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Worst pitch in league football and the National league


Tinheadman

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I believe our pitch is currently the only one in the Football League which still has a clay rather than sand base - hence the poor drainage. It hasn't be properly replaced since the ground was built in 1950. The whole thing wants digging up and starting again from scratch.

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I believe our pitch is currently the only one in the Football League which still has a clay rather than sand base - hence the poor drainage. It hasn't be properly replaced since the ground was built in 1950. The whole thing wants digging up and starting again from scratch.

 

I agree. It goes against the grain but I think that It's unfair to lay the blame at Smurthwaites door. The fact is that successive owners have failed to address the problem because of the considerable cost involved.

 

 

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I believe our pitch is currently the only one in the Football League which still has a clay rather than sand base - hence the poor drainage. It hasn't be properly replaced since the ground was built in 1950. The whole thing wants digging up and starting again from scratch.

 

For those of us who are of an older generation we can remember when the pitch was RAISED near 4 foot above the terracing because it was known to have drainage issues, This was because the whole area was a tip and all sorts of **** was dumped in it to cheaply raise the level in 1948/49 era. Once it was full there was a layer of clay put all over it to keep the crap from bubbling up. Then the soil was put on top and all around the pitch was a nice concrete wall and at the bottom of the concrete wall there were 4" holes that were always dripping water - this was the drainage ... And low and behold Bill Bell went and built the terracing up so that all the initial drainage pipes were covered in concrete . So the problem precedes Smurf by several years. I'm sure there must be others in their 50s and 60s who remember the wall all around the pitch ?

But hey - ang on a minute didn't the pitch get dowsed in many fire tenders full of water prior to The Tottenham game ? Wasn't the pitch so **** that Tottenham wouldn't risk Ardilles ? And didnt we win through guts, drive, ambition, passion and a never give in attitude - Can't remember anyone complaining about the pitch then other than Tottenham and Jimmy Greaves .

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It seems to have got worse over the last few seasons. It’s an absolute pudding and so soft it’s untrue. I spoke to a player few weeks back and he said the same as the OP in that’s its far far worse than it looks from the stands.

 

Must take a lot of energy out of the players wvery other week playing on that.

 

It needs digging up and sorting out end of season, maybe smurf can loan us the money to do it

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If the base is clay rather than sand then that explains why it cuts up so badly. Relatively The Premier League pitches at the moment are still like carpets so it is possible to have a better playing surface or a good surface in the winter, I guess it comes down to money.

 

Vale fans post about the product on the pitch and quite rightly so, one way to improve the product on the pitch is to improve the pitch when it's so bad, it's like going to listen to a piano concerto but the piano is out of tune. It is the same for both teams but it affects the skill players more and makes it harder to create. After all in the FA Cup it's well known that a leveler vs a higher league more skillful team is to water the pitch so it cuts up easily.

 

I have much empathy for the players playing at Vale Park at the moment. It's harder to play quick one touch football with any confidence, to run with the ball, to kick through the ball because of a potential bobble. It really is bad and reduces the speed of the game and puts doubts in the players mind. The pitch really is awful and needs to be replaced at sometime, preferably sooner rather than later.

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Vale is clearly one of the worst pitches in League football, but this alone cannot account for the current poor fare on show. Accrington & Rochdale are probably worse pitches, but that doesn’t stop them playing relatively attractive football. Indeed in our recent glory days of 1988-2000, success was achieved on an equally poor surface. It was said that Vale’s problem was due to a lack of drainage, compounded by the clay base. However, with today’s pitch technology this should not prove to be too much of a problem to rectify. What is a problem however, is successive owners over a number of decades who have failed to release cash to fund such a project. Unfortunately I don’t see that stance changing in the near future.

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In speeds defence and as a self employed gardener. We've had a particularly wet and cold winter. To be fair the autumn wasn't much better and although the pitch has been reseeded over the years it's well known the soil texture is a clay base. So long as this is the case, it will always cut up given the weather. And it has been wet.

Another thought I don't recall any cancelled games this season so it's never had a moment's rest. Plus arnt we the highest ground in the football league? If so this doesn't help with the growing season.

Long over due being ripped up with new soil and drainage system.

It does look pretty bad from the lawn street doesn't it.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using the http://onevalefan mobile app

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