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View Full Version : Alloa`s Artificial Pitch



Carheenlea
29-11-2014, 08:27 PM
We had a spot down the front this afternoon and seeing the pitch at close hand it is fair to say it caused us some problems today. It will be interesting to see the Alloa goal on television later on tonight as I think Mark Oxley was possibly caught out with the spin of the ball as it bounced in front of him. That said, a solid keeper should not really be letting these squirm through his legs regardless, but I thought the pitch was a contributory factor in the goal. It was noticeable in the second half where a shot from Handling I think bounced in similar fashion a little bit higher in front of their keeper, and the ball while in the keepers hands was still spinning.
Liam Fontain struggled on numerous occasions misjudging the bounce of ball - it often bounced straight up in the air - but in the main most of the other players coped well enough to see out another excellent result on the road. Certainly glad we don`t play on a surface like that at Easter Road.

craigmounthibby
29-11-2014, 08:32 PM
Simply shouldn't be allowed. It's for pub fitba.

Jonnyboy
29-11-2014, 08:38 PM
Simply shouldn't be allowed. It's for pub fitba.

Agreed. Football should be played on grass, not synthetic surfaces

hibeesjoe
29-11-2014, 08:40 PM
I was right next too the goals at the front. It definitely had a funny spin on it when it went through Oxleys legs. A bit unlucky but you feel it should never happen anyway.


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O'Rourke3
29-11-2014, 08:41 PM
What surprised me was that it wasn't that flat. I dont mean it was bumpy pitch looked "rolling"

Hiber-nation
29-11-2014, 09:04 PM
What surprised me was that it wasn't that flat. I dont mean it was bumpy pitch looked "rolling"

Aye that's how it seemed to me.

How they passed this fit for professional fitba is beyond me. It seemed to be even worse than the last game, the ball was taking huge bounces on some patches, just dying on others, sticking, rolling too quickly etc etc. Well done to our players for playing such good football on it in the first half.

SlickShoes
29-11-2014, 09:43 PM
I played a full 90 minutes last weekend on a pitch like this and it's just odd for a,proper game of football, I play on the same pitch twice a week for fun too and it's fine for that but for a real game I didn't like it much at all. My knees felt rough after the game and the rubber crumb gets everywhere.

I understand why they use the pitch, I suppose we have to wonder if they had a grass pitch what sort of state it would be in in winter, probably like a ploughed field or public park so it's 6 and half a dozen really.

whiskyhibby
29-11-2014, 09:55 PM
These sort of pitches should not be allowed for professional football, the bounce of the ball was completely unpredictable and made a mockery of any suggestion of playing Professional football, leave it to the Sunday league pub teams IMHO

DTS
29-11-2014, 10:29 PM
I think artificial pitches are fine for a game of fives with your pals but should be left for that and not used in the professional game! Although that being said id imagine a club like Alloa wouldn't be able to afford the upkeep of a decent quality grass pitch throughout winter and it would end up being a worse pitch for they months

hibbytam
30-11-2014, 12:32 AM
I don't mind the idea of plastic pitches, but I think the Alloa one is a poor example of one. I wasn't there today, but last time out I seem to recall the ball didn't bounce the way it does on grass, and it caused the injury to el alagui.

I'm not sure if it caused the goal, but Oxley did seem uncharacteristically caught out.

lord bunberry
30-11-2014, 01:02 AM
Proper versions of the artificial pitch are the way forward in this country. We don't have the climate to maintain a grass pitch all year round, so technology is the answer. We just need to do better than what Alloa have got.

O'Rourke3
30-11-2014, 01:13 AM
Proper versions of the artificial pitch are the way forward in this country. We don't have the climate to maintain a grass pitch all year round, so technology is the answer. We just need to do better than what Alloa have got.
:agree:

Billy Whizz
30-11-2014, 08:28 AM
That's the 2nd injury we've picked up on it this season. Farid in August and Craig yesterday

bigwheel
30-11-2014, 08:57 AM
I liked the old school ground actually, but the pitch spoiled the game. Also, The floodlights seemed to impact on players too....they didn't seem good enough for that level of football...

ano hibby
30-11-2014, 09:02 AM
That's the 2nd injury we've picked up on it this season. Farid in August and Craig yesterday

How bad is it? Had a very good game yesterday.

Brightside
30-11-2014, 09:21 AM
We had a spot down the front this afternoon and seeing the pitch at close hand it is fair to say it caused us some problems today. It will be interesting to see the Alloa goal on television later on tonight as I think Mark Oxley was possibly caught out with the spin of the ball as it bounced in front of him. That said, a solid keeper should not really be letting these squirm through his legs regardless, but I thought the pitch was a contributory factor in the goal. It was noticeable in the second half where a shot from Handling I think bounced in similar fashion a little bit higher in front of their keeper, and the ball while in the keepers hands was still spinning.
Liam Fontain struggled on numerous occasions misjudging the bounce of ball - it often bounced straight up in the air - but in the main most of the other players coped well enough to see out another excellent result on the road. Certainly glad we don`t play on a surface like that at Easter Road.

There are no excuses for Oxley's mistake. Doesn't matter if he;s playing on my kitchen floor. Its a easy save and just a daft mistake.

Billy Whizz
30-11-2014, 10:29 AM
How bad is it? Had a very good game yesterday.

Don't know,pulled up so may be a muscle injury
Got anothe plastic pitch at Falkirk next week as well

Arch Stanton
30-11-2014, 11:42 AM
Some clubs, likes of Hamilton and QoS, seem to play pretty decent football on artificial turf. Is that because they are used to it or do they have better quality surfaces?

PeeJay
30-11-2014, 11:51 AM
Agreed. Football should be played on grass, not synthetic surfaces

Agree in principle, but Scottish pitches (including Easter Road) seem to be missing grass a lot during the winter months, so it's a bit of a myth that football is played on grass, surely? (Motherwell's ground springs to mind). Maybe an artificial surface would be something to consider as the surface wouldn't change from week to week as the grass dies off ... think every club would have to have them then though to be consistent. Not 100% against the idea ...

Leithenhibby
30-11-2014, 12:25 PM
I'm old school, those artificial pitches should not enter our professional game, IMO.

That pitch was horrid yesterday, everything that football is not :agree:

Hiber-nation
30-11-2014, 12:32 PM
I liked the old school ground actually, but the pitch spoiled the game. Also, The floodlights seemed to impact on players too....they didn't seem good enough for that level of football...

That's what I thought, a few of our players (especially Fontaine) seemed to totally misjudge high balls.

After seeing the highlights it's clear that the pitch had no bearing on Oxley's mistake though.

blackpoolhibs
30-11-2014, 12:32 PM
I'm all for everyone having a plastic pitch, the benefits are out there for all to see. They have to be good though, and they have to be on a par with grass, and until such times as they are then its a no for me with these current pitches.

HappyAsHellas
30-11-2014, 12:33 PM
Fine for 5 a side or the diddy leagues, but in no way should they ever be allowed in a competition at the higher levels of football. Yesterday it was really obvious how a pitch like this detracts from the game itself. Every time the ball bounced you have a little cloud of black rubber shavings being thrown up - is it really that much more advanced than astro turf and sand?

Silky
30-11-2014, 01:09 PM
I'm in two minds. There are some good artificial pitches and some awful ones! If clubs are going to use them, then they should be made to have the best quality ones they can!

That said, they are not an alien concept for a lot of teams as many train on these surfaces so will be aware of the difference. Sure Hibs train on one regularly too, either at EM or Ainsley Park.

Mikey09
30-11-2014, 01:12 PM
I work at one of these facilities. They are decent for training on. But next time you play on one pass the ball along the surface and watch it bobble. These surfaces are at there best if it's wet. But give me a good grass surface any time over artificlal.

SunshineOnLeith
30-11-2014, 01:16 PM
Not all plastic pitches are the same. Alloa's is terrible and playing professional football on it is a nonsense.

sbell1875
30-11-2014, 01:50 PM
I played on the artificial pitch at Lesser Hampden 2 weeks ago and can quite honestly say it's a million times better than the one at Alloa.

From my view yesterday it looks like the pitch has suffered what all astrograss pitches suffer from in that the "turf" has collapsed and it is now nigh on flat.

I think the funny bounce will have been caused by a leather ball bouncing on rubber. The adhesion will cause the awkward bounce.

NadeAteMyLunch!
30-11-2014, 02:03 PM
Should still be saving that. Looked a definite free kick for us in the build up to their goal though

silverhibee
30-11-2014, 02:15 PM
I'm in two minds. There are some good artificial pitches and some awful ones! If clubs are going to use them, then they should be made to have the best quality ones they can!

That said, they are not an alien concept for a lot of teams as many train on these surfaces so will be aware of the difference. Sure Hibs train on one regularly too, either at EM or Ainsley Park.

Pretty sure Hibs train on grass at EM, not even to sure if we used Spartans for a training session this week.

Arsenal and Murrayfield are the best pitches going about, if we can get a pitch like that then happy days, if not then these 3/4 G pitches should not be allowed anywhere near topflight football, they are all pish, as folk say, okay for a game of five a sides but no way should these kid on pitches be allowed in top flight football, SFA made a massive mistake by allowing Kilmarnock to install one of these pitches in the top flight league in Scotland.

HappyAsHellas
30-11-2014, 02:35 PM
Found this on the FA website concerning plastic pitches, this bit concerning the cost:

Current estimates for the resurfacing of a full size pitch (including removal of the existing surface and disposal of the surface and fill) suggests a budget of between £150,000 and £180,000 plus VAT is realistic. Based on 5% inflation a sum of £180,000 will equate to £293,202 in 10 years time. To achieve this figure, and assuming a compound interest rate of 5%, a monthly contribution of £1,924 (£23,311 per annum) is required every month from the first month of the pitch’s life.

I seriously doubt Alloa's pitch is this expensive to maintain as grass would seem to me to be the cheaper option. I do not know what the SFA guidelines are, but I'd bet they were the cheap option.

Brightside
30-11-2014, 02:47 PM
Proper versions of the artificial pitch are the way forward in this country. We don't have the climate to maintain a grass pitch all year round, so technology is the answer. We just need to do better than what Alloa have got.

Having played at Lasswade this morning I wish they'd ban grass pitches in Scotland. Total waste of time trying to teach kids to play football on pitches like that.

3pm
30-11-2014, 03:07 PM
Having played at Lasswade this morning I wish they'd ban grass pitches in Scotland. Total waste of time trying to teach kids to play football on pitches like that.

The 4G thing at the school? Or the grass in the village?

Ozyhibby
30-11-2014, 03:19 PM
The stadium pitch at Spartans is a good example astro pitch.
The academy pitch at the back is ok for training the kids but no good for matches.
Economics of Scottish football mean they are here to stay. Might as well get used to it.

Jonnyboy
30-11-2014, 07:58 PM
Proper versions of the artificial pitch are the way forward in this country. We don't have the climate to maintain a grass pitch all year round, so technology is the answer. We just need to do better than what Alloa have got.

We've managed with grass pitches for over a century. Surely the climate hasn't changed that much? Indeed the grass pitches in the last decade or so have been great. I mean, how often do you see muddy strips at the end of a game?

silverhibee
30-11-2014, 08:39 PM
We've managed with grass pitches for over a century. Surely the climate hasn't changed that much? Indeed the grass pitches in the last decade or so have been great. I mean, how often do you see muddy strips at the end of a game?

I seen a wee clip on the TV earlier on J, Kenny Dalglish scoring a cracking goal for Scotland at Hampden, the pitch was a bloody mess, all cut up, but it didn't stop KD rounding a divet and putting the ball in the top corner,, plastic pitches in the top flight of Scottish football will just be another nail in the coffin of Scottish football, the SFA should never have allowed Killie to lay a plastic pitch in the top flight of Scottish football, as you say, there has been no problems so far with grass pitches in the last 100 or so years, only you will no that :greengrin, football should be played on grass, nothing else.

Brightside
30-11-2014, 08:50 PM
The 4G thing at the school? Or the grass in the village?

Grass pitch oppo the boozer. just pure mud and a waste of time playing.

madabouthibs
30-11-2014, 09:05 PM
I've played on Falkirks pitch, I thought it was pretty good to be fair, the ball certainly didn''t "play" like it does on your everyday Astroturf, and the surface is pretty lush, but your aware your playing on a harder than grass surface, and sometimes I found myself expecting a bigger bounce, or a faster "skite" along the surface and being caught out by the ball travel.
I'm not saying Oxley wasn't at fault, that should've been bread 'n butter for him, but the surface may have played a small part.

Knees, thighs and ankles were murder the day after though! :agree:

lord bunberry
30-11-2014, 09:48 PM
We've managed with grass pitches for over a century. Surely the climate hasn't changed that much? Indeed the grass pitches in the last decade or so have been great. I mean, how often do you see muddy strips at the end of a game?

You don't see muddy pitches due to better drainage. The problem isn't mud it's when the grass gets worn away and won't grow due to it being too cold. Hybrid pitches like they have down south are the way forward.

Jonnyboy
30-11-2014, 09:54 PM
You don't see muddy pitches due to better drainage. The problem isn't mud it's when the grass gets worn away and won't grow due to it being too cold. Hybrid pitches like they have down south are the way forward.

Ach I'm just a traditionalist, is all :greengrin 'Mon the grass :cb

silverhibee
30-11-2014, 09:57 PM
Ach I'm just a traditionalist, is all :greengrin 'Mon the grass :cb


Gets my backing :smokin :greengrin

Boyle89
30-11-2014, 10:00 PM
Tbf to teams like Alloa they need an artificial pitch to generate income. When we go up we won't have to deal with them again unless in the cups. Our own fault we have to suffer through them for now. Here's hoping it's only this season.

Jonnyboy
30-11-2014, 10:01 PM
Gets my backing :smokin :greengrin

:greengrin

Deek01
01-12-2014, 12:26 AM
I trained and played on it for 2 years. Loved it.

macd123
01-12-2014, 01:19 AM
Pretty sure Hibs train on grass at EM, not even to sure if we used Spartans for a training session this week.

Arsenal and Murrayfield are the best pitches going about, if we can get a pitch like that then happy days, if not then these 3/4 G pitches should not be allowed anywhere near topflight football, they are all pish, as folk say, okay for a game of five a sides but no way should these kid on pitches be allowed in top flight football, SFA made a massive mistake by allowing Kilmarnock to install one of these pitches in the top flight league in Scotland.

I think we should get one (4G) and use it to our advantage. Easter Road is too nice a place to come and play football for opposition teams just now. Nice modern facilities, a great surface, wide pitch, the east stand is a yard back now so less intimidating. If you play for ross county or dumbarton you probably look forward to coming to play here.

So a pitch that we know like the back of our hand but opponents don't would be a good thing. While we are at it lets move the pitch east a bit so the fans are within touching distance and add some safe standing.