Plastic Pitches

[danburyshrimper]

IF the stadium ever happens ( mmmmmmm:unsure:) then i do think it would be good for our club if we get a top notch plastic pitch. Theres no doubt it gives the home team an advantage , so thats the playing benefit.( Surely the manager would try to play good football + not hoof it to a lone striker then !!! ) But financially it must be very cost effective in the long run ( less maintenance , no cancelled matches ), the stadium could also be used of course 24/7 rather than just 40 hours per season. . . all bringing good money into the club . I would also say a youngster is more likely to become a Southend fan if he's played in the stadium when its open for hire. . . whether it be hockey , 5 a side etc

As someone has already said , football is pretty much a sterile non contact sport these days , so grass has lost that advantage ... so why not go plastic fantastic ???

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Agreed. When Widnes RL first had it, there were a few injuries and everyone had a panic, but it turned out to be mostly coincidence. The number of injuries at Widnes compared to other Super League grounds is no different.



Rubber crumb I think it's called. And yes, it gets EVERYWHERE!

Yep, horrible stuff. Although still better than the sand you used to get with astroturf.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Trained and coached on 4G pitches lately and I'm a complete convert. I'd go as far as to say that the FA/Premier League/Football League/Conference need to band together and begin to heavily subsidise the costs of them for football clubs - not necessarily for matches, but certainly for training - on the proviso that grassroots teams are given regular access to them. If we really are to persevere without implementing a winter break and keeping grassroots/junior football to a August-May calendar as opposed to February-November, then something needs to give.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

I can't find an article anywhere but I'm sure Phil Brown said somewhere before this recent Portugal trip that we had been training at PF in Southend when B&L was un-playable but certain players couldn't train on the surface due to injuries.

 

[Mick]

Trained and coached on 4G pitches lately and I'm a complete convert. I'd go as far as to say that the FA/Premier League/Football League/Conference need to band together and begin to heavily subsidise the costs of them for football clubs - not necessarily for matches, but certainly for training - on the proviso that grassroots teams are given regular access to them. If we really are to persevere without implementing a winter break and keeping grassroots/junior football to a August-May calendar as opposed to February-November, then something needs to give.

There are no 4G pitches, that's telecommunications protocol. The 3G pitches will, I think, gradually get greater acceptance throughout non-league and the lower reaches of the Football League. One of the biggest benefits is the community use aspect.

It is perverse that they are currently okay for World Cup matches and Champions League but not for Conference South and FA Youth Cup matches. Having seen a game recently at Maidstone the bounce is good, but the ball does tend to "run on" a bit.

 

[Mick]

In the past I would have said teams with a plastic pitch had an unfair advantage..

Maidstone have yet to lose a League game at home this season, but have lost 8 away.

If their preferred surface is 3G, they have to play 23 games a season on their non-preferred pitch.

Clubs who prefer grass have to play 1 game a season on their non-preferred pitch.

I think that mitigates against unfair advantage.

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

From my one 3G experience last November, they are very,very good but not grass and where poss football should always be played on grass.

 

[londonblue]

Maidstone have yet to lose a League game at home this season, but have lost 8 away.

If their preferred surface is 3G, they have to play 23 games a season on their non-preferred pitch.

Clubs who prefer grass have to play 1 game a season on their non-preferred pitch.

I think that mitigates against unfair advantage.

Completely disagree. A team with a plastic pitch play half their games on grass and half not. They are therefore experienced and comfortable on both surfaces. When a team comes to play on their plastic pitch they may have practised once or twice on such a surface and not be anywhere near as comfortable. It is an unfair advantage, IF the pitch doesn't play in a similar way to grass.

 

[londonblue]

There are no 4G pitches, that's telecommunications protocol. The 3G pitches will, I think, gradually get greater acceptance throughout non-league and the lower reaches of the Football League. One of the biggest benefits is the community use aspect.

It is perverse that they are currently okay for World Cup matches and Champions League but not for Conference South and FA Youth Cup matches. Having seen a game recently at Maidstone the bounce is good, but the ball does tend to "run on" a bit.

3G is Telecoms protocol as well! It's what the vast majority of people are currently using.

 

[madaboutblues]

I can't find an article anywhere but I'm sure Phil Brown said somewhere before this recent Portugal trip that we had been training at PF in Southend when B&L was un-playable but certain players couldn't train on the surface due to injuries.

I was just about to post the same thing. He definitely did say that, it was when we had all that rain and B&L was waterlogged.

 

[JIMSDAD]

From the Allianz Park website:-

Welcome to Allianz Park

Allianz Park is a world class sports facility providing a variety of sports for all the community.
At Allianz Park we have (pictures)
•An outdoor athletics track
•A (size) 4g artificial pitch
•An indoor training centre
•Changing Rooms
•Sports Field
•Seating to accommodate 3,000 – 10,000 spectators

Allianz Park is the perfect venue for School Sports Day, Community Events, Charity Events, Cooperate Events and Athletics Competitions.
As part of our commitment to the community all London Borough of Barnet Schools have free access to the Stadium and can utilise the facilities for P.E lessons, one off sessions, Sports Days or cross curricular events.

 

[JIMSDAD]

And an interesting report, here:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20899273

 

[Mick]

3G is Telecoms protocol as well! It's what the vast majority of people are currently using.

Indeed, even those who are paying for 4G as the coverage is far from great !!!

 

[Mick]

Completely disagree. A team with a plastic pitch play half their games on grass and half not. They are therefore experienced and comfortable on both surfaces. When a team comes to play on their plastic pitch they may have practised once or twice on such a surface and not be anywhere near as comfortable. It is an unfair advantage, IF the pitch doesn't play in a similar way to grass.

Maidstone are 2nd. No team in the top 16 has lost more away games and they are chopping and changing from one week to the next. However the crux of the issue is your last point and they do play in a "similar" way to grass. Anyone see our youngsters bow out of the Essex Senior Cup at Harlow? What did you think of the 3G pitch ?

 

[* ORM *]

Indeed, even those who are paying for 4G as the coverage is far from great !!!

Speak for yourself. It's superb out here and just to be clear I play on 4G pitches out here with one or two 3G and grass sonim sure UK must have them by now

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

The not so mighty Berrichonne have had a plastic pitch for 3 years now and alas they dont win at home as the away teams seem to be just as comfortable on it but on the plus side we have had no games cancelled.

 

[londonblue]

Speak for yourself. It's superb out here and just to be clear I play on 4G pitches out here with one or two 3G and grass sonim sure UK must have them by now

If this is to be believed you've been hoodwinked!

4G Pitches

4G Grass Football Pitch Sports Surface Synthetic Turf Carpet is a great marketing tool. At present there is no such thing as a 4G 4th generation sports surface even though the website is flooded with 4G synthetic turf then this actually is from old designs offering non infill products back in the 80s so some could argue it is actually a 1g system. It is a marketing way of saying one company’s product is more advanced than another, with no proof or difference in performance or concept.

 

[* ORM *]

Interestingly I saw that when I looked around earlier today. Some pitches both in HK and UK are markets as 4G. Either way latest astro is pretty damn good

 

[EastStandBlue]

They aren't recognised as 4G because FIFA hasn't set the boundaries for what constitutes a 4G over a 3G pitch yet, however there are substantial improvements in bounce realism with the latest generation of pitches than what's classified as a 3G pitch according to FIFA's regulations.

 

[Maldon Blues]

I've even heard some pitches referred to as 5G! But, yes, technically no such thing as 4G yet, just further advancements in 3G.

Of course, it's not even an option for SUFC at the moment as they're not permitted in the Football League or Conference.

I find the Conference vote prompted by Maidstone baffling. Firstly, 32 votes were cast, of which 24 were from Conference Premier clubs - a division Maidstone aren't even (currently) battling for promotion to.

Furthermore, I know Braintree Town and Concord Rangers voted against 3G surfaces.

As I type Concord are playing their second fixture this midweek due to a fixture backlog and Braintree didn't play a home fixture recently for TWO MONTHS. Braintree had to release some players they couldn't afford due to no gate income to pay their wages and now find themselves in the middle of a ridiculous fixture backlog - of course with so many home games in a short period, crowds will be down as people won't pay for so many games in a short time.

Afraid the English game has too many dinosaurs for this type of revolution!