No comments from Thomas on Twitter today, I wonder what his reaction to the postponement was?
I don't mean that I expect him to be blaming people, but clearly he'll want to avoid this happening again
He has been nothing but positive so far so... Hopefully he’ll be thinking, respect the decision to protect the players, what can I do going forward to help prevent this from happening again.
No comments from Thomas on Twitter today, I wonder what his reaction to the postponement was?
I don't mean that I expect him to be blaming people, but clearly he'll want to avoid this happening again
He has been nothing but positive so far so... Hopefully he’ll be thinking, respect the decision to protect the players, what can I do going forward to help prevent this from happening again.
It also respects that pitch.
Remember, we've got to play on it in February, March, April and May.
Credit to the referee for having a chat and really shows the qualities, which does insist in what is a very difficult profession, i am sure he will be welcome to the valley more often, If he referees with the same methodical approach, then at least you will be able to watch the game and not worry about the officials.
I hear that Roland a has already instructed the renowned Belgian firm of Péter Hoospeiper to get their derriere's down to the Valley and "fix that damned pitch, Huh!". I fear a trench coming on.
Reproduced from the Facebook group since I hadn't seen it posted on here (apologies if it was) "...Right for people that don’t understand let me clear some things up. I currently work for the FA as a match day Groundsman at Wembley Stadium and I used to work on the pitch at The Valley when Roland Duchatelet installed the current pitch.
1) Groundsmen will have worked tirelessly to get the game on.
2) It’s not just a case of where were the pitch covers. Pitch pitch covers stops the pitch from freezing not stop it from getting wet. With Covid lockdown I suspect they are short on staff so difficult to have a group of people remove all the covers.
3) The technology underneath that pitch it’s good but in an ideal world there would be subbase systems that would remove excess water from the pitch.
4) Under soil heating isn’t a factor today as the pitch wasn’t frozen. Yes the pipes are not connected up but even with the under so heating on that would not have stopped today’s events.
5) Where the season ended so late the window of opportunity to renovate the surface or small. A groundsman typically has 10 to 12 weeks to get a surface ready for a new season. Unfortunately that never happened this year. Add in the factor we had no money so I suspect the budget for the pitch was very low.
6) Where I work at Wembley Stadium they have multiple bits of kit that encourages the plant to grow throughout winter until direct sunlight can cover the pitch and the temperatures are warm enough. If a club can afford to have pitch lights it’s a game changer. Unfortunately it’s very expensive and at league one level not efficient.
6) Charlton Athletic have a fibre sand based pitch with no sub air system to draw the moisture out which for our level and championship football is for all intense purposes absolutely fine. Unfortunately, when you get weather like we have to today or small periods of cold weather postponing a fixture is far cheaper than investing in hi the technical and sophisticated systems.
7) The ideal surface is ‘Desso Grassmaster’ this is where they stitch fibres into the pitch then the real plant/ grass binds onto this stopping the pitch tearing up. Again you’re talking millions of pounds to put this stuff in place.
8 ) The last time I looked one pitch lamp cost in excess of £250 per 24 hours. Therefore, to cover the whole valley surface you would need up anything up to 18 depending on how much area you are trying to recover. So that is £4,500 per day if you went full on.
9) I can assure you everyone the ground today would of done their best to get that fixture on."
Reproduced from the Facebook group since I hadn't seen it posted on here (apologies if it was) "...Right for people that don’t understand let me clear some things up. I currently work for the FA as a match day Groundsman at Wembley Stadium and I used to work on the pitch at The Valley when Roland Duchatelet installed the current pitch.
1) Groundsmen will have worked tirelessly to get the game on.
2) It’s not just a case of where were the pitch covers. Pitch pitch covers stops the pitch from freezing not stop it from getting wet. With Covid lockdown I suspect they are short on staff so difficult to have a group of people remove all the covers.
3) The technology underneath that pitch it’s good but in an ideal world there would be subbase systems that would remove excess water from the pitch.
4) Under soil heating isn’t a factor today as the pitch wasn’t frozen. Yes the pipes are not connected up but even with the under so heating on that would not have stopped today’s events.
5) Where the season ended so late the window of opportunity to renovate the surface or small. A groundsman typically has 10 to 12 weeks to get a surface ready for a new season. Unfortunately that never happened this year. Add in the factor we had no money so I suspect the budget for the pitch was very low.
6) Where I work at Wembley Stadium they have multiple bits of kit that encourages the plant to grow throughout winter until direct sunlight can cover the pitch and the temperatures are warm enough. If a club can afford to have pitch lights it’s a game changer. Unfortunately it’s very expensive and at league one level not efficient.
6) Charlton Athletic have a fibre sand based pitch with no sub air system to draw the moisture out which for our level and championship football is for all intense purposes absolutely fine. Unfortunately, when you get weather like we have to today or small periods of cold weather postponing a fixture is far cheaper than investing in hi the technical and sophisticated systems.
7) The ideal surface is ‘Desso Grassmaster’ this is where they stitch fibres into the pitch then the real plant/ grass binds onto this stopping the pitch tearing up. Again you’re talking millions of pounds to put this stuff in place.
8 ) The last time I looked one pitch lamp cost in excess of £250 per 24 hours. Therefore, to cover the whole valley surface you would need up anything up to 18 depending on how much area you are trying to recover. So that is £4,500 per day if you went full on.
9) I can assure you everyone the ground today would of done their best to get that fixture on."
I saw the pitch being laid and i'm sure they had the grass growing through a plastic frame (7) to hold the grass in place.
No comments from Thomas on Twitter today, I wonder what his reaction to the postponement was?
I don't mean that I expect him to be blaming people, but clearly he'll want to avoid this happening again
I'm not sure how anybody can stop it raining. The pitch was unplayable today but it normally drains very well except by the tunnel.
Yes weather problems can be localised, but it wasn't as if loads of games were lost to the weather, only 3 in the EFL. And watching Quest, it wasn't as if the pitches elsewhere were quagmires either
And in the NL, even if you discount Bromley because they have a plastic pitch, both Dagenham and Barnet's games went ahead.
Reproduced from the Facebook group since I hadn't seen it posted on here (apologies if it was) "...Right for people that don’t understand let me clear some things up. I currently work for the FA as a match day Groundsman at Wembley Stadium and I used to work on the pitch at The Valley when Roland Duchatelet installed the current pitch.
1) Groundsmen will have worked tirelessly to get the game on.
2) It’s not just a case of where were the pitch covers. Pitch pitch covers stops the pitch from freezing not stop it from getting wet. With Covid lockdown I suspect they are short on staff so difficult to have a group of people remove all the covers.
3) The technology underneath that pitch it’s good but in an ideal world there would be subbase systems that would remove excess water from the pitch.
4) Under soil heating isn’t a factor today as the pitch wasn’t frozen. Yes the pipes are not connected up but even with the under so heating on that would not have stopped today’s events.
5) Where the season ended so late the window of opportunity to renovate the surface or small. A groundsman typically has 10 to 12 weeks to get a surface ready for a new season. Unfortunately that never happened this year. Add in the factor we had no money so I suspect the budget for the pitch was very low.
6) Where I work at Wembley Stadium they have multiple bits of kit that encourages the plant to grow throughout winter until direct sunlight can cover the pitch and the temperatures are warm enough. If a club can afford to have pitch lights it’s a game changer. Unfortunately it’s very expensive and at league one level not efficient.
6) Charlton Athletic have a fibre sand based pitch with no sub air system to draw the moisture out which for our level and championship football is for all intense purposes absolutely fine. Unfortunately, when you get weather like we have to today or small periods of cold weather postponing a fixture is far cheaper than investing in hi the technical and sophisticated systems.
7) The ideal surface is ‘Desso Grassmaster’ this is where they stitch fibres into the pitch then the real plant/ grass binds onto this stopping the pitch tearing up. Again you’re talking millions of pounds to put this stuff in place.
8 ) The last time I looked one pitch lamp cost in excess of £250 per 24 hours. Therefore, to cover the whole valley surface you would need up anything up to 18 depending on how much area you are trying to recover. So that is £4,500 per day if you went full on.
9) I can assure you everyone the ground today would of done their best to get that fixture on."
This is pretty much spot on.
I don't know why others managed to get their matches on but looking at the ref video it's clear that the groundstaff did all they could but the soil structure appears to be breaking down.
Lack of close season time and no finances will be the root cause and a major overhaul will be required this next close season.
I was replying to the poster below who thought they saw plastic being put in.
A Desso pitch is semi synthetic isn't it? Basically something like 5 blades of real grass to 1 plastic blade?
I am sure we have, in the past, had a pitch that is grown through a plastic mesh which helps bind the roots/soil. No idea if we still do. I remember seeing it on the OS. Maybe that's what the Op was referring to?
I was replying to the poster below who thought they saw plastic being put in.
A Desso pitch is semi synthetic isn't it? Basically something like 5 blades of real grass to 1 plastic blade?
I am sure we have, in the past, had a pitch that is grown through a plastic mesh which helps bind the roots/soil. No idea if we still do. I remember seeing it on the OS. Maybe that's what the Op was referring to?
Thats what the groundmen told me, does Nathan post on here?
Comments
I don't mean that I expect him to be blaming people, but clearly he'll want to avoid this happening again
"Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day"
Remember, we've got to play on it in February, March, April and May.
That’s a Yorkshireman for you.
I hear that Roland a has already instructed the renowned Belgian firm of Péter Hoospeiper to get their derriere's down to the Valley and "fix that damned pitch, Huh!". I fear a trench coming on.
"...Right for people that don’t understand let me clear some things up. I currently work for the FA as a match day Groundsman at Wembley Stadium and I used to work on the pitch at The Valley when Roland Duchatelet installed the current pitch.
And in the NL, even if you discount Bromley because they have a plastic pitch, both Dagenham and Barnet's games went ahead.
I don't know why others managed to get their matches on but looking at the ref video it's clear that the groundstaff did all they could but the soil structure appears to be breaking down.
Lack of close season time and no finances will be the root cause and a major overhaul will be required this next close season.
I am sure we have, in the past, had a pitch that is grown through a plastic mesh which helps bind the roots/soil. No idea if we still do. I remember seeing it on the OS. Maybe that's what the Op was referring to?