Working at the Turf today

[ClaretsPadiham]

…

[Jamesy]

Looks a bit like the pitch at the Baseball Ground circa 1970.

[NewClaret]

Is that the pitch up or just sand on it?

[claretonthecoast1882]

Is that the pitch up or just sand on it?

Pitch up

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Went on ground tour at Christmas and they said they were installing a new pitch this summer. Sure they said it would cost around £11 million as it involves ripping out all existing pipe work.

[bfcjg]

Went on ground tour at Christmas and they said they were installing a new pitch this summer. Sure they said it would cost around £11 million as it involves ripping out all existing pipe work.

Kompany's compensation package. I bet the wings are over specified.

[ClaretTony]

It’s 14 years since the Desso pitch was installed and I’m sure Fletcher said at the time that they last about 15 years.

[NewClaret]

Kompany's compensation package. I bet the wings are over specified.

[NewClaret]

It’s 14 years since the Desso pitch was installed and I’m sure Fletcher said at the time that they last about 15 years.

What’s a desso pitch Tony?

[NewClaret]

Went on ground tour at Christmas and they said they were installing a new pitch this summer. Sure they said it would cost around £11 million as it involves ripping out all existing pipe work.

£11m to Jay a pitch?! Crikey!!!

This is really interesting though because I went on the stadium tour and they said the pitch replacement would likely be deferred given relegation.

For a club supposedly struggling for cash this is a big investment.

[ClaretTony]

What’s a desso pitch Tony?

Below link explains it

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des ... %20surface.

[NewClaret]

Below link explains it

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des ... %20surface.

Cheers Tony.

I have to say I thought it looked absolutely fantastic last year and I’m not sure it needed replacing just by looking at it.

[burnmark]

Was speaking to one of the groundsmen at the Forest game. Don’t think they are going the whole hog this close season and doing a brand new pitch.

From someone else - they said they are putting down a rubber crumb surface around the perimeter and I’m sure it was mentioned the pitch may be being moved over to centralise the goals with the Jimmy Mc Stand.

[NewClaret]

Was speaking to one of the groundsmen at the Forest game. Don’t think they are going the whole hog this close season and doing a brand new pitch.

From someone else - they said they are putting down a rubber crumb surface around the perimeter and I’m sure it was mentioned the pitch may be being moved over to centralise the goals with the Jimmy Mc Stand.

That would make a lot of sense.

If we have any aspirations to either develop the CFS or the BL in future we need to create the room. Plus I think we’d improve the atmosphere by bringing it closer towards the longside. There’s a plenty of room.

[Goliath]

It’s 14 years since the Desso pitch was installed and I’m sure Fletcher said at the time that they last about 15 years.

Didn't that get paid for by the last day comeback against Spurs that was basically a dead rubber?

[Silkyskills1]

It’s 14 years since the Desso pitch was installed and I’m sure Fletcher said at the time that they last about 15 years.

If I remember correctly the first home game with it was v Nottm Forest. Won 1-0 with a Chris Iwelumo diving header and BL in charge. The pitch that day hadn't 'settled' and was very spongy and soft. Then again, advancing years might be playing tricks with my mind.

[Leisure]

That would make a lot of sense.

If we have any aspirations to either develop the CFS or the BL in future we need to create the room. Plus I think we’d improve the atmosphere by bringing it closer towards the longside. There’s a plenty of room.

But there's hardly any room now to take throw-ins on the Longside. If the pitch is moved closer they'd also have to do something about the 'hill' that players have to negotiate before reaching the touchline.

[Goliath]

If I remember correctly the first home game with it was v Nottm Forest. Won 1-0 with a Chris Iwelumo diving header and BL in charge. The pitch that day hadn't 'settled' and was very spongy and soft. Then again, advancing years might be playing tricks with my mind.

I thought they'd not installed it in time so the desso part of the pitch wasn't there meaning they nearly had to postpone?
Might have made all of that up in my head

[ClaretTony]

If I remember correctly the first home game with it was v Nottm Forest. Won 1-0 with a Chris Iwelumo diving header and BL in charge. The pitch that day hadn't 'settled' and was very spongy and soft. Then again, advancing years might be playing tricks with my mind.

It wasn’t that it hadn’t settled, more the work hadn’t been completed. The middle from goal to goal was done but the flanks were so bad there were huge lumps of turf coming up. Three players picked up injuries because of it. By the time we played the second game against Leicester it was perfect.

[helmclaret]

Christ imagine if that had happened under the current ownership!!

Fletcher was supposed to be an expert on stadium infrastructure.

[ClaretTony]

Christ imagine if that had happened under the current ownership!!

Fletcher was supposed to be an expert on stadium infrastructure.

We are talking pitch for which he had no responsibility.

[AGENT_CLARET]

Went on ground tour at Christmas and they said they were installing a new pitch this summer. Sure they said it would cost around £11 million as it involves ripping out all existing pipe work.

11 million for grass.........It must be good sh!t

[CHEWBACCA]

About time they sorted the famous slope towards JM out.

[ArmchairDetective]

We saw our pitch in some shocking states prior to the Desso pitch being installed. It always looks immaculate these days, to the point where you forget about the state of the pitch and the impact on the game. Well done to the grounds team.

Makes sense to replace it if we intend to be on the front foot in games. But £11m over 15 seasons (if I've read the thread correct and made four from two and two) seems like a lot of money for somewhere to play football.

[Guller Bull]

My mate who is a farmer in Pilling reckons he could sow that field three twice a year and cut it every week if he was offered £12k a year and he would be laughing his tits off!

He did Blackpools pitch for 2k a year and look where they are now!!!

[taio]

It won't be costing £11m. Divide that by eight and it will be much closer.

[dougcollins]

It wasn’t that it hadn’t settled, more the work hadn’t been completed. The middle from goal to goal was done but the flanks were so bad there were huge lumps of turf coming up. Three players picked up injuries because of it. By the time we played the second game against Leicester it was perfect.

I seem to recall they started ours, went off to do one at some place called Wembley, then came back to finish ours.

[steve1264b]

I remember spending a million on the Dresso pitch.

I think we now have 3 at Gawthorpe?

[ClaretTony]

I seem to recall they started ours, went off to do one at some place called Wembley, then came back to finish ours.

That’s what I was told had happened but they claimed the desso machine had broken down. We also have at least two desso pitches at Gawthorpe too.

[Transpennine]

I seem to recall they started ours, went off to do one at some place called Wembley, then came back to finish ours.

Was that the year we has a pre-season game at Udders..?

[gawthorpe_view]

I remember spending a million on the Dresso pitch.

I think we now have 3 at Gawthorpe?

I think one of them is exactly the same as the one at the Turf.
So refurbing one may lead to the other being upgraded.

[Bosscat]

Was that the year we has a pre-season game at Udders..?

Against Stoke City yeah cos we only had 1/2 a pitch at The Turf

[Quickenthetempo]

Against Stoke City yeah cos we only had 1/2 a pitch at The Turf

What was the attendance?

[CnBtruntru]

11 million for grass.........It must be good sh!t

Don't even get that for a fridge load nowadays!

[Bosscat]

What was the attendance?

How the £%#@ should I know ... it was bloody years ago

[Clarets4me]

It certainly shouldn't cost £11m ...that's utter bull !!

Peter Ridsdale was on Radio Lancashire this week, saying that PNE were planning to install a " Desso " pitch and their first undersoil heating system in the 2025-26 close season and the cost would be around £1.8m - £2.1m ...

[Vegas Claret]

I new money was a bit tight but i didn't think we would sell the pitch

[Quickenthetempo]

How the £%#@ should I know ... it was bloody years ago

1435 just checked this site.

[Bosscat]

1435 just checked this site.

[ClaretTony]

We are installing a new Desso pitch apparently

[beddie]

Even with new pipework it won’t be costing anywhere near £11 million. I’d be amazed if it’s even half that amount.

[ClaretTony]

Even with new pipework it won’t be costing anywhere near £11 million. I’d be amazed if it’s even half that amount.

The first desso pitch in 2010 cost £750,000.

[taio]

It's costing c£1.4m.

[beddie]

It's costing c£1.4m.

That’s probably more like it.

[bobinho]

That would make a lot of sense.

If we have any aspirations to either develop the CFS or the BL in future we need to create the room. Plus I think we’d improve the atmosphere by bringing it closer towards the longside. There’s a plenty of room.

Wouldn’t make any sense to me. The Jimmy Mac is already well off centre, I’m not sure there’s enough room in front of the longside to actually get the pitch central to the Jimmy Mac as someone suggested. How moving the pitch the one yard or so towards the longside improves atmosphere is gonna need explaining by Brian Cox
Not sure how the BL could be developed unless it’s a total knock down and rebuild, but Harry Potts way would have to be closed for the entirety of the work, and even then, would there be enough room left for a road?
Glad I don’t have to be involved in sorting this out - lose, lose whatever they do I reckon.

[NewClaret]

Wouldn’t make any sense to me. The Jimmy Mac is already well off centre, I’m not sure there’s enough room in front of the longside to actually get the pitch central to the Jimmy Mac as someone suggested. How moving the pitch the one yard or so towards the longside improves atmosphere is gonna need explaining by Brian Cox
Not sure how the BL could be developed unless it’s a total knock down and rebuild, but Harry Potts way would have to be closed for the entirety of the work, and even then, would there be enough room left for a road?
Glad I don’t have to be involved in sorting this out - lose, lose whatever they do I reckon.

Take your point about the JM being well off centre, but it could definitely be improved.

I think we have a good 5-6 yards it could be moved closer to the longside with that big strip. The Bob Lord is also a good distance away although accept the technical box is needed that side.

On the atmosphere, I don’t think it’s really any big news that tightly packed stadiums where the fans are right up to the action tend to have better atmospheres?? That’s what we could create at TM.

On the art of the possible I can confirm I’m a saddo and have actually measured up satellite images of the turf. The CFS isn’t that much deeper than the Longside & nor is the full width of the Bob Lord if you account for the club shop/office element which sits behind it. You’d definitely need to squeeze in and pinch some very valuable space but you could wrap around space wise. Then most you’d need is a small area of the cricket club if you wanted fans to enter from the rear of that stand.

But yes, it’s a tough job to work out how they’d coordinate it all. When you look at the satellite image it’d be better rebuilding it completely on the plot at a slightly different angle, but we all know that’ll never happen.

[Quickenthetempo]

Take your point about the JM being well off centre, but it could definitely be improved.

I think we have a good 5-6 yards it could be moved closer to the longside with that big strip. The Bob Lord is also a good distance away although accept the technical box is needed that side.

On the atmosphere, I don’t think it’s really any big news that tightly packed stadiums where the fans are right up to the action tend to have better atmospheres?? That’s what we could create at TM.

On the art of the possible I can confirm I’m a saddo and have actually measured up satellite images of the turf. The CFS isn’t that much deeper than the Longside & nor is the full width of the Bob Lord if you account for the club shop/office element which sits behind it. You’d definitely need to squeeze in and pinch some very valuable space but you could wrap around space wise. Then most you’d need is a small area of the cricket club if you wanted fans to enter from the rear of that stand.

But yes, it’s a tough job to work out how they’d coordinate it all. When you look at the satellite image it’d be better rebuilding it completely on the plot at a slightly different angle, but we all know that’ll never happen.

What would moving the pitch 6 yards closer to the Longside do for the view of anyone on the front rows?

Them seats are below pitch level aren't they? Is anybody on here who sits there? Would it make much of a difference?

[RMutt]

I’ve just had a look at the ground on google satellite. I would encourage anyone with OCD not to do the same.

[ŽižkovClaret]

We are talking pitch for which he had no responsibility.

Maybe for the best. If his StadiArena white elephant was anything to go by he'd have tried to turn it into a drive in cinema midweek

[ClaretTony]

Maybe for the best. If his StadiArena white elephant was anything to go by he'd have tried to turn it into a drive in cinema midweek

Which might just have brought some money in of course