Mr Hamer, for a long time our pitch has not been up to standard. had a quick look at the Gills match yesterday on the box and that looked in better nick.

east terrace peanuts

Maybe he has or hasn't spoken to Colin........given that this only appears to be a problem this season in particular, there is probably a very good horticultural reason for the difference this year or not Colin?

Bedsaddick

It doesn't stop the opposition playing good football . The pitch doesn't pick a negative 4-5-1 formation and the pitch doesn't leave the subs on the bench until it's too late. It's a pretty poor excuse.

Derek1952

Talk about clutching at straws! what of all the other teams that have played against us and won,did they not play on our BAD PITCH, definitely an excuse.

ISawLeaburnScore

1. He has got a point but the buck does not stop with the pitch.

2. It's a shame this interview was done on Friday and is coming out on the Tuesday after another gut-wrenching capitulation and an error by Ben because there will certainly be a different reaction to it.

falconwood_1

Wrong type of grass.

dickplumb

We play a lot of hoofball up to Kermy,perhaps Hamer should keep his gob shut and concentrate on coming for those crosses with a bit more authority.Or put the correct studs in.His criticism of the pitch sounds like he has got his excuse in early just in case he makes a ricket.

oohaahmortimer

another sign there's a lack of money at the club/the clubs being run properly on a tight budget , prolly ask for the supporters to bring some grass seed

Rizzo

The pitch doesn't look as good this season but that can't be used as an excuse when both teams have to play on the same pitch. I do wonder why it has deteriorated so much this year. Always used to be in much better nick at this stage of the season.

LenGlover

Our pitch has been excellent for many seasons and Colin Powell has not been well.

Below the belt Ben and not becoming of you if you've been quoted accurately.

sralan

We've usually had an above standard pitch. Wonder what's gone wrong this season. Cost cutting and Paddy has to but Tesco value grass seed?
Can't agree with Ben as it's the same for both sides.

kielyskickingboots

...and we lost at Derby, having been 3-0 down at one point, so maybe not the best example to use.

redcarter

He needs stop dummying releasing it early to the full backs and actually fecking do it

mid_life_crisis

Absolutely. I was going to start a thread on this after the Sheff Wed game.
As far back as I can remember we've always had a decent surface at The Valley. In fact it was always regarded as one of the better pitches in the football league.
This season it has not been up to standard and just lately it has been noticeably poor.
If you are Sheff Wed it makes no difference, but teams who like to play a bit of football on the deck suffer.
Needs to be sorted out in the close season.

O-Randy-Hunt

I get told all the players moan about the pitch and to be fair they have got a point. Its pretty pants.

But as others have said it hasn't been a problem for other teams to turn up and play football

cafctom

Don't see why people are having a go at Ben Hamer's game on the back of those comments. At no point did he say anything along the lines of "the pitch has cost us points" or "the pitch meant that we conceded more goals", which is what some people are seemingly interpreting it has.

He goes out there and plays every week on it. If he thinks that it is in bad nick, then he has every right to say it. It doesn't sound like he is 'making excuses' as some have assumed, but if it is something that needs fixing then why not bring it up!?

soapy_jones

I don't get down there often as we know and I know the weather has been barmy this year, but my first impressions at the Massive game was just that. Worst pitch I had seen since the 70's at the Valley.

Dizzle

Do we know what question was posed to him from SLP?

Could have been what do you think about the dreadful state of the pitch over recent games?

And he just carried on from there? Rather than just come out and slate it out of the blue

killerandflash

Strong stuff, I was expecting the word 'blast' to be typical journalistic exaggeration, but the comments matched the headline. The pitch is certainly in a terrible condition, though the way Hamer talks you'd have though we normally like to play like Barcelona! It hasn't been this bad for a long time.

The richer clubs can use heat and light to help the pitch grow in winter. Having said that, the Old Trafford pitch is poor as well, and will be full replaced in the summer. By contrast, the pitch at The Emirates is in amazing shape.

thenewbie

The pitch has not been as good this season as it has previously, though Paddy has been quite seriously ill recently which I expect has a lot to do with that. That said sometimes I wonder if the pitch makes any difference to the way we play at all, the ball doesn't seem to spend all that much time on the ground, at least not with the Addicks in possession!

NWCorner

A biased opinion as regards the pitch so here goes: Our pitch has been one of the best in the country for years and up to December it has also been top notch. We then have had 2/3 games played in heavy rain and the fa youth cup game played in heavy rain which cut the surface up quite badly, the surface then froze and then got covered in 110 tonnes of snow which was only cleared 3 days before the Wednesday game by fans with shovels. If Ben was expecting a carpet he was mistaken !
In the Premier League The Valley had:
The Dome cover
The Whale to soak up surface water
Due to our relegation/cuts etc The Valley now has:
No under soil heating like most grounds
No plastic grass sewn in to hold it together
No Covers
3 Games a day in May so 6 weeks preperation until the season starts.
All they have down there is frost covers which protect it to -2.
Ben should have thought about all that before he spoke !

francis4england

i hope he spoke to the ground staff before the press as I imagine they will be not to pleased with him if he didnt.

The pitch hasnt been gr8 this season but in fairness its been quite a harsh winter

paulbaconsarnie

always having a dig at our own (pitch).

RodneyCharltonTrotta

oohaahmortimer said:

another sign there's a lack of money at the club/the clubs being run properly on a tight budget , prolly ask for the supporters to bring some grass seed

Sod that.

killerandflash

NWCorner

Is it true that we no longer have the plastic grass inserts, as they were meant to have made a big difference to the durability of the grass?