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General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: Timperley The Best on January 23, 2024, 06:35:48 PM

Title: The Pitch
Post by: Timperley The Best on January 23, 2024, 06:35:48 PM
Will a new pitch be needed soon ? The current one  hasnt been in place long
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on January 23, 2024, 07:12:12 PM


No criticism of the beleagured groundstaff, as it's patently obvious that our pitch has developed major underlying drainage problems, but I've just viewed some alarming images of that troublesome area directly in front of the main stand and it resembles an outtake from 1917.

Surely, the time has now come for the board/club to issue an official statement regarding the current moribund nature of the playing surface at the JDS, if only to dispel a few theories/rumours and offer some reassurance that the problems will be addressed during the summer (and, rather importantly, under warranty, too)?
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Steve from Sale on January 23, 2024, 07:17:20 PM
Three storms in two days will not have helped.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: cheshire cat on January 23, 2024, 07:21:00 PM
Correct but the fact it was relaid with new drains only two seasons ago is embarrassing
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: saffendalty on January 23, 2024, 07:29:04 PM
Drainage is no good, the water table is too high, only solution would be to raise pitch level which may not be faesible
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Ukrainian Alty on January 23, 2024, 08:28:37 PM
I've just viewed some alarming images of that troublesome area directly in front of the main stand and it resembles an outtake from 1917.

Cult,
You don't realise how close to the mark you are with this comment.

(https://i.ibb.co/fkbD62h/Nantwich-Guardian-28-April-1916-0007-Clip.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fkbD62h)
Nantwich Guardian 28th April1916
Click to reveal full image.

Advert placed by someone with a wicked sense of humour or the secret is out after 107 years.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Mick on January 24, 2024, 12:36:57 AM
Drainage is no good, the water table is too high, only solution would be to raise pitch level which may not be faesible
If the residual water table is too high to effect suitable pitch drainage, then why would the drainage consultant, drainage designer not know this and proceed with installation of new drainage system deemed to fail ?
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: rorysgrandad on January 24, 2024, 08:31:18 AM
Drainage is no good, the water table is too high, only solution would be to raise pitch level which may not be faesible
If the residual water table is too high to effect suitable pitch drainage, then why would the drainage consultant, drainage designer not know this and proceed with installation of new drainage system deemed to fail ?
Absobloodylutely! Where there's blame there's a claim. What's the companies name? We can't expect our ground staff to work miracles. Genuine concern drainage won't leave the playing surface permanently damaged. If we play on Saturday all eyes will undoubtedly be on the playing surface. Mick has just took a nail and hit it home with some force.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: robininstockport on January 24, 2024, 09:40:04 AM
I believe we are in contact with Bodge it and Scarper about them sorting it foc
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Mick on January 24, 2024, 10:37:38 AM
I believe we are in contact with Bodge it and Scarper about them sorting it foc
Bodgit and Scarper built my house.....under the guises of Taylor Wimpey.....let me know if we find them
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Amsterdam Alty on January 24, 2024, 11:32:10 AM
I believe we are in contact with Bodge it and Scarper about them sorting it foc
The thing is, the guys we used are the same guys that Wrexham brought in straight after to fix their disaster of a pitch. Supposedly the experts at this sort of thing.

The only solution to this issue is to not have a massive water table less than 1m from the surface. Which means moving.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Bath Alty on January 24, 2024, 12:34:00 PM
Quite. We used experts to make the best of a bad job. The alternative is move or sit or your hands and watch it get worse and worse.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: MarpleAlty on January 24, 2024, 01:38:45 PM
OK, I'll ask the obvious question...

...why can't we just invest a decent amount of money on decent pitch covers, that can be easily laid down and removed to protect against the worst of the elements?

It's pretty obvious when the heaviest of the weather is due - yesterday from 9-3 for example.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Alty Bri on January 24, 2024, 02:05:45 PM
OK, I'll ask the obvious question...

...why can't we just invest a decent amount of money on decent pitch covers, that can be easily laid down and removed to protect against the worst of the elements?

It's pretty obvious when the heaviest of the weather is due - yesterday from 9-3 for example.

This.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Sarf London Alty on January 24, 2024, 02:24:56 PM
After the controversial PP last Saturday at Southend we will have to make sure we have our house in order for Eastleigh this Saturday. They will quite rightly want a firm steer by Friday afternoon as assume they will be overnighting. Not that much rain forecast between now & then but those pictures from yesterday were brutal so I hope it’s dried out a bit today. Looking ahead those likely 3 home games in 7 days in Feb vs Dorking/Rochdale/Wealdstone are a big concern.

Not sure how we got from a newly laid pitch which cost hundreds of thousands 2 years ago to this but needs sorting properly in the summer. Parky must be very unimpressed.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: rorysgrandad on January 24, 2024, 03:39:30 PM
I believe we are in contact with Bodge it and Scarper about them sorting it foc
The thing is, the guys we used are the same guys that Wrexham brought in straight after to fix their disaster of a pitch. Supposedly the experts at this sort of thing.

The only solution to this issue is to not have a massive water table less than 1m from the surface. Which means moving.
So the "experts" should have been professional and enquire about local drainage features then turn the job down. It's classic cowboy behaviour to carry out work, bank the money and then wash your hands (no shortage of water) of the consequences.Money down the drain.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: Bath Alty on January 24, 2024, 03:52:15 PM
Depends what they claimed they could do. They could have said this will help and you’ll postpone 3 games a year instead of 10 but it won’t solve your problem. We then decide whether it’s worth it or not. You can’t blame them without knowing what the appointment process was. If they did claim that they could fix it then you are quite right.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: cheshire cat on January 24, 2024, 04:13:30 PM
Covers might help but you've still got to be able to get rid of the run off. Water tends not to go uphill.

Were the photos doing the rounds on Facebook?
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: swindellsworth on January 25, 2024, 09:55:05 AM
Other than what i have learned on here i know very little about drainige systems , water tables etc . What i do know is that we have beem plying our trade on this hallowed turf for 114 years of which i have been watching the action for almost halt of that. Other than the last 5 seasons or so i honestly can't recall our pitch being that problematical the previous 50 and certainly nowhere near the level of games lost due to waterlogging issues . We never had covers or the like over that time either and even for the times our reserves played here (and rugby too!) there must have been periods of rainfall similar down the years and the pitch always held up really well in the past. I've probably missed something here but i don't quite get it to be honest.
Title: Re: The Pitch
Post by: MarpleAlty on January 26, 2024, 01:40:13 PM
I disagree, I actually think the pitch has been pretty decent this past couple of years but we've been pretty fortunate with the weather up until now.

Many of our home games have coincided with floods being broadcast on national television, and the likes of Rochdale / Halifax will undoubtedly have pitches as heavy as ours.

Can we make improvements? Of course we can - but I doubt many previous iterations of the ptitch would have stood up to the weather we've had in the run-up to games this season.