Artificial pitches

[gingerjon]

8 hours ago, M j M said:

Yeah definitely they used to. But that's not the reason the Leeds pitch looks sandy right now (or did last week). The technology of pitches is amazing now, as are the budgets allocated to maintaining them properly.

Just down the road from here, there's a small village team that plays in the eleventh tier of English football. They are getting a new ground and it will have a 'grass' pitch. Pretty much everything about it is hybrid, artificial or tech-based until you get to the very top layer which is (a very specific form of) grass.

They will also have a couple of 4G pitches to hire out as well. I think there's less tech in those.

[fighting irish]

11 hours ago, M j M said:

Yeah definitely they used to. But that's not the reason the Leeds pitch looks sandy right now (or did last week). The technology of pitches is amazing now, as are the budgets allocated to maintaining them properly.

I doubt that anyone will corroborate my view on this but the best pitch (grass) I've ever seen was at Cardiff City FC ground Old Ninian Park. It was a real credit to the groundsman/staff, who worked on it every day. I don't know how they did it but it did have a pronounced camber from side to side, with the long centre line being (i'd guess) at least 2 feet higher than the touch lines. 

[RP London]

15 hours ago, graveyard johnny said:

its the plastic players we need to worry about

Or the plastic men and plastic cats and dogs... 

 

do they count as attendees BTW.. asking for a friend

[Spidey]

15 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Awful to play on,the Widnes pitch is like playing on a cheese grater.

Na... its really not

[Tommygilf]

 

 

[Eddie]

I have read that a growing number of people think the black rubber bits all over some plastic pitches (not sure if they have them on the ones used in RL) are carcinogenic, which imho is something that needs more research and quickly. 

[Maximus Decimus]

5 hours ago, Spidey said:

Na... its really not

There were some crazy scare stories back when it all started 10 years ago. One player had apparently claimed that Widnes players were permanently on painkillers because of the cuts on the knees. IIRC it all started because the first game was played at -8 and the plastic balls froze causing problems.

Then there was the fear that it was causing excess injuries after Widnes suffered a bad start. 

In reality it never really panned out and 10 years on, it is barely ever mentioned. I was surprised how good it was looking yesterday, they must be doing decent upkeep on it.

[gingerjon]

11 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I have read that a growing number of people think the black rubber bits all over some plastic pitches (not sure if they have them on the ones used in RL) are carcinogenic, which imho is something that needs more research and quickly. 

A quick google shows at least 20 years of research into artificial surfaces, including those with black rubber bits, and they all seem to show that they are safe - albeit that the EU is mandating a reduction in the chemicals that go into their production (this, obviously, will not apply to the UK automatically).

[Spidey]

3 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

There were some crazy scare stories back when it all started 10 years ago. One player had apparently claimed that Widnes players were permanently on painkillers because of the cuts on the knees. IIRC it all started because the first game was played at -8 and the plastic balls froze causing problems.

Then there was the fear that it was causing excess injuries after Widnes suffered a bad start. 

In reality it never really panned out and 10 years on, it is barely ever mentioned. I was surprised how good it was looking yesterday, they must be doing decent upkeep on it.

It was completely replaced a few years back. I think with it being one of the first of its kind it had teething issues along way. But a lot of the claims are myths now 

[Spidey]

14 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I have read that a growing number of people think the black rubber bits all over some plastic pitches (not sure if they have them on the ones used in RL) are carcinogenic, which imho is something that needs more research and quickly. 

I think they were on the first iteration of Widnes’ pitch. I don’t believe they are since it was resurfaced (happy to be corrected)

[Man of Kent]

I play tag on a new artificial pitch. Lovely quick surface for lateral movement but it slices through skin like a cut throat razor.

[Maximus Decimus]

Say what you like about artificial pitches, but tonight's game would certainly very different!

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

Tonight would have been better with an artificial pitch.... not different - better 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

5 hours ago, Eddie said:

I have read that a growing number of people think the black rubber bits all over some plastic pitches (not sure if they have them on the ones used in RL) are carcinogenic, which imho is something that needs more research and quickly. 

They better make it quick. There are always those bits of crumb in my porch after my kids soccer practices

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

3 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

I play tag on a new artificial pitch. Lovely quick surface for lateral movement but it slices through skin like a cut throat razor.

Wear skins

[Eddie]

3 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

They better make it quick. There are always those bits of crumb in my porch after my kids soccer practices

Likewise, they get everywhere don’t they! 

[David Shepherd]

On 06/02/2022 at 12:59, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Wakey are going that way. 

I'm a fan of them in terms of avoiding heavy tracks especially in the colder months / sandy beach type conditions like at Headingly

What are peoples thoughts on these?

Not a fan. There's something not quite right about the bounce of the ball.

Plus a real grass pitch gives a range of playing conditions that finds out strengths and weaknesses in teams.

Variety is good.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 minute ago, David Shepherd said:

Not a fan. There's something not quite right about the bounce of the ball.

Plus a real grass pitch gives a range of playing conditions that finds out strengths and weaknesses in teams.

Variety is good.

I just think the 'variety' can result in what happened tonight.  

If you know exactly what the conditions will be does it makes it easier to train/plan for exacting (and so exciting)  plays?

[David Shepherd]

6 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I just think the 'variety' can result in what happened tonight.  

If you know exactly what the conditions will be does it makes it easier to train/plan for exacting (and so exciting)  plays?

No problem with watching a game in conditions like tonight. We get plenty of months where the track is dry.

[Tommygilf]

Do any rugby league pitches use the hybrid system?

 

[Davo5]

14 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Do any rugby league pitches use the hybrid system?

 

Not sure but that’s the route clubs should be going instead of awful plastic pitches.

[Maximus Decimus]

9 hours ago, David Shepherd said:

No problem with watching a game in conditions like tonight. We get plenty of months where the track is dry.

Last night felt like 1986. I haven't seen a TV game on a pitch like that in a long long time.

Luckily it was 2 decent teams who were still able to use the ball. 

[Smudger06]

On 06/02/2022 at 23:00, Hopping Mad said:

Dewsbury seem to have the best of both worlds: a plastic pitch for training and hiring to the community (it must be a great source of additional income), and a grass pitch on which to play their matches.

Yes it's the way forward that. 

[Smudger06]

I think Doncaster have the best pitch currently in rugby league.  

[M j M]

Huddersfield's is a hybrid pitch I think.

At Leeds the sand underneath the pitch is reinforced with fibres but I think the actual surface on top of that is 100% grass although I could be wrong.