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Thecat23
12-05-2010, 07:00 AM
I was just thinking, when the new pitch is laid will we be getting in someone to look after it full time? Like when Tam was doing it. I heard it was contracted out last time and not a proper groundsman was looking after it.

Not sure if that was true though so happy to be corrected.

PaulSmith
12-05-2010, 07:03 AM
I was just thinking, when the new pitch is laid will we be getting in someone to look after it full time? Like when Tam was doing it. I heard it was contracted out last time and not a proper groundsman was looking after it.

Not sure if that was true though so happy to be corrected.

The pitch will be looked after by a professional company who will be charged with looking after the pitch as part of their contract.

Tam and Joyce will remain at East Mains.

Allant1981
12-05-2010, 07:05 AM
ive never understood this, how come he gets to be so involved with the players on match day?

Peevemor
12-05-2010, 07:21 AM
ive never understood this, how come he gets to be so involved with the players on match day?

Is he not the kit man now?

If so he's there to assist the players, making sure that they have everything they need. A good kit man will normally be close to the squad.

Thecat23
12-05-2010, 07:23 AM
The pitch will be looked after by a professional company who will be charged with looking after the pitch as part of their contract.

Tam and Joyce will remain at East Mains.

Is this the same company that's looked after the pitch last season?

Allant1981
12-05-2010, 07:25 AM
Is he not the kit man now?

If so he's there to assist the players, making sure that they have everything they need. A good kit man will normally be close to the squad.

aye he might be, just thought it was a bit strange

PaulSmith
12-05-2010, 08:07 AM
Is this the same company that's looked after the pitch last season?

I know where your coming from with that statement but believe that there were other factors involved in the pitch being such a mess last season...in the main due to a few years of someone not quite qualified looking after the pitch for a period of time beforehand.

MacBean
12-05-2010, 08:29 AM
Lets just hope it doesnt dig up like when Wembley gets returfed!
If so i can see a few nasty injuries!

Thecat23
12-05-2010, 08:29 AM
I know where your coming from with that statement but believe that there were other factors involved in the pitch being such a mess last season...in the main due to a few years of someone not quite qualified looking after the pitch for a period of time beforehand.

Ah i see, that's fair enough just hope it gets sorted for the season coming :agree: Cheers for the info bud.

MyJo
12-05-2010, 09:22 AM
Lets just hope it doesnt dig up like when Wembley gets returfed!
If so i can see a few nasty injuries!

The pitch will be seeded rather than turfed....more like the emirates than wembley hopefully

col02
12-05-2010, 09:24 AM
The pitch will be seeded rather than turfed....more like the emirates than wembley hopefully

Hopefully we get the weather required for germination otherwise I can envisage the groundstaff out with their containers of patch magic before the first game of the season. :greengrin Fwiw I think the groundstaff did an excellent job this season and it was only perhaps the errors of the previous groundstaff that seen a harsh Winter take such effect on the pitch.

rightwinger
12-05-2010, 10:11 AM
I'm not aware of the facts but from what I can gather the pitch has only really started to deteriorate since the old guy (Tam?) that now sits in the dugout stopped as groundsman.

Was the pitch work then farmed out to some contractor? How much could Petrie have saved doing this?! I'd assume it was a cost-cutting measure rather than Tam's kit management capabilities.

The small thing I've noticed particularly is the length of time it takes them to relay the goal-mouths. Look back at the 04-05 dvd for, example, the pitch in Jan/Feb 05 was fine. It's got increasingly worse in the last 3 years.

Not that I'd normally take his side in club politics - but I sympathise with Riordan's comments on the pitch. Never a complete excuse, but the state of the pitch certainly compounded results, performances, confidence, and fans' impatience as the season wore on.

Having a good pitch for the length of the season should be a big priority for the club.

Andy74
12-05-2010, 10:40 AM
I'm not aware of the facts but from what I can gather the pitch has only really started to deteriorate since the old guy (Tam?) that now sits in the dugout stopped as groundsman.

Was the pitch work then farmed out to some contractor? How much could Petrie have saved doing this?! I'd assume it was a cost-cutting measure rather than Tam's kit management capabilities.

The small thing I've noticed particularly is the length of time it takes them to relay the goal-mouths. Look back at the 04-05 dvd for, example, the pitch in Jan/Feb 05 was fine. It's got increasingly worse in the last 3 years.

Not that I'd normally take his side in club politics - but I sympathise with Riordan's comments on the pitch. Never a complete excuse, but the state of the pitch certainly compounded results, performances, confidence, and fans' impatience as the season wore on.

Having a good pitch for the length of the season should be a big priority for the club.


The problems with the pitch began when Tam was groundsman. The current team are just working with what they have been left.

Tam was groundsman at Wardie playing fields when Hibs trained there and that involved cutting the grass and managing the changing rooms.

He's a personality and the kit man role is better suited to him and we will be better off with a professional team looking after the pitch.

Thecat23
12-05-2010, 10:48 AM
For me i think the state of the pitch is a huge factor in how we play. The better condition we keep it in the more Hibs can play the ball along the deck without the worry of looking stupid trying to control a bobbling ball.

Petrie must know himself that maybe an extra bit of cash spent on proper groundsmen will help in the long run. Not that i'm blaming Petrie, for all i know he might be doing this now.

Andy74
12-05-2010, 12:17 PM
For me i think the state of the pitch is a huge factor in how we play. The better condition we keep it in the more Hibs can play the ball along the deck without the worry of looking stupid trying to control a bobbling ball.

Petrie must know himself that maybe an extra bit of cash spent on proper groundsmen will help in the long run. Not that i'm blaming Petrie, for all i know he might be doing this now.


The pitch was about 12 years old. It had a problem a few inches down that was as a result of both its age and some of the practices employed by the previous groundsman.

Hibs have know it needs sorted and it is now being rectified now the new stand is going up.

The money has been spent to get the new pitch foundations and new pitch and extra cash needing to be spent on goroundsmen is not the problem.