Artificial pitches
Artificial pitches
It's been confirmed that the Conference will allow artificial pitches to be introduced.
Worth considering long-term?
Worth considering long-term?
On Sunday April 29, 2012 at 10:25 pm, Darlo Cockney wrote:Sadly some people have nothing better to do that invent rumours.
We will be playing at the arena again next season - fact.
Quakerz - if you actually attended games and spoke to people you might actually find our facts, rather than spreading s*** on this board.
DC
- Robbie Painter
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Re: Artificial pitches
I'd be disappointed if we didn't. Excellent playing surface, less games postponed, greater community involvement, additional income stream. Struggle to see the negatives apart from large up front cost.
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- theoriginalfatcat
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Re: Artificial pitches
Apart from the fact that many people don't like them and we need all the fans we can get. See the old "Something to think about" thread for arguments for and against.Robbie Painter wrote:Struggle to see the negatives apart from large up front cost.
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Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
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Re: Artificial pitches
... many people don't like hot weather, but still fly off to Costa del Plonka every summer and come back and tell us all how unbearably hot it was .... .... Maidstone Utd fans don't seem to mind and still turn up in their thousands to watch at level 3 ..... I think there's more to them these days than sheets of ruffled plastic ..... I agree with Robbie here like! ....theoriginalfatcat wrote:Apart from the fact that many people don't like them and we need all the fans we can get. See the old "Something to think about" thread for arguments for and against.Robbie Painter wrote:Struggle to see the negatives apart from large up front cost.
Re: Artificial pitches
800 grand should do the trick, I'll chuck the first quid in.
- HarrytheQuaker
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Re: Artificial pitches
I'll put a quid into, who's PayPal account this time
Re: Artificial pitches
don't think you can play rugby on artificial pitches..
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Re: Artificial pitches
Saracens RUFC play on an artificial pitch. They cost about £400k though!
Re: Artificial pitches
................and Newcastle Falcons Rugby Union from this September. I drive past Widnes Rugby League ground on way home from work every night it is in constant use 52 weeks of the year. The games are good to watch as well (fast) the surface is almost like real grass these days.
- THE PRINCE OF WALES
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Re: Artificial pitches
Cardiff Blues RFC has got one and from what i have seen on the telly and been told,its the best rugby seen in years at the Arms Park.No scrums going down,play a very fast entertaining games.Players like playing on is it time for these pitches as they can be used 365 days of the year.
Re: Artificial pitches
Well there you go! Didn't know that.
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Re: Artificial pitches
Might seem a daft question, but would the artificial grass on a rugby pitch be longer than a football pitch? (please no jokes about cutting it before a match)
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- trotskycat
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Re: Artificial pitches
If we could find the finance it would be a no brainer. Stockton Town are about to begin work on their artificial pitch which has been part funded by various grants. When you look at some of the pitches we have played on recently I'm amazed anyone can argue against it (Osset Albion last season anyone?).
- Ash_Quaker
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Re: Artificial pitches
I remember the good old days, when football was played on real grass, by real men and my uncle wasn't a savage rapist.
Re: Artificial pitches
Well, there must be grants to apply for when you consider the use in the community factor that our 1st team grass pitch would otherwise not be open to!
- theoriginalfatcat
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Re: Artificial pitches
This thread, for now has turned into a lovefest for plastic pitches and I'm amazed that Spen hasn't rocked up to say how utterly brilliant they are, however a quick look through a previous thread on this subject shows that they are not unanimously popular - on a quick inaccurate count up, I would say about a third of posters expressed a negative opinion about artificial monstrosities..........I mean pitches.
I'm dead set against them. In my view there are simply too many aspects of the game that will be spoilt by playing on a same every week/bouncy/sanitised pitch.
And as a side issue, does anyone know if footballers like them?
I'm dead set against them. In my view there are simply too many aspects of the game that will be spoilt by playing on a same every week/bouncy/sanitised pitch.
And as a side issue, does anyone know if footballers like them?
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Re: Artificial pitches
I'm in favour of them. And it would allow the site to be used a lot more.
However I don't think you could have an artificial pitch and play both rugby and football on it. The pitch markings would probably restrict it. Can't think of a groundshare on an artificial pitch.
They are very expensive. And we have plenty of land around the site. So perhaps a pitch on another part would make more sense. Thinking St Johnstone as an example. Or Lincoln.
However I don't think you could have an artificial pitch and play both rugby and football on it. The pitch markings would probably restrict it. Can't think of a groundshare on an artificial pitch.
They are very expensive. And we have plenty of land around the site. So perhaps a pitch on another part would make more sense. Thinking St Johnstone as an example. Or Lincoln.
Re: Artificial pitches
Have you played on 3g before? It is so similar to grass as a surface you'd forget you weren't playing on grass.theoriginalfatcat wrote:This thread, for now has turned into a lovefest for plastic pitches and I'm amazed that Spen hasn't rocked up to say how utterly brilliant they are, however a quick look through a previous thread on this subject shows that they are not unanimously popular - on a quick inaccurate count up, I would say about a third of posters expressed a negative opinion about artificial monstrosities..........I mean pitches.
I'm dead set against them. In my view there are simply too many aspects of the game that will be spoilt by playing on a same every week/bouncy/sanitised pitch.
And as a side issue, does anyone know if footballers like them?
The financial longevity and ability to get as close to the football league is what is important here, and I don't see the sense in ruling out a fantastic potential financial opportunity because a few people don't like the was the ball bounces.
If we could afford the upfront cost and didn't go for it, wed be cutting of our nose to spite our face.
On Sunday April 29, 2012 at 10:25 pm, Darlo Cockney wrote:Sadly some people have nothing better to do that invent rumours.
We will be playing at the arena again next season - fact.
Quakerz - if you actually attended games and spoke to people you might actually find our facts, rather than spreading s*** on this board.
DC
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Re: Artificial pitches
The pitch markings would be a problem as already stated, presume the general feeling is we will not return to league football then
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Re: Artificial pitches
The Cardiff blues pitch is fantastic and would suit any team wanting to play football on the ground-these pitches are not like the old Luton or Preston green carpets,to look at you wouldn't even know it wasn't real apart from maybe the really bright colour of them.
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Re: Artificial pitches
Can only echo what's been said above - the modern artificial pitches are amazing. They look like grass, play like grass but have the bonus of being almost indestructible and possible cash cows if rented out to other sports clubs or local leisure users.
Line painting on the modern pitches can be erased and repainted just as easy as grass.
If you cant see the benefits of this kind of surface for a club like ours, you'd have to be a proper backwards, short sighted, and slightly dim luddite. So half of darlo fans then.
We cant afford to buy one mind, so this is all moot!
Line painting on the modern pitches can be erased and repainted just as easy as grass.
If you cant see the benefits of this kind of surface for a club like ours, you'd have to be a proper backwards, short sighted, and slightly dim luddite. So half of darlo fans then.
We cant afford to buy one mind, so this is all moot!
I AM JAZZ MAVERICK
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Re: Artificial pitches
I'm sure both the football and the rugby clubs could apply for grants to cover some of the cost-over time both clubs would get that money back.
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Re: Artificial pitches
Bogratsteve wrote:The pitch markings would be a problem as already stated, presume the general feeling is we will not return to league football then
Plenty of acrylic based line marking paints available.
And teams that share on grass have two sets of lines marked, so what's the difference?
- theoriginalfatcat
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Re: Artificial pitches
Funnily enough Dawg it probably would be about half. I suspect that the younger fans would tend to be more pro plastic, while the older fans would lean towards being against. A quick scan of recent fan's photos shows plenty of battle hardened veterans.The Big Dawg wrote:If you cant see the benefits of this kind of surface for a club like ours, you'd have to be a proper backwards, short sighted, and slightly dim luddite. So half of darlo fans then.
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Re: Artificial pitches
dickdarlington wrote:I'm in favour of them. And it would allow the site to be used a lot more.
However I don't think you could have an artificial pitch and play both rugby and football on it. The pitch markings would probably restrict it. Can't think of a groundshare on an artificial pitch.
They are very expensive. And we have plenty of land around the site. So perhaps a pitch on another part would make more sense. Thinking St Johnstone as an example. Or Lincoln.
I have no idea if any ground sharing involving different sports happens.
Could it be that with an artificial pitch a club has sufficient other income from renting out facilities, that they do not need the income/ problems caused by a formal ground share?
Re: Artificial pitches
Best thing I can compare it to. Plastic pitches play different to grass, but only sodden wet heavy pitches - which I happen to like to play on!
They are like playing on summer tournament pitches all year round. I have played and refereed on these surfaces it take some getting use to, but for what it is worth I think there are less dangerous tackles made, but with that there are also less big crunching ones.
From our perspective it would be foolish not to look at getting one. The pro's far outweight the con's. I would have thought there will be more grants available given the wider community benefit.
They are like playing on summer tournament pitches all year round. I have played and refereed on these surfaces it take some getting use to, but for what it is worth I think there are less dangerous tackles made, but with that there are also less big crunching ones.
From our perspective it would be foolish not to look at getting one. The pro's far outweight the con's. I would have thought there will be more grants available given the wider community benefit.
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Re: Artificial pitches
I think it certainly has to be looked at. The surface of them is excellent and I think it encourages a more attractive standard of football. I enjoyed the 3 games which we've played in friendlies and competitive matches recently against Durham.
Blackwell Meadows is going to be a multi-purpose sports hub, not just for the rugby and football club. The potential for us to have a variety of different activities, at different levels of sport and different age groups playing on the site would be huge.
Blackwell Meadows is going to be a multi-purpose sports hub, not just for the rugby and football club. The potential for us to have a variety of different activities, at different levels of sport and different age groups playing on the site would be huge.
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Re: Artificial pitches
If the £800K figure is close to being correct, that is an awful lot of money to stup up, even with grants etc. Plus they need replacing every so often. It's not just a one off payment and then it's generating money.
I would be in favour of one, but I don't think now is the right time to be thinking about it.
I would be in favour of one, but I don't think now is the right time to be thinking about it.
- Mr_Tibbs
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Re: Artificial pitches
Plus the people who sell these pitches should be falling over themselves to make it as easy as possible for clubs to buy one. They should be knocking on every club's door armed to the teeth with grant information and easy finance packages... you would think.karlo-cardiff wrote:I'm sure both the football and the rugby clubs could apply for grants to cover some of the cost-over time both clubs would get that money back.
I think the first time I looked these were about £500k but I think they went down to about £350k last time I looked. They're not quite maintenance-free - I read somewhere that they have little rubber balls in the mat and one club I read (I think it might have been Maidstone) were advised to create a hard standing area next to the pitch to put any snow on when they clear the pitch in the winter, to catch all the rubber balls when the snow melts so they can be raked back into the pitch.dickdarlington wrote:If the £800K figure is close to being correct, that is an awful lot of money to stup up, even with grants etc. Plus they need replacing every so often. It's not just a one off payment and then it's generating money.
I would be in favour of one, but I don't think now is the right time to be thinking about it.
I think the life-span of one of these pitches is about 10 years.
There's an article about Falcons' new pitch here, it's being installed by the same company who installed Saracens' pitch:bga wrote:................and Newcastle Falcons Rugby Union from this September. I drive past Widnes Rugby League ground on way home from work every night it is in constant use 52 weeks of the year. The games are good to watch as well (fast) the surface is almost like real grass these days.
http://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/32208.php
Last edited by Mr_Tibbs on Fri Aug 01, 2014 12:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Artificial pitches
The rubber balls are a pain. But they are the key to the 'true' bounce. However, they get everywhere...and I do mean everywhere.
The other thing to consider when laying this is you need the correct drainage. Anyone who has played on the Conyers pitch at Yarm will know that if they're not laid correctly, and there isn't sufficient outlet for the run off water, as you'd expect it just stands on the surface. But I suppose if you're investing all that money, it would come with a guarantee.
Perhaps bish should invest in it on the grass bank so we can stand on it.
The other thing to consider when laying this is you need the correct drainage. Anyone who has played on the Conyers pitch at Yarm will know that if they're not laid correctly, and there isn't sufficient outlet for the run off water, as you'd expect it just stands on the surface. But I suppose if you're investing all that money, it would come with a guarantee.
Perhaps bish should invest in it on the grass bank so we can stand on it.