The pitch

[Peevemor]

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‘Of course, there will always be people on here who know better, or are looking for something to be outraged about’

There is having your opinion (totally fine) but that line suggests no one else can criticise the state of the pitch or the decisions made because we either don’t know better or were outraged.

Looking at the Nick of the pitch over the last 5 home games, and expecting that it won’t improve dramatically in the next 3 weeks so 7 home games minimum with a bare, bobbly and muddy pitch conducive to battles rather than football games then it’s going to have a negative impact on our results and performances.

If the ground staff were furloughed rather than supplier issues and its resulted in the mess of the pitch then it’s a poor decision and the fans should be able to comment on that.

All fair enough.

I just get annoyed when I come on to a Hibs' supporters' forum to find people who, whenever something isn't quite right, their default position is to criticise the club, often very vociferously, while appearing to make no attempt to understand how the situation may have arisen in the first place and no allowances for people having to deal with a global crisis that's a first time for everyone.

[hibbysam]

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All fair enough.

I just get annoyed when I come on to a Hibs' supporters' forum to find people who, whenever something isn't quite right, their default position is to criticise the club, often very vociferously, while appearing to make no attempt to understand how the situation may have arisen in the first place and no allowances for people having to deal with a global crisis that's a first time for everyone.

Very little criticism, more so saying we need to do better in the future, and if that means putting money into it then so be it. If the club did furlough the ground staff though and this is the result of that then they deserve some criticism for that in my opinion. The board get praised for all their good work, like the manager and the players, and equally deserve some criticism if they make poor decisions that impact our performance. It’s all relative and the whole point of a forum.

[Peevemor]

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Very little criticism, more so saying we need to do better in the future, and if that means putting money into it then so be it. If the club did furlough the ground staff though and this is the result of that then they deserve some criticism for that in my opinion. The board get praised for all their good work, like the manager and the players, and equally deserve some criticism if they make poor decisions that impact our performance. It’s all relative and the whole point of a forum.

Very little criticism? We obviously have a different idea of scale.

[TheSouthMoroccan]

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Very little criticism? We obviously have a different idea of scale.

But hibbysam's views and comments were fair and balanced and contributed to the discussion. I don't know anything about pitch management so I read this thread hoping to understand a bit more. I tend to widen my band width on my scale and focus my feedback on the more extreme QAnon type views

[Brightside]

I’d happily divert money away from other stadium improvements to work on the pitch. A hybrid model is needed. Can’t exactly complain about poor football when the pitch looks like jack kane on a wet Sunday.

[bigwheel]

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Very little criticism? We obviously have a different idea of scale.

Jack Ross has been talking about how poor the pitch is ..how it is effecting his tactics and how the players play. Talking about the need for more resources if possible to help it improve ..it’s not criticism with no reason. it’s just facing into an issue that has an impact on our football..

[hibbysam]

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Very little criticism? We obviously have a different idea of scale.

What I meant was very little criticism of the people either working on it or making the decisions regarding money. Criticising the pitch yes, but the only criticism of the people is if they were put on furlough. I’m no greenkeeper so don’t know the ins and outs of it all to criticise individuals, however I want to see us playing good football on a good surface all year round and if that means diverting funds from elsewhere then I’d be delighted for us to do so. Too late for this year, our football just needs to be more industrious for the time being, but I would want it sorted for next year so we don’t go through spells like this year in year out.

[superfurryhibby]

I’m no expert of the maintenance of a professional level football pitch, but I do like gardening.

I’m struggling to see a hypothetical link between the furlough of ground staff ten months ago and the current state of our hallowed turf. In fact the early finish to the season and the long hot early summer months we had in April, May and June would surely have been great for it ( assuming someone knew how to turn the sprinklers on every now and then).

I would find it very strange that the club anticipated that this would lead to the current situation and thought, **** it we’ll play on a tattie field for half a season.

More probable is that the pitch has suffered from a long spell of very wet weather, mixed with some prolonged hard frosts and damaged further by regularly having the undersoil heating on? It’s been a long and miserable winter and this will affect ER’s turf.

It is what it is. It will be sorted this summer no doubt. Until then it’s the same for both teams. Hibs need to find a style and means to play to the conditions.

[hibbysam]

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I’m no expert of the maintenance of a professional level football pitch, but I do like gardening.

I’m struggling to see a hypothetical link between the furlough of ground staff ten months ago and the current state of our hallowed turf. In fact the early finish to the season and the long hot early summer months we had in April, May and June would surely have been great for it ( assuming someone knew how to turn the sprinklers on every now and then).

I would find it very strange that the club anticipated that this would lead to the current situation and thought, **** it we’ll play on a tattie field for half a season.

More probable is that the pitch has suffered from a long spell of very wet weather, mixed with some prolonged hard frosts and damaged further by regularly having the undersoil heating on? It’s been a long and miserable winter and this will affect ER’s turf.

It is what it is. It will be sorted this summer no doubt. Until then it’s the same for both teams. Hibs need to find a style and means to play to the conditions.

The link was the head groundsman stating the issue for the problems now was the pandemic and not doing the necessary work back then to prevent the issues now.

[Greenbeard]

[QUOTE=Iggy Pope;6423760]Just had a close up of the surface at Elland Road on MOTD, We’re not alone, although it looks greener.[/QUOT
Green sand maybe?
Look at some You Tube clips of mid winter games from the 70s and the Easter Road surface looks tip top by comparison.
Given the extent to which some folk are blaming our lack of free flowing football on the pitch I'm looking forward to us playing champagne football on the Hampden surface and whipping St Johnstone by at least five.

[superfurryhibby]

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The link was the head groundsman stating the issue for the problems now was the pandemic and not doing the necessary work back then to prevent the issues now.

Do you have the link to that by any chance?

[hibbysam]

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Do you have the link to that by any chance?

It was an interview on the match yesterday pre game, haven’t seen it posted anywhere as yet, sorry.

[superfurryhibby]

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It was an interview on the match yesterday pre game, haven’t seen it posted anywhere as yet, sorry.

[greenginger]

The pitch looked like it had been recently, very heavily sanded which gave the appearance of large bare areas with no grass.

I maybe wrong, but I think the pitch will look a whole lot better for our next home game.

[Peevemor]

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What I meant was very little criticism of the people either working on it or making the decisions regarding money. Criticising the pitch yes, but the only criticism of the people is if they were put on furlough. I’m no greenkeeper so don’t know the ins and outs of it all to criticise individuals, however I want to see us playing good football on a good surface all year round and if that means diverting funds from elsewhere then I’d be delighted for us to do so. Too late for this year, our football just needs to be more industrious for the time being, but I would want it sorted for next year so we don’t go through spells like this year in year out.

There appears to be scrutiny of any decision made, at Hibs, Hampden or wherever, resulting in criticism almost 100% of the time, but without having all the information to hand.

I was the first on here yesterday to comment on how the pitch looked. I didn't however criticise decisions that were maybe made during the summer or question why people were furloughed even though I don't know who they work for.

Neither will I suggest what should be allocated to what budget for next season. I doubt that anyone at the club is currently able to project that far given the current situation.

Comments and criticism are fine, we're here for that among other things. Not looking to understand both sides of any story bothers me. But maybe that's just me.

[Alfred E Newman]

[QUOTE=Greenbeard;6423984]

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Just had a close up of the surface at Elland Road on MOTD, We’re not alone, although it looks greener.[/QUOT
Green sand maybe?
Look at some You Tube clips of mid winter games from the 70s and the Easter Road surface looks tip top by comparison.
Given the extent to which some folk are blaming our lack of free flowing football on the pitch I'm looking forward to us playing champagne football on the Hampden surface and whipping St Johnstone by at least five.

I believe the more enclosed ground has an affect on the circulation of air compared to the wide open spaces of the old ground which must also have an affect on the pitch. We are not alone in that respect of course. I also think that the grass is cut shorter now than it was in the old days which doesn’t help. When you take into consideration the fact that we did a good percentage of our training on it back then as well as playing reserve games at Easter Road , it would need to be kept longer.

[WhileTheChief..]

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These places don’t have massive stands blocking the light getting to the pitch.

We’d have a crap pitch every January if it was down to the size of the stands.

[Peevemor]

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We’d have a crap pitch every January if it was down to the size of the stands.

We often do, and it is.

That's why public parks are less sparse than ER and why Hearts had do much trouble with their grass pitch - with the stands very close together (corners) and very close to the pitch.

[superfurryhibby]

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We’d have a crap pitch every January if it was down to the size of the stands.

Particularly wet and cold winter so far may be a factor.

Did anyone else here the discussion on the state of the pitch that Hibbysam referred to as part of the pre-match build up? I wonder who it was that attributed the current conditions to lack of maintenance during furlough?

[lord bunberry]

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Particularly wet and cold winter so far may be a factor.

Did anyone else here the discussion on the state of the pitch that Hibbysam referred to as part of the pre-match build up? I wonder who it was that attributed the current conditions to lack of maintenance during furlough?

It was the groundskeeper that was interviewed.

[Iggy Pope]

[QUOTE=Greenbeard;6423984]

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Just had a close up of the surface at Elland Road on MOTD, We’re not alone, although it looks greener.[/QUOT
Green sand maybe?
Look at some You Tube clips of mid winter games from the 70s and the Easter Road surface looks tip top by comparison.
Given the extent to which some folk are blaming our lack of free flowing football on the pitch I'm looking forward to us playing champagne football on the Hampden surface and whipping St Johnstone by at least five.

I was around to see it in the 70s but that’s not where we are. I never said anything about the quality of football Greenbeard I only remarked on the quality of the pitch. This time last year or the year before that, it didn’t look like it does now and there will be a reason for that. And it won’t have anything to do with the position of 4 stands that have been complete for over a decade.

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There appears to be scrutiny of any decision made, at Hibs, Hampden or wherever, resulting in criticism almost 100% of the time, but without having all the information to hand.

I was the first on here yesterday to comment on how the pitch looked. I didn't however criticise decisions that were maybe made during the summer or question why people were furloughed even though I don't know who they work for.

Neither will I suggest what should be allocated to what budget for next season. I doubt that anyone at the club is currently able to project that far given the current situation.

Comments and criticism are fine, we're here for that among other things. Not looking to understand both sides of any story bothers me. But maybe that's just me.

Maybe it is just you. You’re taking a bunch of observations and input from fans painfully detached from the club they love and turning it into criticism in order that you can again jump to the clubs defence when they don’t really need defending. Particularly not from their own benefactors.

[Peevemor]

[QUOTE=Iggy Pope;6424082]

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I was around to see it in the 70s but that’s not where we are. I never said anything about the quality of football Greenbeard I only remarked on the quality of the pitch. This time last year or the year before that, it didn’t look like it does now and there will be a reason for that. And it won’t have anything to do with the position of 4 stands that have been complete for over a decade.




Maybe it is just you. You’re taking a bunch of observations and input from fans painfully detached from the club they love and turning it into criticism in order that you can again jump to the clubs defence when they don’t really need defending. Particularly not from their own benefactors.

So I shouldn't post my point of view then?

And a lot of my posts aren't actually a defence of the club (or whoever) but more a questioning of the criticism. It's not the same thing.

For example, someone called David Tanner a "f***ing moron" yesterday. That sort of stuff annoys me and I can disagree with it without necessarily defending Tanner.

[Iggy Pope]

[QUOTE=Peevemor;6424128]

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So I shouldn't post my point of view then?

Course you should but hopefully without taking it out on everyone else and making peoples minds up for them or battering everyone down. Where is this outrage you go on about? Other folks opinions maybe?

Like this bit where you weren’t even replying to anyone or any single post, more just an address it seems to the whole Main Board...


“Our pitch is ordinarily pretty good, with maybe 3-4 matches per season (around this time of year) where it's less than perfect. Maybe we can trust the people who run the club to decide where money needs to be spent?

In case you haven't noticed, they've done a pretty good job of it in recent years.

Of course, there will always be people on here who know better, or are looking for something to be outraged about”

[Smartie]

We had a couple of games in awful conditions in a row in late December.

I thought then, when I saw players running through treacle, that we’d have issues with the pitch after that.

It’s Scotland. The weather can sometimes be grim. Grass pitches aren’t brilliant at standing up to that. We’ll have better winters where we get away with it and every so often we’ll be unlucky, like this year.

Not sure what can be done about it really.

[Greenbeard]

[QUOTE=Iggy Pope;6424082][QUOTE=Greenbeard;6423984]


I was around to see it in the 70s but that’s not where we are. I never said anything about the quality of football Greenbeard I only remarked on the quality of the pitch. This time last year or the year before that, it didn’t look like it does now and there will be a reason for that. And it won’t have anything to do with the position of 4 stands that have been complete for over a decade.

Cool your jets Iggy. I know you didn't. My comments were not aimed at your post directly, other than my question about the possible use of green sand. Had Easter Road groundstaff used green sand I doubt there would be much to this thread.

I suspect the usual off-season work on the pitch was compromised not just because of the direct consequences of the covid on ER groundstaff, but also by the non-availability of external contractors and maybe also supplies. EG the course where I golf couldn't get in supplies to top dress the greens after April coring.

[Iggy Pope]

[QUOTE=Greenbeard;6424157][QUOTE=Iggy Pope;6424082]

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I was around to see it in the 70s but that’s not where we are. I never said anything about the quality of football Greenbeard I only remarked on the quality of the pitch. This time last year or the year before that, it didn’t look like it does now and there will be a reason for that. And it won’t have anything to do with the position of 4 stands that have been complete for over a decade.

Cool your jets Iggy. I know you didn't. My comments were not aimed at your post directly, other than my question about the possible use of green sand. Had Easter Road groundstaff used green sand I doubt there would be much to this thread.

I suspect the usual off-season work on the pitch was compromised not just because of the direct consequences of the covid on ER groundstaff, but also by the non-availability of external contractors and maybe also supplies. EG the course where I golf couldn't get in supplies to top dress the greens after April coring.

I’m cool.

[Rumble de Thump]

The pitch looks like it has been affected by the groundskeepers not being able to do their normal maintainance work on it during the close season, followed by persistent heavy rainfall and repeated freezing and thawing. Which is exactly what the grounsman said. I'm not sure he actually mentioned furlough but he did refer to issues caused by the pandemic. A unique set of circumstances. When he gave the explanation it all seemed to make perfect sense.

[Iggy Pope]

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The pitch looks like it has been affected by the groundskeepers not being able to do their normal maintainance work on it during the clsoe season, followed by persistent heavy rainfall and repeated freezing and thawing. Which is exactly what the grounsman said. I'm not sure he actually mentioned furlough but he did refer to issues caused by the pandemic. A unique set of circumstances. When he gave the explanation it all seemed to make perfect sense.

Perfect sense and the hardships and circumstance created by the pandemic is more than likely the reason.

[flash]

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Very little criticism? We obviously have a different idea of scale.

Motherwell pitch, which has been like a bowling green in recent seasons, also looking awful.
Think that will be the case almost everywhere just now.

[gbhibby]

But my grass is growing this month, honest. The pitch had major work done a few seasons ago but I don't think anything major has been done since then
I think you need banks of lights to encourage growth.
We could however spend a million pounds on it but look how that turned out for our near neighbours.