My only personal experience in watching a game on a 3G pitch was many years ago when they were first tried and that was at QPR when they were near the top of the old First Division. I would like to think that they have improved since then.
Strangely what has brought me round to thinking that this step is both inevitable and probably beneficial are the recent pre-season friendlies.
Whilst we are currently in the situation whereby we are putting an unreasonably amount of pressure on the hope that a 19 year old loanee centre half still wants to come back, Kidderminster are playing games against young teams from Liverpool and Manchester United in front of over 2,500 fans. This year’s hard pitches even lead to Stevenage sending someone up to Peterborough Sports to check on their pitch before committing to play there. The week before Southend apparently chose not to play many of their first team because of the now famous state of our pitch.
Not long ago Northampton refused to play at Latimer Park and it was only a Maunsell Cup game, I believe.
So, none of these issues would have affected us if we had a very unenvironmentally friendly artificial pitch. We could also potentially attract big league teams again as used to happen at Rockingham Road. Probably fewer games would be postponed which would mean we wouldn’t have to put up with the original programme with a wrap-around, though it is sometimes interesting to see where we were in the league table 2 months prior to the rearranged game.
The pitch could be available for hire and I know that some league teams use 3g pitches to train on in St Neots to break up long journeys, so it is another revenue stream.
I would assume that our infamous pitch might well put some players off signing for us as well but if any managers just assume that our pitch is always hard will be in for a shock if they come here after a wet spell in Winter.
Now I just need to find out if my old mobile phone will work better next to a 3g pitch.
 |
| At least it will stay green.... |
I too have gone through something of a 180 on artificial pitches. As much as the games played on them seem more like a kick around than a proper match I'm warming to the idea of them. Particularly the newest ones which are great - certainly when compared to the old QPR / Luton pitches back in the day which were basically concrete with a thin plastic mat laid on top!
ReplyDeleteNaysayers to artificial pitches seem to fall into 2 camps. Those who 100% believe football should only ever be played on grass simply because it always has been in the past. In the same way they probably think everyone should smoke unfiltered cigarettes all game long and the only women in the ground should be serving the pies! And those who are worried that we'd need to dig it up if we won promotion into the Football League!!! Ahem....150 years and counting......!
What I can't understand is how clubs both larger than us and smaller than us seem to be able to get the necessary grants to help install a 3G, 4G, 5G or a 6G (?) pitch but we seem to be unable to. It does seem we need to do something though.
Even though i do think football should not be played on plastic, i think i would have to welcome an artificial pitch at bpw. Because i also think football should not be played on concrete/swampland/ridge-and-furrow-ploughed-up-fields/etc.
ReplyDeleteThe pitched has been improved since we arrived but is still nowhere near what it should be.
I think plastic is the only solution we have available.
Even though i do think football should not be played on plastic, i think i would have to welcome an artificial pitch at bpw. Because i also think football should not be played on concrete/swampland/ridge-and-furrow-ploughed-up-fields/etc.
ReplyDeleteThe pitched has been improved since we arrived but is still nowhere near what it should be.
I think plastic is the only solution we have available.