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[oneedham]

Not having that a high water table is the reason why the game was called off today.

Need an official update from the club.

What are the issues with the pitch?

With the pitch guarantee, was it 10 years? Does it include repairs, because it is clearly not draining as it should.

Have the club investigated the local water drainage from the ground for a mile or 2. Could be a blockage further away from the ground, restricting flow……

Why are we advertising that we were confident the game was going ahead and no update until just before 5.

Has the sprinkler pipes been checked?could be a leak there…

180k on a pitch and it is really poor, after only 2 seasons.

[distancetraveller]

Perhaps the council are after opening a sailing club…

[MarpleAlty]

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but no previous iteration of the pitch would have stood up to any of the games that have been postponed this season.

If anyone points to the fact we never used to have cancellations back in the day, it's because they were quite happy playing on a lake.

However, that doesn't absolve the club from their responsibility to protect it with even the most basic of covers, which I assume is what other clubs do.

Looking at the forecast from the weekend this game always looked strongly doubtful - they should have just made an early call on it.

The game on Saturday will be fine and I'm sure the pitch will allow us to play our usual brand of football too.

[Amsterdam Alty]

We need a bigger solution than just fixing the pitch.

Trafford Council should have been bending over backwards to bring Sale home, now is the time more than ever with a future football league club in the borough.

The new hybrid turfs that are at old Trafford, Wembley etc. can easily handle the rigours of rugby and football.

Time to get serious about a new home. It's already not going to happen overnight.

[Timperley The Best]

Could it mean  playing elsewhere  ie FC United in March or April if this continues ?

[Bob]

The club has improved its PR and comms tremendously over the last few years, which means equally that there can be no radio silence or weasel words about what the issues exactly are and what will be done about them. No excuses or free passes here.

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but no previous iteration of the pitch would have stood up to any of the games that have been postponed this season.

Respectfully, I have to disagree with your assertion.

In my 50+ years of watching Alty, I can never recall the area directly in front of the main stand being in such moribund condition (and that even includes those seasons when Trafford Borough were churning it up on a regular basis).

There is manifestly an underlying issue with the drainage in that section which will require some remedial work during the summer (hopefully, covered by a warranty).

As I posted on here back on 23rd January, I feel that a statement from the board relating to the playing surface is now long overdue.

[Mick]

We need a bigger solution than just fixing the pitch.

Trafford Council should have been bending over backwards to bring Sale home, now is the time more than ever with a future football league club in the borough.

The new hybrid turfs that are at old Trafford, Wembley etc. can easily handle the rigours of rugby and football.

Time to get serious about a new home. It's already not going to happen overnight.

Do not disagree if a genuine cost / benefit analysis proves to be positive....otherwise, why should Community Tax payers support private sports clubs ?

[Bob]

We need a bigger solution than just fixing the pitch.

Trafford Council should have been bending over backwards to bring Sale home, now is the time more than ever with a future football league club in the borough.

The new hybrid turfs that are at old Trafford, Wembley etc. can easily handle the rigours of rugby and football.

Time to get serious about a new home. It's already not going to happen overnight.

Do not disagree if a genuine cost / benefit analysis proves to be positive....otherwise, why should Community Tax payers support private sports clubs ?

Totally agree with that. Bear in mind too that Sale Sharks currently play right by the border between Trafford and Salford so bringing them "home" would be a very expensive piece of symbolism. Moving us miles away from our community and support base would be a disaster and rip up all the good work done to build up the crowds.

[oneedham]

Would hate to move away from Moss Lane.

Would it be worth hiring a field expert in looking at ways to divert water away from the ground externally. Prevent it from coming under the pitch in the first place.

Build a drainage system and pitch on top of a concrete base…

Look at where the water drains off the pitch, maybe a bigger and more direct large pipe that could meet the drains outside.

Putting tubing under the pitch doesn’t mean it is expected to drain away successfully. Needs a free flowing direction out of the ground.

[Alty Dave]

When the new pitch/drainage was laid a few seasons back we were told it could drain around 25mm of rain in 24 hours. Yesterday looking at a local weather station we had 8.4mm of rain. Clearly there is an issue with the drainage in my opinion. Sods law made it rain before the match yesterday, frustrating as we could have played on it Saturday, Sunday and Monday as little rain.

We need a solution so as not to scupper our chances of making the play offs.

I'm sure the club are looking at the issue and coming up with a solution but it would be good to know some of the plans they have in mind.

[cheshire cat]

The pitch is still better than it was before the drainage went in. There was often standing water in the quarter by the fan zone when we were in Conference North.

I'm wondering if there has been some heavy equipment on the pitch during the off season to put up the Atlantic Timber hoarding on the main stand and that has damaged the drains. They had similar problems at Edgeley Park.

[b23]

There is a comprehensive message from Sam on the website

[CRT Butty]

There is a comprehensive message from Sam on the website

Good to read such a full explanation, also to hear that Dorking fans were looked after.

Anybody else intrigued by "However, we know we have some very big challenges ahead of us, and some potentially tough decisions to make" at the end? Is this a trailer for a ground move?

[Bob]

There is a comprehensive message from Sam on the website

Good to read such a full explanation, also to hear that Dorking fans were looked after.

Anybody else intrigued by "However, we know we have some very big challenges ahead of us, and some potentially tough decisions to make" at the end? Is this a trailer for a ground move?

I'd say it's more a case of every pound we spend off the pitch is a pound less to spend on the team. The problem is that we've got a team which is getting better and better but a stadium that's woefully inadequate for this level and the crowds we now get. If we do manage to get promoted then it's an even more pressing issue. Things have come to a head on this and something has to give.

Credit to the club also for the quick and clear response.