| Update on the pitch 12:23 - Nov 6 with 50858 views | LeanneConnolly |
Please see the below sent to members of the CAB by Jamie Willoughby who has given us permission to share.
"My main message is to reassure all fans that this issue has the 100% focus of the Club, the board and the ownership group. There has understandably been much speculation amongst fans about what action should or could be taken at this point. We are looking at all available options. Some of the more extreme options have significant technical, logistical and/or regulatory challenges associated with them (and in some cases all three of these!) but we are not ruling anything out.
We are working through all of the possibilities with the various 3rd parties involved to assess feasibility. If we consider that any of the options are feasible / deliverable and will materially improve our position, we have the support of the majority ownership group to proceed with them.
In the meantime, we continue to carry out remedial work to the pitch and manage the current situation as best we can"
[Post edited 6 Nov 12:26]
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| Update on the pitch on 07:03 - Nov 29 with 4509 views | TalkingSutty |
| Update on the pitch on 17:28 - Nov 28 by isitme |
I was looking into the pitch and the likely price just for the pitch is between £0.5 and £1.5 million. Add on top the works to the drainage etc and this is a massive Christmas present for years to come. Oh and they have also funded another loan player today.
If any of the Ogdens do read this forum, thank you. |
The cost will be massive and because of that it's imperative that a proper annual maintainence plan is put in place and that it's strictly adhered to, no cutting corners in the future by a groundsman with a ego who might thing that he knows best..not speaking about the current one by the way.. Nothing that might null and void any legal guarantees that come with the purchase and installation.
I also think the topic of pitch covers needs looking at and not only the use of them but also the storage, they are going to be needed to protect against frost and snow and they don't come cheap. If they are going to be left outside and open to the elements would it be possible to source some sort of protective cover to store them properly and maybe put them on pallets.. How do the groundsman at other clubs like Oldham/ Accrington organise these things.? Has anybody at the club requested a visit to pick their brains and discuss the pitfalls and solutions, share some knowledge. I say this because it's very rare Oldham have a game postponed so they must be doing something right. They have also recently installed a hybrid pitch.
I was reading that this pitch lasts about 10 years, will it then need a full replacement because the structure will then break down, is there anyway to extend it's life beyond that? Will it be possible to then go to a more traditional pitch to save cost without ripping out this hybrid pitch and starting again? Would it be possible to build entry points down into the drains when installing the pitch for future maintainence ? Ten years passes pretty quickly and the landscape of the club might be completely different then.but there needs to be a longer term plan. I doubt we can replace the pitch every 10 years.
York City have the exact same pitch also and they have had numerous teams playing on it, Sheffield United and Hull City U21, ladies football and also the Rugby league club. They recently hosted ladies rugby world cup games. Over 120 hrs of use during the year, which equates to very roughly 80 full games of football. Probably double what we currently see played at Spotland with the football and rugby club. It seems there is also scope to rent the pitch out for use so that could orove beneficial and assist with the financial upkeep. Could our groundstaff and a club official jump in a car and spend a day at York and see how they organise everything, you' would like to think that's already in the pipeline and it could save us time and additional expense and learning by trial and error. The Ogdens have financed this but unfortunately aren't hands on at the club, do they have the right person in place to ensure that a more professional approach is put in place to not only protect the pitch but also maximise their financial outlay...just leaving pitch covers discarded and open to the elements isn't good enough, the same happened with other covers that the fans helped to finance and were left piled up on the car park. Does all of this come under the remit of the Stadium manager to oversee? [Post edited 29 Nov 8:23]
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| Update on the pitch on 09:10 - Nov 29 with 4194 views | Dale_4_Life |
Hybrid Grass technologies entered the sporting market 20 years ago. In recent times HERO Hybrid Grass was developed to enhance the performance of these hybrid grass technologies and to meet the growing expectations of customers wishing to benefit from hybrid grass technologies. The aim was to create the perfect playing surface to withstand today’s high usage demands on pitches, and to increase the longevity of the surface in playing hours.
HERO is unique in that it offers the greatest distribution of artificial grass fibres per square metre of natural grass, thus creating the most consistent and safe playing surface available. HERO is performance tested by Labosport. HERO meets the international playing standards of World Rugby and FIFA.
The fibres protect the plant from wear and aid the plant in its recovery. HERO can therefore offer 3x more playing hours in comparison to natural grass alone. In HERO, 5% of the playing surface is artificial grass and 95% of the playing surface is natural grass. Each fibre is 65mm tall, with 45mm in the profile and 20mm free in the natural grass.
The underside of HERO is a reticulated grid. This structure is 85% open; hence it is not characterised as a backing. The vertical fibres are anchored to this horizontal grid via knots. The fibres extend from each junction of the grid; hence the symmetry of the grid is reflected in the symmetry of the fibres. This unique, patented construction is achieved via knitting, rather than tufting or weaving.
The open construction of HERO creates the perfect growing environment for the natural grass to thrive. With no backing, there is no impediment to the plant’s root growth because there is no physical barrier. By eliminating the physical barrier, the risk of organic fines being trapped in the surface is also eliminated. The growing medium remains healthy and open, exhibiting the optimum balance between air and moisture.
This balance also improves the playing performance of the surface, for example reducing the likelihood of players slipping from excess moisture retained in the surface. The elimination of the physical barrier also improves the biomechanics of the playing surface, for example the players energy is better absorbed by the surface and returned from the surface.
HERO is a versatile hybrid grass technology. The technology can be rolled out and planted onsite, for example at a training facility, where there is time to grow-in the natural grass on-site. Or it may be rolled out as a pre-grown ‘ready-to-play’ surface, where it is used in a stadium to replace damaged areas before the next event.
The design of HERO is tailored to suit different sports, for example football, rugby and golf, and also to suit different natural grass cultivars. Hence HERO’s versatility is truly global.
The technology also supports Ground Managers, allowing them to renovate the natural grass throughout the year, for example between events, mid-season, or at the end of season. This year-round renovation ensures the playing surface continues to meet the demands of the event schedule year-round.
HERO may be installed as a long-term installation, for example 10 years plus in a stadium or training pitch, or it may be installed as a short-term installation, for a specific event or for a specific period of events. After use it may be removed and maintained for the next installation or disposed of. If disposed of, the components of HERO can be biodegrading or recycled. Again the design is versatile to suit. [Post edited 29 Nov 9:13]
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| Update on the pitch on 09:21 - Nov 29 with 4147 views | Dale_4_Life |
Edit..
Cut and pasted if anyone is interested…
Link above post as well to the whole article. [Post edited 29 Nov 9:55]
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| Update on the pitch on 09:40 - Nov 29 with 4100 views | isitme |
Your original post did not contain the information it does now, just a question asking what it was. Hence why I posted the link.
Your edit is after my post! |  | | |
| Update on the pitch on 09:52 - Nov 29 with 4014 views | Dale_4_Life |
Apologies.
I did ask the question - then decided to look for myself.
Sorry about my response I totally misread your reply. | | | |
| Update on the pitch on 10:14 - Nov 29 with 3956 views | mikehunt |
Can this stuff be conventionally mowed? I am curious as to how the artificial fibres cope with mowing and rolling. |  |
| The worm of time turns not for the cuckoo of circumstance. |
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| Update on the pitch on 12:04 - Nov 29 with 3668 views | rochedale |
You’d think it wouldn’t need to be cut if they are at the length of the grass after it’s cut, which I believe is around 28mm… |  |
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| Update on the pitch on 12:15 - Nov 29 with 3597 views | dingdangblue |
| Update on the pitch on 07:03 - Nov 29 by TalkingSutty |
The cost will be massive and because of that it's imperative that a proper annual maintainence plan is put in place and that it's strictly adhered to, no cutting corners in the future by a groundsman with a ego who might thing that he knows best..not speaking about the current one by the way.. Nothing that might null and void any legal guarantees that come with the purchase and installation.
I also think the topic of pitch covers needs looking at and not only the use of them but also the storage, they are going to be needed to protect against frost and snow and they don't come cheap. If they are going to be left outside and open to the elements would it be possible to source some sort of protective cover to store them properly and maybe put them on pallets.. How do the groundsman at other clubs like Oldham/ Accrington organise these things.? Has anybody at the club requested a visit to pick their brains and discuss the pitfalls and solutions, share some knowledge. I say this because it's very rare Oldham have a game postponed so they must be doing something right. They have also recently installed a hybrid pitch.
I was reading that this pitch lasts about 10 years, will it then need a full replacement because the structure will then break down, is there anyway to extend it's life beyond that? Will it be possible to then go to a more traditional pitch to save cost without ripping out this hybrid pitch and starting again? Would it be possible to build entry points down into the drains when installing the pitch for future maintainence ? Ten years passes pretty quickly and the landscape of the club might be completely different then.but there needs to be a longer term plan. I doubt we can replace the pitch every 10 years.
York City have the exact same pitch also and they have had numerous teams playing on it, Sheffield United and Hull City U21, ladies football and also the Rugby league club. They recently hosted ladies rugby world cup games. Over 120 hrs of use during the year, which equates to very roughly 80 full games of football. Probably double what we currently see played at Spotland with the football and rugby club. It seems there is also scope to rent the pitch out for use so that could orove beneficial and assist with the financial upkeep. Could our groundstaff and a club official jump in a car and spend a day at York and see how they organise everything, you' would like to think that's already in the pipeline and it could save us time and additional expense and learning by trial and error. The Ogdens have financed this but unfortunately aren't hands on at the club, do they have the right person in place to ensure that a more professional approach is put in place to not only protect the pitch but also maximise their financial outlay...just leaving pitch covers discarded and open to the elements isn't good enough, the same happened with other covers that the fans helped to finance and were left piled up on the car park. Does all of this come under the remit of the Stadium manager to oversee? [Post edited 29 Nov 8:23]
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If this drainage system is correct and the pitch is maintained professionally and correctly we wont need pitch covers. |  |
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| Update on the pitch on 12:45 - Nov 29 with 3461 views | TalkingSutty |
| Update on the pitch on 12:15 - Nov 29 by dingdangblue |
If this drainage system is correct and the pitch is maintained professionally and correctly we wont need pitch covers. |
How will we protect it from freezing? | | | |
| Update on the pitch on 12:50 - Nov 29 with 3441 views | James1980 |
A more pressing issue is the tweet saying covers will be removed at 2pm which finishes with a🤞as a reply says that doesn't inspire confidence. | |
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| Update on the pitch on 12:57 - Nov 29 with 3393 views | 49thseason |
A helicopter has landed on the Lacrosse pitches so I guess the Cameron Ogden is casting an eye over pre-match proceedings today...... |  | | |
| Update on the pitch on 13:35 - Nov 29 with 3220 views | EllDale |
Covers are just coming off now. | | | |
| Update on the pitch on 13:36 - Nov 29 with 3210 views | TVOS1907 |
| Update on the pitch on 12:57 - Nov 29 by 49thseason |
A helicopter has landed on the Lacrosse pitches so I guess the Cameron Ogden is casting an eye over pre-match proceedings today...... |
Is there more than one of him? |  |
| You mean you STILL haven't worked out why some posts get down-ticked? |
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| Update on the pitch on 21:41 - Nov 29 with 2751 views | dingdangblue |
| Update on the pitch on 12:45 - Nov 29 by TalkingSutty |
How will we protect it from freezing? |
Use the frost covers. Those are different to the waterproof covers bundled up infront of the Wilbutts. Those waterproof covers aren't good for the longterm health of the pitch. | |
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| Update on the pitch on 22:02 - Nov 29 with 2703 views | 442Dale |
| Update on the pitch on 21:41 - Nov 29 by dingdangblue |
Use the frost covers. Those are different to the waterproof covers bundled up infront of the Wilbutts. Those waterproof covers aren't good for the longterm health of the pitch. |
Not sure what frost covers we still have.
The covers we have are detailed here:
https://matchsaver.com/matchsaver-deliver-waterproof-air-roller-covers-to-rochda
These have the same name as the ones used by Hamilton to protect against frost:
https://matchsaver.com/case-studies/football-pitch-protection-covers-hamilton/
Again, it needs establishing whether they will help in different weather conditions. As the other case studies suggest, the covers do help with preventing waterlogging and they may be beneficial in the future once the pitch is done. For instance, they’d be good when heavy snow is due.
Storing them properly would be a good start. |  |
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| Update on the pitch on 23:25 - Nov 29 with 2564 views | Yorkshire_Dale |
| Update on the pitch on 13:36 - Nov 29 by TVOS1907 |
Is there more than one of him? |
........NFR, there are said to be 8 (eight) Vladimir Putins. | | | |
| Update on the pitch on 00:07 - Nov 30 with 2517 views | _Windydale |
This team needs all the support it can get and deserves it to help us keep our place.
Surprised to hear some fans being choosy about following Dale at grounds, especially rivals.
Shouting up from the main stand steps, some guy firmly shouts, 'I'll go if it's Accrington!, but not Oldham!"
Bit over top I think. Fkin get behind the lads, home or away. | | | |
| Update on the pitch on 10:51 - Nov 30 with 2169 views | Dalenet |
| Update on the pitch on 00:07 - Nov 30 by _Windydale |
This team needs all the support it can get and deserves it to help us keep our place.
Surprised to hear some fans being choosy about following Dale at grounds, especially rivals.
Shouting up from the main stand steps, some guy firmly shouts, 'I'll go if it's Accrington!, but not Oldham!"
Bit over top I think. Fkin get behind the lads, home or away. |
Seems bizarre that people think like that. On the day, that ground will be ours and we will make it a home by being there in numbers. The club now need to find ways to make it easier for fans to get there. Somebody earlier in this thread didn't agree with me, but I think the club needs to arrange transport to the other ground from Spotland and the town centre at a nominal cost to the fans (i.e not for profit). Take the hassle and excuses away. We have hundreds of fans that travel from far and wide to games, it would be a shame if some people locally find an excuse not to do it. | | | |
| Update on the pitch on 11:10 - Nov 30 with 2122 views | 442Dale |
| Update on the pitch on 10:51 - Nov 30 by Dalenet |
Seems bizarre that people think like that. On the day, that ground will be ours and we will make it a home by being there in numbers. The club now need to find ways to make it easier for fans to get there. Somebody earlier in this thread didn't agree with me, but I think the club needs to arrange transport to the other ground from Spotland and the town centre at a nominal cost to the fans (i.e not for profit). Take the hassle and excuses away. We have hundreds of fans that travel from far and wide to games, it would be a shame if some people locally find an excuse not to do it. |
Would agree with the transport thing. Get as many buses as possible going. Just need to get numbers of who may be interested. | |
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| Update on the pitch on 11:19 - Nov 30 with 2106 views | TalkingSutty |
| Update on the pitch on 11:10 - Nov 30 by 442Dale |
Would agree with the transport thing. Get as many buses as possible going. Just need to get numbers of who may be interested. |
If it does end up being Accrington there are also trains from Rochdale to Accrington that stop at Littleborough. Not sure if that would work out for the evening kick off but it works for the Saturday fixture. Wherever we play let's remember it's somebody else's home that they have kindly invited us into and treat it with respect. No stupid behaviour or grafitti etc. The club are forking out enough money without being hit with a bill for damage caused. As a fanbase we're a lot better than that. [Post edited 30 Nov 11:24]
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| Update on the pitch on 12:24 - Nov 30 with 1988 views | TVOS1907 |
| Update on the pitch on 10:51 - Nov 30 by Dalenet |
Seems bizarre that people think like that. On the day, that ground will be ours and we will make it a home by being there in numbers. The club now need to find ways to make it easier for fans to get there. Somebody earlier in this thread didn't agree with me, but I think the club needs to arrange transport to the other ground from Spotland and the town centre at a nominal cost to the fans (i.e not for profit). Take the hassle and excuses away. We have hundreds of fans that travel from far and wide to games, it would be a shame if some people locally find an excuse not to do it. |
I was saying yesterday that also, if an appeal went out for fans to give lifts to those who were unable to make their own way there, then I'm sure it would be a welcome gesture which most supporters would get on board with.
On a similar note, it was disappointing to read a couple of comments on another platform from season ticket holders asking if the club would reimburse them the cost of the missed matches if they couldn't get there. Talk about not looking at the significantly bigger picture. | |
| You mean you STILL haven't worked out why some posts get down-ticked? |
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| Update on the pitch on 12:30 - Nov 30 with 1962 views | TVOS1907 |
| Update on the pitch on 11:19 - Nov 30 by TalkingSutty |
If it does end up being Accrington there are also trains from Rochdale to Accrington that stop at Littleborough. Not sure if that would work out for the evening kick off but it works for the Saturday fixture. Wherever we play let's remember it's somebody else's home that they have kindly invited us into and treat it with respect. No stupid behaviour or grafitti etc. The club are forking out enough money without being hit with a bill for damage caused. As a fanbase we're a lot better than that. [Post edited 30 Nov 11:24]
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There are trains back to Littleborough from Accrington at 22.28 and 23.28 on that evening, which would both work out well. | |
| You mean you STILL haven't worked out why some posts get down-ticked? |
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| Update on the pitch on 18:46 - Nov 30 with 1653 views | RespectTheChemistry |
The Ogdens deserve a vocal show of appreciation next Saturday for what they have done already and are about to do for the Club [Post edited 1 Dec 9:00]
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| Update on the pitch on 08:47 - Dec 2 with 957 views | TalkingSutty |
On a similar subject, what are peoples thoughts on the floodlights? The lighting looks a little below what it should be to me, in comparison to other clubs. I wonder if at the same time as fixing the pitch it would be possible to wire up a few extra lights maybe along the front edge of the Willbutts Lane Stand or the main stand. That's if the budget will stretch. Maybe it's my eyesight failing though, that's also a possibility. | | | |
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