The state of the pitch.

Heaton's Gloves · Post by **Heaton's Gloves** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:17 pm

Not blaming the pitch on today's disgusting performance, but just what has happened to our once fabulous pitch? Do we need a new groundsman? Dyche alluded to the pitch having had "a bad winter" but I think this winter has been far from bad. Either way it looks like the pitch is ready to be relaid again. I don't get it.

Ooogeorgeorgeoghani · Post by **Ooogeorgeorgeoghani** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:23 pm

I thought the same, so did chelsea last week

morpheus2 · Post by **morpheus2** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:24 pm

Agree, it looked awful today.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:25 pm

Winter has been shocking for pitches. Most groundsmen look for a hard frost to kill of various grass diseases etc. Blaming groundsmen is a bit harsh blame the climate.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:29 pm

Bournemouth and others have very good pitches. Groundsman responsible it's his job!

kaptin1 · Post by **kaptin1** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:30 pm

Well, it's got a month and a half to recover now before we play on it again. A bit of early spring sunshine should do the trick.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:32 pm

Our climate has been cold and damp this winter with little sun. It's a killer. Perhaps we should buy one of those ultraviolet things that some clubs use ?

Sean Dyche's Watch · Post by **Sean Dyche's Watch** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:39 pm

I walk to work each morning quite early down Centenary Way, and can see the Turf in the distance. Most of the time there is an orange glow from the ground, so my guess is that they have heat lamps on during the week.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:45 pm

The orange glow is Tango man Phil Brown sneaking in on a daily basis trying to find out why we appointed Dyche instead of him.

Vegas Claret · Post by **Vegas Claret** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:46 pm

pitch looks poor and I'm delighted by that, real leveler for the home games

NickBFC · Post by **NickBFC** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:47 pm

Wolves' pitch looks in much better condition than ours. It's very disappointing given we've had one of the best pitches around in recent years. Needs to improve.

Tomh1999 · Post by **Tomh1999** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:51 pm

The reason it's in such bad condition is because of the run of games on it recently and the fact that we have half the amount of lights that most premier league and championship clubs have so considering this, I think we are doing quite a good job!

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:52 pm

The state of the pitch is why they moved the recent under-23 game v Blackburn to Morecambe. We are due to play Sunderland in the same competition a week on Monday, will be interesting to see whether that's moved. The good news is that the pitch won't be needed for a first team game now for six weeks, I think we should see a marked improvement by then.

kindonesque · Post by **kindonesque** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:53 pm

It's height above sea level as well as general climate that affects the pitch

Tomh1999 · Post by **Tomh1999** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:55 pm

I think it's very harsh to say we need new groundsman, we have worked very hard on it for several weeks now and there's not a lot we can do when we have had so many games on it?

Lord Beamish · Post by **Lord Beamish** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:57 pm

kindonesque wrote:It's height above sea level as well as general climate that affects the pitch

The pitch is roughly 400 feet above average sea level. Well, one end is.

quoonbeatz · Post by **quoonbeatz** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:03 pm

First time I've seen it on telly in ages and it looked really poor. Really hard bounce on it.

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:04 pm

"The pitch is roughly 400 feet above average sea level. Well, one end is.""

Don't know about that but the doorstep of the Tim Bobbin is the same height above sea level as the top of Blackpool Tower.

Tuddybfc · Post by **Tuddybfc** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:09 pm

Agree it looked a little too worn today, hopefully with no home game until April it can be sorted in the meantime

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:35 pm

No doubt that the pitch is poor at the moment and is hardly conducive to good on the deck football. But it was exactly the same at this stage last season before improving towards the end of the season reacting to spring sunshine. In previous seasons though, since the Desso grassmaster pitch was installed, the surface was like a bowling green throughout the whole season.

It helps that we purchased two second-hand UVA lighting rigs from Manchester City and these provide the heat and the orange glow that can be seen after dark, but for other clubs like City, Arsenal and even Wembley with the Desso pitches 24 of the same type of rigs are in constant use on their surface providing them with a perfect all year round condition.

So perhaps with our new found wealth the next major investment might be a lot more NEW lighting rigs to kid the natural and synthetic grass into thinking it's summer all the year round!

beddie · Post by **beddie** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:39 pm

Winter, what winter, have we had one?. Groundsman has to take responsibility.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:42 pm

I genuinely think Dyche has ordered it that way to be a leveller against the footballing sides in the premier league.

Siddo · Post by **Siddo** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:44 pm

Are we really blaming the pitch for today? We were poor, but not that bad. We just played into their hands. More fool us.

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:45 pm

Siddo wrote:Are we really blaming the pitch for today? We were poor, but not that bad. We just played into their hands. More fool us.

To be fair to the OP he does start his first sentence by saying that he's not blaming the pitch for today.

The pitch is in the worst state it's been in for quite some time.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:51 pm

We dont need grass in the middle though with how we play FFS.

Andreshotboots · Post by **Andreshotboots** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:04 pm

Had mild winter so under soil heating not required too much which can kill the grass, also not been overly wet. I am also confused as to why it's so poor. Been far better in the championship with more games played on it. I thought it was supposed to be pretty much perfect for around 10 seasons when we spent a fortune on it not that long ago?

Wokingclaret · Post by **Wokingclaret** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:04 pm

The life of the Dresso is about 10 years, with our weather might be less. Does it need replacing

Andreshotboots · Post by **Andreshotboots** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:09 pm

Poor really when our training ground pitches are better than our stadium pitch

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:09 pm

Perhaps after reading all the expert views on here the club should clink on the link and enter the world of internet answers to all problems. They should really think of these things.https://www.grassform.co.uk/services/ma ... intenance/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Andreshotboots · Post by **Andreshotboots** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:11 pm

Don't think anybody is claiming to be an expert or blaming the surface for the defeat, just generally wondering why the surface has become crap over the last few weeks when the weather certainly hasn't been overly adverse

Tomh1999 · Post by **Tomh1999** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:22 pm

Because it's had so many games on in such a short space of time

ClaretThom · Post by **ClaretThom** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:42 pm

The pitch got battered against Chelsea. Terrible conditions; blame the groundsmen.

Heaton's Gloves · Post by **Heaton's Gloves** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:49 pm

Not necessarily blaming the groundsman. May be that it is his problem, maybe not. I'm sure we spent mega bucks on the desso grass master pitch just a few seasons ago. It was fantastic all last season. We have had a mild and not particularly wet winter. Spring like, in fact. So wtf has happened to the pitch?

dougcollins · Post by **dougcollins** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:12 pm

'Because it's had so many games on in such a short space of time'

More than last season?

Tomh1999 · Post by **Tomh1999** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:32 pm

Well I'm a groundsman there and I know for a fact we had 7 over January and not in the greatest conditions!

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:40 pm

We laid the Desso in 2010 (nearly 7 years ago!), and it's been pristine since then all year round. This is the first time in 7 years we've questioned it, and it's nowhere near as bad as some other clubs. It's just not what we expect.

Not sure what ewood looks like this season, but the last 3-4 years has been a nightmare for them. Theirs has been a right mess.

Heaton's Gloves · Post by **Heaton's Gloves** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 10:51 pm

Sure the pitch was relaid before the start of the current season. That's what really worries me. TomH1999 will clarify?

Tomh1999 · Post by **Tomh1999** » Sat Feb 18, 2017 11:05 pm

No mate it never gets reloads just scarified it need upgrading though at the end of the season and a new desso putting in

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 8:57 am

Huddersfields pitch looks in similar or slighter better condition and they have egg chasing on that.

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 9:37 am

Stop Robbie Brady sliding 10 yards on his knees and leaving two 'crevasses' might help.

Then again it was worthy of it

Tribesmen · Post by **Tribesmen** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 9:41 am

JohnMac wrote:Stop Robbie Brady sliding 10 yards on his knees and leaving two 'crevasses' might help.

Then again it was worthy of it

Lets hope he puts in a few more in at Hull next week

BillyHamilton9 · Post by **BillyHamilton9** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:27 pm

So the fact that the pitch this season was looking the best it had up to Christmas has gone unnoticed? Yesterday was the 8th game since Boxing Day so the groundsman hasn't had the chance to get the few lights he has on the pitch for anywhere near the length of time needed for them to work. They've been off for a month which resulted in the grass going dormant. Another issue is, through no fault of his own, the pitch has become very 'tight' in the top couple of inch so therefore holds moisture in it and it isn't acting like a desso pitch should. Therfere each time we have a game in bad conditions like we have had in the last month the surface goes heavy and grass cover is lost each time. Add the extensive 'warm up's' both teams do then you end up with a quickly worn out surface. The club have now invested in double the lights which can now finally be put to use and it will be overseeded this week and with the very welcome break it is going to get the pitch will be back in top condition again come the 1st April.
As for wanting to replace our very experienced groundsman..be careful what you wish for. I know he won't put up with any of this **** for much longer.

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:32 pm

It's the same pitch used by both teams isn't it? Don't remember it being mentioned as a problem before yesterday.

taio · Post by **taio** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:35 pm

Cirrus_Minor wrote:It's the same pitch used by both teams isn't it? Don't remember it being mentioned as a problem before yesterday.

It was mentioned last week.

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:35 pm

Cirrus_Minor wrote:It's the same pitch used by both teams isn't it? Don't remember it being mentioned as a problem before yesterday.

People were talking about the poor state of the pitch after the Chelsea game. Nobody has suggested it was to blame for yesterday's defeat.

Duffer_ · Post by **Duffer_** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:36 pm

BH9 - now that's what I call insight!

UTC!

BillyHamilton9 · Post by **BillyHamilton9** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:41 pm

We got a point last week against Chelsea on it and it's fair to say that if it had been like a bowling green we'd have got totally outplayed by them. The following week we get beat by a non league side who will have played on worst pitches this season, and suddenly it, and the groundsman is to blame. What a load of tosh.

Wile E Coyote · Post by **Wile E Coyote** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 3:42 pm

bit harsh blaming the groundsman,the pitch looks amazing to me most of the time, like a bowling green.

groundsmen love pottering about with soil and spades and that, anyway, in this modern era, isn't the pitch some kind of mix of grasses and synthetic fibres?

When you think back a few years to how pitches looked around February, this is an odd topic to be critical about. I would nominate the groundsman for an OBE. Credit where its due in my opinion.

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 5:13 pm

taio wrote:It was mentioned last week.

Not by Burnley it wasn't

bfcmik · Post by **bfcmik** » Sun Feb 19, 2017 6:05 pm

BillyHamilton9 wrote:As for wanting to replace our very experienced groundsman..be careful what you wish for. I know he won't put up with any of this **** for much longer.

So he doesn't like being criticised? Tough luck. He works for an organisation that is in the public eye and, if the public part part of his work becomes shoddy to look at, then comment will be made. I'm sure a queue of equally high quality applicants will be at the door the day he finishes.

He works for an organisation that is very loyal and supportive but if he thinks the grass will be greener elsewhere then he should go for it. BFC have spent lots of money, not enough probably but still lots, providing him and his team with a quality surface to play with. Should that get messy, for whatever reason (and we all get similar **** at work), then people will say things. Right or wrong that's life.