New State-of-the-art Pitch at The Valley

valleynick66

Airman Brown said:

Good case study for comparing the integrity of the club’s current communications with the past, in my view. This is an obvious problem which they are saying nothing about. Why not? Nobody is taken in by the silence, although perhaps they don’t want bring it to the attention of the substantive investors?

Still not clear how much the owners spent versus the grant versus the ‘normal’ pitch costs is it?

The fact we are silent on it does suggest the issue is not with the ‘suppliers’. Otherwise wouldn’t we be more public in voicing our concerns?

WrightCharlie

valleynick66 said:

Simonsen said:

It looked ok at the start of the season but I have to say, it didn't look exceptional and certainly not up to the standard of the 2014 pitch mentioned by Shirty5. I was surprised/disappointed when I first saw it. 

It looked ordinary / the same as any tear at the start of the season. It did not look particularly special. 

If drainage is an issue you’d expect the specialist firm to cope. 

Might be not enough natural light in those areas....... think the top stadiums who suffer this use grow light systems..... don't know if we have it?

Bod

We were seen off. Terrible terrible pitch considering the hype 

valleynick66

WrightCharlie said:

valleynick66 said:

Simonsen said:

It looked ok at the start of the season but I have to say, it didn't look exceptional and certainly not up to the standard of the 2014 pitch mentioned by Shirty5. I was surprised/disappointed when I first saw it. 

It looked ordinary / the same as any tear at the start of the season. It did not look particularly special. 

If drainage is an issue you’d expect the specialist firm to cope. 

Might be not enough natural light in those areas....... think the top stadiums who suffer this use grow light systems..... don't know if we have it?

Not buying that. The stadium design hasn’t changed in years and they use heat lamps in any event. 

The pitch looks a dud without any explanation to the contrary. 

IT_Andy

Watching the game yesterday it looked very bumpy in places making it hard to control the ball.
Also thought thr ball bounced high. Maybe one reason for watering at half time.

MuttleyCAFC

There is a strong case for getting a refund you would imagine or the supplier fixes it all for free in the summer. What I would say generally is that refs allow some games to go ahead in conditions that are pitch wreckers. I think given the cost of these pitches that should also be a consideration in the lower leagues.

cafc999

There will be a guarantee in place where remedial action can take place.

SporadicAddick

MuttleyCAFC said:

There is a strong case for getting a refund you would imagine or the supplier fixes it all for free in the summer. What I would say generally is that refs allow some games to go ahead in conditios that are pitch wreckers. I think given the cost of these pitches that should also be a consideration in the lower leagues.

Given the cost of these pitches? What about the cost of supporters travel and time commitment? No game should be called off because the pitch might cut up. As long as it has visible lines and doesn't present a risk to the players, then crack on.

Kap10

Raith_C_Chattonell said:

I haven't seen the pigeons for a while, maybe they ate all the plastic bits?

They were there in force yesterday

Simonsen

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

Weegie Addick

Simonsen said:

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

Yet they have had a sinkhole to contend with. 

Kap10

Simonsen said:

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

Wimbledon who had a massive sink hole in their pitch just a few months ago.

I don't buy that the investors are not aware of the problem given Gavin Carter's involvement as an attending fan, non executive Director and minority investor.

Airman Brown

Kap10 said:

Simonsen said:

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

Wimbledon who had a massive sink hole in their pitch just a few months ago.

I don't buy that the investors are not aware of the problem given Gavin Carter's involvement as an attending fan, non executive Director and minority investor.

Perhaps there should be an investigation. No reason not to be open about the issues that I can see. 

Redvalleyeast

killerandflash said:

Dugdaleclass said:

Had a close look at the surface of the pitch for the last game of the season in May as I couldn't believe how well it had stood up over the season. And close up, it really was more or less as good for the last game as it was for the first! I was stunned when the club said it was going to rip it up a couple of weeks after the final whistle.

Here we are half way through the season and the playing surface is a disappointment to say the least. Hope it holds together for the home games in January.

It's not as if it's been overplayed on in the autumn, as we had very few home games, or was destroyed by bad weather. The pitches at Welling and Dartford look much better, and they both have lots of games played on them.

Something has definitely gone wrong with the installation. After the 4th January the men don't have a home game until the 25th, and the women until the 26th, so that's 3 weeks to do some serious work on it.

Needs plenty of attention and plenty of sun lamps. My mate is a cabbie and regularly drives past Brentfords ground,he said yesterday that every time he goes past there, the sunlamps are covering the pitch. Im no expert but this time of year is more or less cloud and gloom all day isnt it,not great growing weather for a new surface

valleynick66

Airman Brown said:

Kap10 said:

Simonsen said:

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

Wimbledon who had a massive sink hole in their pitch just a few months ago.

I don't buy that the investors are not aware of the problem given Gavin Carter's involvement as an attending fan, non executive Director and minority investor.

Perhaps there should be an investigation. No reason not to be open about the issues that I can see. 

As in there is a hole and we are looking into it ? 😉😆

shirty5

Simonsen said:

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

And they play Rugby League on that surface as well 

Kap10

Airman Brown said:

Kap10 said:

Simonsen said:

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

Wimbledon who had a massive sink hole in their pitch just a few months ago.

I don't buy that the investors are not aware of the problem given Gavin Carter's involvement as an attending fan, non executive Director and minority investor.

Perhaps there should be an investigation. No reason not to be open about the issues that I can see. 

Maybe there is! 

killerandflash

Redvalleyeast said:

killerandflash said:

Dugdaleclass said:

Had a close look at the surface of the pitch for the last game of the season in May as I couldn't believe how well it had stood up over the season. And close up, it really was more or less as good for the last game as it was for the first! I was stunned when the club said it was going to rip it up a couple of weeks after the final whistle.

Here we are half way through the season and the playing surface is a disappointment to say the least. Hope it holds together for the home games in January.

It's not as if it's been overplayed on in the autumn, as we had very few home games, or was destroyed by bad weather. The pitches at Welling and Dartford look much better, and they both have lots of games played on them.

Something has definitely gone wrong with the installation. After the 4th January the men don't have a home game until the 25th, and the women until the 26th, so that's 3 weeks to do some serious work on it.

Needs plenty of attention and plenty of sun lamps. My mate is a cabbie and regularly drives past Brentfords ground,he said yesterday that every time he goes past there, the sunlamps are covering the pitch. Im no expert but this time of year is more or less cloud and gloom all day isnt it,not great growing weather for a new surface

Back in December 2017 I took this photo of sunlamps on the pitch


I'm no lawn expert, but I imagine there's a major problem with the grass installed in the summer like some sort of fungus. Watching the EFL highlights just now, none of the pitches in L2 looked worse than ours.

Raith_C_Chattonell

I've heard there's little chance of getting the contractors back.

ArmchairAddick

From state of the art to just a state

guinnessaddick

Kap10 said:

Simonsen said:

Watching Wimbledon v Gillingham on the box. The pitch looks another level to ours. 

Wimbledon who had a massive sink hole in their pitch just a few months ago.

I don't buy that the investors are not aware of the problem given Gavin Carter's involvement as an attending fan, non executive Director and minority investor.

Is he going to grass on them?

Dazzler21

Isn't our pitch getting double the football played on it? I wonder if maybe it should have had more than a summer before being used for both the Men and Women 

Simonsen

Dazzler21 said:

Isn't our pitch getting double the football played on it? I wonder if maybe it should have had more than a summer before being used for both the Men and Women 

Shouldn't make much difference. The pitch we were told we were getting can take tons of matches plus supposedly other events.

guinnessaddick

Dazzler21 said:

Isn't our pitch getting double the football played on it? I wonder if maybe it should have had more than a summer before being used for both the Men and Women 

I can’t believe that a game played by the women has the same amount of wear than a game played by men. The men has bigger (heavier) and faster than the women.

Dazzler21

guinnessaddick said:

Dazzler21 said:

Isn't our pitch getting double the football played on it? I wonder if maybe it should have had more than a summer before being used for both the Men and Women 

I can’t believe that a game played by the women has the same amount of wear than a game played by men. The men has bigger (heavier) and faster than the women.

Yet many of these pitches get laid and given time to bed in. Ours was started late due to a delay wasn't it, and was ready for day 1 of the season allegedly..

soapy_jones

The only thing "state of the art" about that pitch is the first word.

I blame the wimmin!

JohnnyH2

Dazzler21 said:

Isn't our pitch getting double the football played on it? I wonder if maybe it should have had more than a summer before being used for both the Men and Women 

The same amount that Leyton Orient is getting and they appear to have none of the issues we are having

FishCostaFortune

Is there any ‘coming back from this’ - or is the pitch going to look a mess for the rest of the season?

Simonsen

FishCostaFortune said:

Is there any ‘coming back from this’ - or is the pitch going to look a mess for the rest of the season?

Doubt it can be sorted as such. It will probably get worse until March, when warmer weather might encourage a bit of thickening of the grass, which will fill some gaps. 

Henry Irving

https://x.com/whitehorsecontr/status/1849038257192943848