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General Category => Altrincham FC First Team => Topic started by: robininstockport on December 24, 2017, 10:03:26 AM
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Given the condition of the pitch would you take a 4G pitch?
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It would probably suit our style of play and potentially being in money if rented out during the week. It may cost a bit but there's always the chance of a grant
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I think I'd rather have a drying wind. It was obvious yesterday that the structure of the soil had completely broken down in certain areas. It will take a lot of effort and luck to get it back into anything like a decent shape.
I didn't like the pitch at Sutton Coldfield. It made everything very dark.
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no, its not football
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no, its not football
Unfortunately it is now. A lot of teams are using 4G including at International level. I much prefer football on grass but I'd take a 4G pitch if it enhanced our chances on and off the pitch.
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A decent grass pitch will always be better than a 4G pitch.
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That's like the guys at the end of the nineteenth century saying that a good horse will always be better than the internal combustion engine. One day it will pass. At the moment, I too vote for grass.
There was an are just inside the chequers end that ripped up really badly yesterday. It was the same two years ago too. I wondrer what the underlying problem is. It's almost as though the grass can't grow strong roots there.
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An interesting piece on the BBC website today about the dilemma facing National League clubs with 3/4G pitches and aspirations to be promoted to the EFL:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42425377
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I would rather spend the money a 4g pitch would cost and sort out the problem with the current pitch and keep it as grass. could we not consult with our friends at MUFC and seek advice.
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An interesting piece on the BBC website today about the dilemma facing National League clubs with 3/4G pitches and aspirations to be promoted to the EFL:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42425377
It's an interesting situation. If needs be the clubs concerned could throw a match or two at the end of the seasom and bring the game into disrepute.
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An interesting piece on the BBC website today about the dilemma facing National League clubs with 3/4G pitches and aspirations to be promoted to the EFL:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42425377
It's an interesting situation. If needs be the clubs concerned could throw a match or two at the end of the seasom and bring the game into disrepute.
Let's have a show of hands in the CSH a bit nearer the time.
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Couldn’t think of anything worse. It would be a disastrous move
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This recent article in The Football Stadia Improvement Fund Focus Annual Review 2017 (complete with a quote from JTH!) now looks rather inopportune, alas:
http://www.footballfoundation.org.uk/digitalpublications/fsif-focus-2017/?page=10 (http://www.footballfoundation.org.uk/digitalpublications/fsif-focus-2017/?page=10)
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The problem areas evident yesterday are the same areas that turned into quagmires in the Unibond League winning season of 1998/99. The cause then if I remember correctly was that drains were blocked and the water had nowhere to go. Since then I think the club has had two goes at new drainage, and up to now there hasn't been a problem with the pitch (other than the odd time it was too wet to play on). Could it be that although there is a fabulous system of pipes and drainage slits and goodness knows what else that its all got silted up and the water can't run off?
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Couldn’t think of anything worse. It would be a disastrous move
A tad OTT
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Couldn’t think of anything worse. It would be a disastrous move
Why? Need 5 valid points
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Personally I prefer to see us play on grass and the quirks it throws up.
Artificial surface may make sense on a business point of view, but I don't think an the moment they mimic grass well enough.
I would like to see the drainage improved at ML.
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Ok, five points are
1. Football on a artificial surface (however realistic these new 4G pitches are meant to be) is simply not the same.
2. These pitches are being ripped up in Holland due health concerns over the rubber crumb
3. Players are reluctant to join clubs that have a 4G pitch, as stated by Peter Band on the radio not so long ago. He said that he along with many others wouldn’t have chosen a club with an artificial surface due to the potential long term impact on joints.
4. Potential reduction in the fan base. I imagine that there are others like me that wouldn’t want to watch football every other week on an Astro turf, due to it changing the nature of the game.
5. Currently the football league doesn’t allow teams with plastic pitches to enter.
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Fair points. However, I watch my under 17 lad play on Hyde every other week. It's a much better watch than the likes of Atherton, Barrow etc al away.
I wouldn't worry about our admittance to the FL for while
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Ok, five points are
1. Football on a artificial surface (however realistic these new 4G pitches are meant to be) is simply not the same.
2. These pitches are being ripped up in Holland due health concerns over the rubber crumb
3. Players are reluctant to join clubs that have a 4G pitch, as stated by Peter Band on the radio not so long ago. He said that he along with many others wouldn’t have chosen a club with an artificial surface due to the potential long term impact on joints.
4. Potential reduction in the fan base. I imagine that there are others like me that wouldn’t want to watch football every other week on an Astro turf, due to it changing the nature of the game.
5. Currently the football league doesn’t allow teams with plastic pitches to enter.
I think points 1 - 4 are most relevant, although it would be great if point no 5 became something for us too worry about. Of course the counter to the above negatives is the extra revenue the club could earn from such a pitch, but the business side of the club seems quite robust (thriving, I believe!)....its the football side where we have had the recent issues, although I concede extra revenue allows more investment in players, so its foolish to separate the 2 sides entirely.
I don't know how much a 4G pitch would cost, but its gonna be 6 figures for sure, so a hefty outlay. For that, wouldn't we be better investing in some better drainage and pitch covers? I am no expert, but I suspect its much cheaper, and addresses most of the concerns we have on the pitch without creating problems 1-5 outlined above.
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Probably the biggest problem is that' its in a residential area. Light, noise and traffic 25 afternoons/evening is one thing, but use potentially 200 days of the tear is another. Ok for an out of town industrial estate type ground but I doubt we'd get it through planning.
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Currently watcjing Bromley on bt sport , pitch seems ok
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I've played on both over the years and there is no doubt the artificial pitches are getting better and better
I liked playing on grass when I was younger then 4g later on
On the evidence of what we have at present im surprising myself by saying I cant see why we would not consider it