Grass V Plastic pitches

I believe Tamworth are installing a plastic pitch this close season and wondered the forums views on grass v plastic. We are i believe  re-newing our poor pitch again soon and appear to be having a Leeds U/19 team using our facilities next season . Also in the pipeline is a ladies team who i guess might be using the pitch. This would put our pitch under great pressure and with a possible promotion in line i am beginning to wonder if the time has come to go plastic ?. The plastic pitches are considerably better today than the early versions. I have always thought that footy should be on grass but i am now wondering if its time for a re-think .Anyone else got views ?

Prefer grass all day but can see economic reasons to change.

Townfan wrote:Prefer grass all day but can see economic reasons to change.

Agree with this point. +2

Have seen a few Maidstone games and there’s earns them decent cash – looks terrible tho. Not 100% keen on it myself as the bounce of the ball etc is still different than turf even if they are a mile away from the old ones at Preston etc.
Suppose it comes down to making the club more profitable and although the pitch is getting better and better thanks to Irving and Co’s investment I doubt it will take two additional teams playing on it, when even our U21s have had loads of games postponed. So may well be a necessity in the context of additional teams playing on it. Kind of a shame from a traditional sense but then would Jordan have missed on Saturday…….and would be fun to play on it!
That said would likes of Leeds youth teams still play at the ground if we did switch.

Considering the cancelled matches, the potential loss of momentum and missed gates and the ability to train and play on it multiple times with differing teams and soccer camps, as while as the potential to hire it out when not in use its probably a no brainer. May take a critical mass of teams to get to a tipping point but can see it happening as per other thread. Prefer footie on grass but winter weather is only going to get more variable and wetter.

3G all day long. The surfaces these days are different class altogether. Done right it can earn clubs £400k plus a year. Most teams train on it ?? Why not play on it too ?? Great home advantage

Some costs on here. Hefty outlay of around £360,000 plus ongoing maintanence v future revenue generated. Figures need to stack up I suppose and advances may make it cheaper in years to come.

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If you have got the brass
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This would be the best option!!!

With an artificial pitch you would probably end up playing a few season when the quality of the playing surface is past its best before eventually it will have to be replaced!
And there won’t be much you can do to improve it during that period of time!
Not sure how playing on grass 1 week & plastic another would affect the team or the possible impact on injuries to players!
Can’t beat the unpredictability of a grass pitch from a spectator point of view though!

Fully agree that you can't beat the unpredictability of a grass pitch. I have been to see matches played in all weathers on a plastic pitch (Durham City). True, the games went ahead in the rain and snow but there was something unreal and monotonous about the bounce of the ball - sometimes catching opposition players by surprise. Also, I seem to recall that Durham were barred from playing cup games at home.

After several seasons playing at home on a poor pitch and achieving very little in Conference South Sutton United switched to a 3G pitch this season and are champions. However, not it seems due to any home advantage where they have 38 points compared with 46 away. Maidstone United the most noted 3Gers may come up with them. They have 37 points at home and 39 away and have lost 7 times at home, the same number as Havant who are next to bottom. This all suggests constant switching between grass and 3G is not a disadvantage and that visiting grass teams do not necessarily have problems adapting to 3G.

Did an article on artificial pitches a couple of years ago with Simon, some interesting points.

The current state of football pitches across England is deteriorating season on season at an alarming rate.
Harrogate Town FC are a club based in North Yorkshire just outside Leeds, they are currently situated in the Blue Square North division which is the 8th tier of English football. The club have had major problems with their pitch this season; plans to level out the pitch at the start of last pre-season had the club in high hopes. However, the weather took a turn for the worst the initial re-seeding process was scuppered by the heavy rain which washed the seeds straight back out of the ground. Ever since then the rain, snow and frost has meant over 20 games have had to be postponed this season. The club have even been forced to play 2 of their home games away at York City’s ‘Bootham Crescent’ and also the home of Doncaster Rovers ‘The Keepmoat Stadium’. The clubs manager Simon Weaver says “Consistency is just something we haven’t had this season.” The team looked to be heading towards the play-offs but the heavy fixture pile-up from the postponed games has hit them hard playing 3 games a week for the last 4 weeks of the season, causing the recent demise in the clubs fortunes.

Could there be a solution to this on-going battle with the pitches with recent forays into the use of artificial pitches. Saracens Rugby Club has recently installed a new artificial pitch in their stadium. From speaking to their Rugby Development Manager Richard Gregg it is clearly been a huge success. “We are very pleased with the surface so far. The surface promotes a faster, safer and more entertaining game. On top of this we have been able to engage with a vast number of local schools and clubs who are using the facility during the week. The error rate is lower, the game is faster and scrums would seemingly be reset less often” Asked if they had any problems with the pitch he firmly stated “None, whatsoever.”

We got the views of current Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver to discuss the possibilities of artificial pitches making there way in to football in the future. “I’ve trained myself and played on artificial surfaces including the new 3G as well, we played away in Ireland on pre-season, on a great tour and we played on the crusaders set-up which is one of the best around, that’s 4G but it was a great game.” There’s no wonder Simon remembers the game well as his club were victorious 8-2 on the day.

As well as on the pitch Simon also believes that off the pitch having an artificial pitch would be a huge boost to the clubs community links. It would mean the club could open it’s door every night or whenever the first team aren’t using it, to fellow clubs in the area, schools, or it could even be used for different sports, including; hockey, tennis or cricket. “I think with the community use it’s a winner isn’t it, every night of the week as you say as the first team as well, I think the grounds man might be a bit redundant but I don’t think he could complain because there wouldn’t be any divot marks.“

In the past, many players/managers have come out and openly criticised artificial pitches, Harry Redknapp, in 2010 famously said that all artificial pitches should be banned in the Champions League when his team were beaten 3-2 in their first leg match on Young Boys artificial pitch. However, Simon doesn’t think it will be an issue when trying to attract players.  “Well it might help, if it is real quality 3G  or 4G and I think it would help then because they know that they are going to play on a pitch with a pure bounce and lets say the passing is going to be quicker and it’s going to be a faster paced game. Players these days, they want to be involved in that.”

Asked if Harrogate Town have ever discussed setting up an artificial pitch he said; “No! It’s only what people talk about you know in  a bar over a few pints and with a matter of interest but you know when we went over to Crusaders , we really enjoyed it you know and they’ve done well, they’re in the Europa League so it can’t inhibit their chances so much.“

Looks like we could be getting one !

Please No!!

Is a really tricky one.

On the one hand the traditionalist in me, like others, really does not want this – the pitch has actually held up really well considering the deluge we had over December and January and has really improved in the last couple of seasons. I really do loathe the stuff myself – 3 or 4g. As Trev said elsewhere it could hinder recruitment in what will be a very competitive division next season, away from the impact the initial outlay could have on player investement this summer. If we stand still this summer next season we could struggle, especially with our only goal source likey to depart. A season of adjustment as the players get used to it could also be a limiting impact on our performances in a difficult division. That said our home form wasn’t the best anyway!

On the other hand the commercial side it makes sense if it is open to five a side leagues etc – has worked a treat down at my mates club Maidstone. It opens up the exposure of the club to an ever greater audience of people and we can grow the gates even more off the back of this.
I had been told that there were plans to install and manage them at St John Fishers which I think would be a bad move – would dilute the demand.
Another important factor in landing the switch would be players training on it twice a week – would the club switch training from Donny etc? They would surely need to.
My friend tells me Maidstone nearly earnt back the investment in it after a year and a half. That said it looks shite under the lights!
So it could place the club even further at the heart of the town but comes with the worrying spell of transition.
My heart says no way but in my head it makes sense.

Any thoughts from the drunken misfits?

similar thoughts to me Carefree

Too drunk to answer.

Jordan

Thought we were going 3G elsewhere in the community? Just have to wait until 20/5 for the next instalment!

HTAFC Away Travel wrote:Too drunk to answer.

Jordan

Really hope we stick to grass at the CNG. If 3G/4G pitches are the real deal, why are Full time teams not using them?For training purposes it seems they are all now all the rage. I've been to Huddersfield's 3 G complex indoor and out and its fantastic.
But in my eyes you cant beat grass..

It also means that under current rules we can't get promoted from the National league to football league status. Does this mean Irving and the team have no ambition beyond the National league (I know realistically that would take a good few years) or does it mean we would reassess if we got into that situation?

I can see the pro's and cons like others and again talk of becoming sustainable is high on the agenda. I am sure if Irving decided to jump ship we would all probably be glad of the surface if it was the difference between the club surviving or not.

I think if it is going ahead they should soften the blow with the return of the chips!

Judging by the drive by of the ground just now, work has started on it already. An interesting season in prospect just got even more interesting. Would have liked another season on the green stuff just to see what we might have done as can see next season as being one of transition at best with this switch and the general improvement in competition. That said maybe it is the season to do it when we face a sizeable challenge just to repeat what happened this season.

3G and a deep fat fryer please.

oh and better burgers next season.

Wouldn't fancy laying that by hand, imagine shovels and wheelbarrows!