The Arbroath Thread

[1320Lichtie]

there are players that refuse to train or play on 4 g ie mclean at st johnstone. ita a horrible surface to play pro football on. some bad injuries have been put down to the 4g surface fitba should always be played on grass

Not really buying the injury stuff, injuries happen on all surfaces and it hasn't really been a problem for numerous clubs in this country and abroad.

Maybe a handful of guys at most like McLean in the country? No others come to mind.

[Aidan]

There's only one believe it or not and it's more like a sand pitch, genuinely takes your skin off doing a wee slide. It's absolutely awful and maybe 10-15 years old.

Same rules apply to Arbroath. We could only get the above pitch one night a week for an hour when I played and the other nights training consisted of running around a dark field.

The one at the high school? It's brutal! I thought their was one at the Saltire too but obviously not.

In terms of the cost associated with these pitches, I'm sure it works out that we need to hire out Links Park for 7.5 hours a week to break even, and I would hazard a guess that it's hired out for about triple that.

[Big lichtie]

if you ask any player or manager there preference grass or 4g there would only be one answer grass

[1320Lichtie]

if you ask any player or manager there preference grass or 4g there would only be one answer grass

There was a poll done not long ago by the PFA for players that said 70-30 preferred grass.... but funnily enough 12 clubs from 42 play on synthetic pitches, which works out as the same percentages.

The stuff at Forfar and Montrose is very very good, mate loved it when he played for the Fed and another mate that trains on Forfars says the stuffs brilliant.

Clydes still looks absolutely awful though, as do one or two more but the new stuff seems to be really really good.

[PELE]

13 minutes ago, Big lichtie said:

if you ask any player or manager there preference grass or 4g there would only be one answer grass

Agree. 3G/4G pitches may be lower maintenance and make money for clubs, but they definitely cause injuries. There is a lot of youth and kids football played on these pitches and the kids get back, ankle and knee injuries which would be far less common on grass pitches.

[Lichtie78]

if you ask any player or manager there preference grass or 4g there would only be one answer grass

Ian Campbell actually said he preferred plastic at the Q&A earlier in the season. Presume dick shares the same view.

[Smokerson]

Would not want one at all unless someone could give a clear indication of any significant increase in finances coming into the club.

[Hammerafc]

Hybrid is the way to go like Murrayfield and a lot of epl sides. Costs a lot and doesn't generate income so unlikely to see it at gayfield. Brian Kerr got injured on Forfar plastic and never played again which was a massive loss to us.

[AFC360PUNK1320]

There is a 3G/4G at the Condor RM Base just outside Arbroath which local teams in the town hire it out to train on.

I am a traditonalist and prefer grass any day of the week, as folk have said there are players who do not like playing on plastic so will not sign for a club with this type of pitch, and players like Brian Kerr's career was finished getting injured on this type of pitch.

On the other hand if say our Angus rivals have proof of say saving/making £100K profit each season having this type of pitch then you would need to have a serious look at it. 

[Lichtie78]

Not really sure the argument about more injuries occurring on plastic actually holds much weight, it's not as if these same injuries don't happen on grass too. Also the point that some players won't sign for clubs that have plastic pitches is just plucked from thin air really, unless any examples can be provided.

[1320Lichtie]

Sure we train on them 2 nights a week too...

 

I'm for grass like and prefer it but just the way things are going at this level. Pitch has had quite a few bobbly days aswell throughout the winter, absolutely nothing you can do about it but the all weather surfaces really are quite decent.

[Big lichtie]

injuries happen on grass of course they do. the main thing is the recovery time that players have from playing on a grass surface which has give in it to 4g is night and day ask any pro player they will tell you that

[WT Figo]

8 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Now I have to say that I'm a big fan of our pitch, it's in great condition for most of the year and in pre season it can look majestic. 

Totally agree. The Gayfield pitch has been looking good right through the season. If I recall correctly it had 3 games in a month in the summer and February, so testament to Booner and his crew for looking after it so well. I think that wise use of the covers at a crucial time also helped significantly. But, my main point is to thank Booner and everyone else who has worked on the pitch, throughout the year as I don't think that they get enough recognition for what they do.

[Smokerson]

Training on them is completely different to playing an intense 90 minute match

[1320Lichtie]

Totally agree. The Gayfield pitch has been looking good right through the season. If I recall correctly it had 3 games in a month in the summer and February, so testament to Booner and his crew for looking after it so well. I think that wise use of the covers at a crucial time also helped significantly. But, my main point is to thank Booner and everyone else who has worked on the pitch, throughout the year as I don't think that they get enough recognition for what they do.

Good point mate.

That photo from before the Dundee United game is my phones screensaver.

Beautiful.

[AFC360PUNK1320]

15 hours ago, Lichtie78 said:

Not really sure the argument about more injuries occurring on plastic actually holds much weight, it's not as if these same injuries don't happen on grass too. Also the point that some players won't sign for clubs that have plastic pitches is just plucked from thin air really, unless any examples can be provided.

Injuries happen on grass just like plastic but i read an article that said on average more serious injuries happen on plastic do not ask my why but that was the stats?

Also at previous meetings with the last 2 Managers Moore/Lumsdan they had stated they prefer grass pitches and stated certain players would not sign for teams who play on plastic pitches (train on them yes) but play on them every 2 weeks no, and as has been previously stated there is a big difference from playing and training on those pitches. 

[HeraldSchumacher]

On 27/04/2017 at 10:05, AFC360PUNK1320 said:

Injuries happen on grass just like plastic but i read an article that said on average more serious injuries happen on plastic do not ask my why but that was the stats?

 

The stats probably didn't take into account that many of the players that get injuries on astro are as a result of poor preparation (wearing bladed studs, for example).

 

If there are players that refuse to play on the surface, it's all the more reason to get one installed as it will bring a competitive advantage. This is down to the fact we would obviously not sign them but other clubs may, but they wouldn't be able to play in half of the games against us.

[36nilTV]

Awards Presentation

Goal of the Season Results

[lichtie23]

Bye bye John

[PELE]

Well done on hitting the top spot. You should see off Stirling next week, but watch that Bikey chap. Don't think it will matter, as Annan were just warming up today for a demolition of a woeful Forfar team next week.