[Football] 3g pitches.

Leekbrookgull · Jul 28, 2021

Two local teams the reformed Macclesfield FC along with Leek Town and you can add Buxton FC have all gone 3g. Now i fully understand the financial reason for doing this although Buxton have also sited weather for postponements and revenue loss yes i have seen some decent football played on 3g and the community aspect,but surely it has to be grass ? As it stands how long will it be before a promoted club playing on 3g from The N/Lge challenges the ruling of grass is grass and not plastic ? :bowdown:

Nobby Cybergoat · Jul 28, 2021

I'm not squeamish about it.

The important thing is that lower league clubs survive. The tech has come a long way since the days of Luton and Oldham playing on plastic.

You'd like to think the Buxton pitch is very well watered

thedonkeycentrehalf · Jul 28, 2021

For many non-league clubs, these are absolutely a lifesaver. These pitches are often in use from 10am to 10pm on weekdays with different groups using the surface - not always for football - and together with income from bars / coffee shops that they open for these groups to use, this income far outweighs the matchday income.

BN41Albion · Jul 28, 2021

thedonkeycentrehalf said:
For many non-league clubs, these are absolutely a lifesaver. These pitches are often in use from 10am to 10pm on weekdays with different groups using the surface - not always for football - and together with income from bars / coffee shops that they open for these groups to use, this income far outweighs the matchday income.

Absolutely this. The way forward for many non-league clubs now to allow enable them to keep afloat

redoubtable seagull · Jul 28, 2021

Sutton had to rip theirs up following promotion to L2 and lay a grass pitch.
Any money they made from promotion has had to go into ground improvements to satisfy league regulations.

Leekbrookgull · Jul 28, 2021

I fully get the maths but as to grass v plastic for football ?

jonny.rainbow · Jul 28, 2021

Rather watch or play football on a sand-filled bog than an artificial surface.

Grass only i the football league for me.

Superseagull · Jul 28, 2021

I see no reason why all league 2 clubs can’t play on 4G pitches if they want. Allows them to bring in vital extra revenue and reduces the risk of postponed games in the winter months. Get promoted to league 1 and you should have a season before you need to change to grass assuming you stay up. Sutton having to rip up a perfectly good artificial pitch for maybe just a season of league 2 football seems bonkers.

Shropshire Seagull · Jul 28, 2021

I thought 5G was all the rage now being led by the Chinese Huawei mob? :dunce:

Jack Straw · Jul 28, 2021

Having played on every generation of artificial pitch, albeit at a "Jumpers for goalposts" level, I believe that the current ones play virtually as good as grass. It's just the sliding tackles that may not be such a good idea, but otherwise, they're really good now. However, you can't beat a top-notch grass pitch, but they cost a lot to maintain. I fully understand why lower league clubs go down the artificial route, but if you reach the top, it has to be grass.

bn1&bn3 Albion · Jul 29, 2021

I'd much rather play on the Amex turf but considering non league clubs can't afford full time ground staff. I'll take 3G pitches over poorly maintained grass pitches.

Easy 10 · Jul 29, 2021

I can see both sides to this, as clearly a synthetic surface is easier to maintain and offers vital revenue streams to non-league clubs. But having watched some football in the MTL, where they have several plastic pitches, it all feels a bit "sports centre 5-aside on a Tuesday". It makes it a different type of game - the ball never holds up, the bounce is different, its all a bit crap. I always hated games at Luton, QPR and Oldham, and although the surfaces are more "grass-like" than in those days, it still looks like noddy football that doesn't really belong in the League. Players hate it as well.

Its a no from me, Clive.

Barham's tash · Jul 29, 2021

Huge ambiguity over the potential impact of the pellet base and their perceived potential to be carcinogenic. The micro plastics are made from chipped tyres.

Worried Man Blues · Jul 29, 2021

These pitches will get better and better and will eventually take over from grass at all levels, global warming innit.

Dick Knights Mumm · Jul 29, 2021

Having kicked a ball around on the 3G pitch at Steyning (I hesitate to say played a game) the surface is amazing. For those of us who saw the carpet on concrete at Loftus Road you really can't appreciate the difference until you play on a modern, well maintained, surface. If it isn't well maintained - well you may as well compare it to unmown park pitch. And after the investment in pitch and maintenance it makes a massive difference to club finances. All club training is on the pitch, all home matches for over U14s, hired by third parties during the day (Albion in the Community and Chelsea Foundation) as well as the local school for their big games. And no cancellations for waterlogged pitch. Also it really is nothing like the skin shredding surfaces of old.

If you listen to the Football Weekly podcast this week it is all about pitches and grass - and very interesting especially related to speed of the ball and limiting injury. They do use some plastic on some grass pitches to "help the binding" (I think) - I am sure Jack Straw will confirm or question that. On that point - anyone know why at the Amex the players do their pre-match routines to get used to the pitch - then we water ?

I am still in the grass at the top level - but open-minded as at some point it may be a mix - and increasingly hard to tell the difference.

amexer · Jul 29, 2021

As a matter of interest are top pitches like Amex 100% grass

Dick Knights Mumm · Jul 29, 2021

amexer said:
As a matter of interest are top pitches like Amex 100% grass

I seem to remember the Amex is 100% grass (we did initially watch it grow) but also Reading (who shared then with London Irish) had a mixture of grass and plastic.

schmunk · Jul 29, 2021

amexer said:
As a matter of interest are top pitches like Amex 100% grass

Most top level pitches are a hybrid grass/synthetic mix these days - the leading brand name is Desso GrassMaster.

The Amex isn't on this list, but I'm certain we have something similar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GrassMaster

Edit: It appears we have a "Fibrelastic" pitch which is 100% grass above ground, but the roots are reinforced with plastic fibres: https://www.pitchcare.com/news-media/brighton-and-hove-albions-new-amex-stadium.html

Boroseagull · Jul 29, 2021

They are totally different these days to the original ones back in the 1980's. I remember reffing at Kenilworth Road and the most common injury was sand burn/rash caused by the sand spread over the 'grass' pile.

Badger Boy · Jul 29, 2021

I noticed Hove Park school are putting in a 3G pitch and Hove Park converted one of their tennis areas into a 3G surface used for football. It pays for itself, but I agree it shouldn't be used in the football league.

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