What's the most "Tin Pot" thing you've seen in the SPFL

[GNU_Linux]

13 minutes ago, velo army said:

There is no functional, evidence based reason for plastic pitches to be banned. 

 

Ahem the ball bounces differently so it does. Saw it with my own my eyes no need for these fancy pants metrics & data. Sick of so called experts.

[Bairnardo]

8 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Ahem the ball bounces differently so it does. Saw it with my own my eyes no need for these fancy pants metrics & data. Sick of so called experts.

It's quickly going to boil down to one of those Clyde Phone In level "WELL IF YE'VE EVER ACTUALLY PLAYED FITBAW......" debates isn't it. 

Just a shame there's so many shrill voices in Scottish Football who simply hear the complaints of an Arse Cheek manager and proceed as if armed with hard facts on that basis 

[velo army]

6 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Ahem the ball bounces differently so it does. Saw it with my own my eyes no need for these fancy pants metrics & data. Sick of so called experts.

I know you're kidding, so this isn't aimed at you, but I decided to concentrate on the bounce of the ball and how it ran on the Rugby Park surface, and it was absolutely fine.

My only concession is they might be harder than grass and result in greater impact on the body, but that's an argument for greater investment on better tech than to patch them entirely.

The Motherwell example above is actually a great argument for plastic pitches than for banning them. Spending millions over a decade to maintain a grass pitch seems utterly mental given the clear financial benefits to having a plastic one. 

Clubs now need to find new and imaginative ways to maximise revenue (without losing their soul and identity) and having a plastic pitch a team can train on and hire out to the local community seems like a no brainer.

[Crawford Bridge]

Ah've nivur seen a guid gaeme oan wan.

[Bairnardo]

Genuinely mental that we're close to having a serious vote on banning them and we're yet to see our first coherent argument against them. 

I'm like others, I'd love to see Falkirk playing on quality grass. I'm in no way married to AstroTurf. It's not the best option with all things being equal. But if quality grass is beyond us for whatever of a myriad of reasons, and all things are in fact, not equal, then the second best option is good astro, which we have. 

[AJF]

Celtic paying for twitter bots to spam positive messages after a defeat

 

[Basile Boli]

I don’t see why the vast majority of West Premier/East Premier teams can maintain decent grass surfaces but we must make excuses for full-time clubs who can’t.

[Sergeant Wilson]

4 hours ago, SteelyDosser said:

 

I would be in favour of the plastic pitch ban, especially if it keeps Motherwell in the league  

Fir park was famously awful just over 10 years back when branded  "the somme" 

If we had to make the necessary changes and work involved to get it up to standard then every other club should be made to do the same. Blaming the location is absolutely no excuse.

If they can't afford it, then they'll just have to accept the drop, just like the stand capacity rule.

 

Maybe if they'd looked after it a bit better, it wouldn't have got so messed up.

[olliethedug]

How about the SPFL have a vote to pick an Astro pitch that everyone has to install. That way, every team has the same pitch. 

[Dons_1988]

This is a bit unfair on the OF.

Much like away allocations, tv deals, their ability to compete in Europe, refereeing decisions, split of cup final tickets, fixture scheduling after European games and a whole host of other issues, their concern with plastic pitches is merely a selfless consideration of the overall quality and health of Scottish football as a whole. 

[AJF]

1 hour ago, Basile Boli said:

I don’t see why the vast majority of West Premier/East Premier teams can maintain decent grass surfaces but we must make excuses for full-time clubs who can’t.

False equivalence. The financial benefit of plastic pitches is obvious.

[velo army]

1 hour ago, Basile Boli said:

I don’t see why the vast majority of West Premier/East Premier teams can maintain decent grass surfaces but we must make excuses for full-time clubs who can’t.

That's because you've not thought about it beyond that surface level (pardon the pun) analysis.

These teams aren't playing so many games, they don't have the same financial burdens either as the competition isn't as fierce. I would also say that they're not playing as hard on it either. There won't be so many tense battles in the middle of the park as the ball will spend a lot of time up in the air. 

I don't know (and cba checking) how many games in that league get postponed due to a frozen pitch. I would imagine it to be a lot. Clubs in our leagues take a financial hit when games are postponed as attendance will be lower for the rearranged fixture. Teams in that league don't have big wages to pay and the attendances tend to be from the immediately local area, so there won't be as big a financial hit, and attendances probably won't be badly affected by postponement.

[sophia]

8 hours ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

 

 

Whereas that may very well be ill-advised, it's it's not without precedence where daft wee laddies are concerned so I shall have to rule it out as the most tinpot thing

[LiviLion]

23 hours ago, Molotov said:

If our game at the top level is to improve we should not have artificial pitches in our top league. 

I believe the rules in England do not allow for artificial pitches in the top 4 leagues. 

Are there any artificial pitches in the top leagues in England, France, Spain, Germany or Italy? 

If we are to strive to become more competitive as club and country then I personally believe that no artificial pitches should be allowed in our top league.

Why would changing from artificial pitches suddenly make us "more competitive as club and country"? What does that even mean, if Killie and Livi have grass then Scotland are suddenly pumping everyone at the Euros? Celtic and Rangers in the CL final? Genuinely interested in what that means.

Also, where do we draw the line? Hearts have a hybrid pitch, should that be ripped up and replaced with 100% natural grass?

Good enough for the Champions League, but lets ban it because thick dinosaurs want something to moan about.

Edited December 10, 2023 by LiviLion

[HibeeJibee]

5 hours ago, Basile Boli said:

I don’t see why the vast majority of West Premier/East Premier teams can maintain decent grass surfaces but we must make excuses for full-time clubs who can’t.

 

3 hours ago, velo army said:

That's because you've not thought about it beyond that surface level (pardon the pun) analysis.

These teams aren't playing so many games, they don't have the same financial burdens either as the competition isn't as fierce. I would also say that they're not playing as hard on it either. There won't be so many tense battles in the middle of the park as the ball will spend a lot of time up in the air. 

I don't know (and cba checking) how many games in that league get postponed due to a frozen pitch. I would imagine it to be a lot. Clubs in our leagues take a financial hit when games are postponed as attendance will be lower for the rearranged fixture. Teams in that league don't have big wages to pay and the attendances tend to be from the immediately local area, so there won't be as big a financial hit, and attendances probably won't be badly affected by postponement.

Much of your retort is factually dubious but it's unnecessary as he's talking rubbish: plenty grass pitches in upper pyramid have 'issues' and regardless 50% of Lowland, 38% of West Premier and 19% of East have artificial turf (plus 3 of top 2s in First divisions: indeed if leagues finish as currently stand West Premier would have as much plastic as grass next season).

Edited December 10, 2023 by HibeeJibee

[Sortmeout]

On the subject of the plastic pitch (which I want rid of) I do think today is one of the days when having an artificial surface makes sense. I don’t think todays game would’ve made it to 90 mins due to how hard and how long the rain fell.

[velo army]

46 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

 

Much of your retort is factually dubious but it's unnecessary as he's talking rubbish: plenty grass pitches in upper pyramid have 'issues' and regardless 50% of Lowland, 38% of West Premier and 19% of East have artificial turf (plus 3 of top 2s in First divisions: indeed if leagues finish as currently stand West Premier would have as much plastic as grass next season).

Much of my PnB content is factually dubious tbf.

Aye I was charitably addressing the post as if it were true. 

I was thinking it was nonsense as Bunks o' Dee have a plastic pitch as do East Kilbride (the only two pyramid league teams whose stadia I know).

[LIVIFOREVER]

On 09/12/2023 at 23:38, Bairnardo said:

So why not agree a spec and mandate each clubs next replacement to meet that? Why remove the ability of the clubs to make a choice because you (not you personally but you know what I mean) don't like the look of it?

We're not a multi billion pound top European League and it's time we stopped using comparisons with those to arrive at these nonsensical, self defeating decisions. 

We already meet the spec and mandate for our pitch, as artificial pitches go there is nothing wrong with it.

I have no problem with folk just saying they don't like them and prefer grass, the shite they talk as to why we shouldn't have them though, that's a different story. If there was a good factual presentation put out by top flight teams as to why there shouldn't be artificial pitches in the SPFL Premiership then fine, lets see it. Instead of saying, lets have a vote cause we don't like them, they're *insert all cliched nonsense here*..

 

[Bairnardo]

11 minutes ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

We already meet the spec and mandate for our pitch, as artificial pitches go there is nothing wrong with it.

I have no problem with folk just saying they don't like them and prefer grass, the shite they talk as to why we shouldn't have them though, that's a different story. If there was a good factual presentation put out by top flight teams as to why there shouldn't be artificial pitches in the SPFL Premiership then fine, lets see it. Instead of saying, lets have a vote cause we don't like them, they're *insert all cliched nonsense here*..

 

Yeah, I don't doubt there is already an agreed standard. I'm just thinking of things that are more reasonable than a ban cos Brendan Rodgers doesn't like them. This is colt teams all over again. Absolutely nothing to back it up, absolutely no regard for the damage it will do. Just a vanity issue of a few folk at the top who want their way or no way. 

[kingjoey]

UEFA allow them in their competitions. I have no idea what criteria clubs have to meet for that though.