Artificial pitch vote

[TPAFKA Jersey 2]

3 hours ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Gosh, how fortunate that your dislike of artificial pitches helps solidify the top tier membership. You must be pleased.

Your point wouldn’t be valid in my world. In my world I would ban plastic pitches from the top flight, but if the team that was supposed to get promoted had a plastic pitch, their place would go to the highest placed grass pitch team, rather than there being no relegation. So it wouldn’t “help solidify the top tier membership” of my team. It would have no affect on it at all.

I’ve no idea if that is what is proposed though. 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

4 minutes ago, TPAFKA Jersey 2 said:

Your point wouldn’t be valid in my world. In my world I would ban plastic pitches from the top flight, but if the team that was supposed to get promoted had a plastic pitch, their place would go to the highest placed grass pitch team, rather than there being no relegation. So it wouldn’t “help solidify the top tier membership” of my team. It would have no affect on it at all.

I’ve no idea if that is what is proposed though. 

Never in a million billion years would the SPFL allow that. Behave.

[Billy Jean King]

Hilarious meltdown from Falkirk fans, stick to crowd wanking Lads. What you don't seem to grasp is that the SMISA vote will be far from an outlier. The vast majority of fans DON'T want to see games played on plastic pitches, not really sure why they can't grasp that. Had they never had one (and hence it wasn't going to need to be replaced if it goes against them) they would almost certainly think the same way although years in amongst wee clubs in the lower leagues where they are more prevalent is probably skewing their view. If Falkirk are funded to go back to grass there would be very little moaning, it's the prospect of having to spend money on it rather than players that is the real gripe here. That is a legitimate moan and imo it should be funded if it happens but in top flight football it should be a level playing field (pun intended) and that means everyone playing on the same surface. 

I'm really wondering why the plastic pitch clubs honestly thought they weren't hated outside their circle, it's surely no surprise, the SMISA vote is going to be replicated across the board imo.

[Silvio Tattiescone]

8 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

 in top flight football it should be a level playing field (pun intended) and that means everyone playing on the same surface. 

 

That's an argument for artificial turf then.  Or are you saying the pitch at Dens is the same as Pittodrie? Aren't 3 of the pitches hybrid and therefore different from the rest? Are grass pitches the same in August as they are in February? 

 

Truth is grass pitches are hugely inconsistent, vary with the weather and cause more injuries to players. 

 

[Billy Jean King]

20 minutes ago, Newbornbairn said:

That's an argument for artificial turf then.  Or are you saying the pitch at Dens is the same as Pittodrie? Aren't 3 of the pitches hybrid and therefore different from the rest? Are grass pitches the same in August as they are in February? 

 

Truth is grass pitches are hugely inconsistent, vary with the weather and cause more injuries to players. 

 

I'm saying everyone should be playing on one surface not that grass pitches are all the same. Dens was a disgrace, no excuse for that, simply bad pitch management. 

 

[DA Baracus]

17 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

I'm saying everyone should be playing on one surface not that grass pitches are all the same. Dens was a disgrace, no excuse for that, simply bad pitch management. 

 

Why?

[btb]

1 minute ago, DA Baracus said:

Why?

Because it's quite clear from results that having a plastic pitch gives you an unfair advantage. I'm assuming Dunfermline have one too.

Sure we're voting out of self-interest just the same as the salty tears of self interest from the clubs with plastic pitches.

[DA Baracus]

Just now, btb said:

Because it's quite clear from results that having a plastic pitch gives you an unfair advantage. I'm assuming Dunfermline have one too.

Sure we're voting out of self-interest just the same as the salty tears of self interest from the clubs with plastic pitches.

No it isn't. Even the merest of glances at things would see that the 'unfair' advantage stuff is laughable bullshit.

No, my club does not have one.

The only 'salty tears' I see are from those who regurgitate easily disproven bollocks about artificial pitches and parrot the same pish that the geniuses on Sportsound dribble out.

[TPAFKA Jersey 2]

Is there still a limit on the number of red dots you can give out?

If so, @DA Baracus must constantly sail pretty close to his limit. Very odd behaviour by what I assume is a grown man. He seems completely incapable of coping with other people’s views

[Ranaldo Bairn]

22 minutes ago, btb said:

Because it's quite clear from results that having a plastic pitch gives you an unfair advantage. I'm assuming Dunfermline have one too.

Sure we're voting out of self-interest just the same as the salty tears of self interest from the clubs with plastic pitches.

a) no advantage, as any research will show

b) again, 0.3s research will show you DA don't have one.

Here's a freebie fact for you: they actually have fewer injuries than on grass.

[Pizzo]

27 minutes ago, btb said:

Because it's quite clear from results that having a plastic pitch gives you an unfair advantage. I'm assuming Dunfermline have one too.

Sure we're voting out of self-interest just the same as the salty tears of self interest from the clubs with plastic pitches.

Aye you're right. That fair showed up 3 years ago when we were relegated without a whimper.

Edited May 29 by Pizzo

[BFTD]

Still really fucking odd how upset (presumably) grown adults get when someone clicks a wee red circle that's just shorthand for "I disagree with this".

[Swello]

If the 'Well Society did what SMISA did and gave our members a vote, I'd honestly expect exactly the same result. The Livi and Accies pitches (rightly or wrongly) seem to be hated in our support (I pretty much feel that way about them too ) and memories of miserable games at these grounds will effect the vote. Nuances about injury rates, community use and playability through the winter aren't going to come into it from a supporters point of view.

Personally, I would vote against the ban because I don't like the idea of any artificial barriers to teams getting promoted on merit. If teams are saving money on essential maintenance work to bolster their playing squad, then that needs to be enforced through minimum standards and proper sanctions but that shouldn't stop teams coming up as I don't believe that this is a big issue generally - and it's only tangentially related to pitch type. In a situation where lower divisions clubs operate on hilariously thin margins, I would much rather clubs are full time and viable based on an artificial pitch rather than part-time/going bust with grass.

Having some variety in the top flight is as important to its health as what surface is being used - at least from the point of view of someone who goes to games. We tolerate a *huge* variance in the quality of grass pitches at the moment - look at Fir Park & St Mirren Park Vs Dens and McDiarmid as an example of clubs with relatively similar resources - it feels completely illogical therefore to decide that Rugby Park, which clearly comes in the middle of that pack for "quality/playability" gets banned. 

 

[Cptn Hooch]

3 hours ago, btb said:

Because it's quite clear from results that having a plastic pitch gives you an unfair advantage. I'm assuming Dunfermline have one too.

Sure we're voting out of self-interest just the same as the salty tears of self interest from the clubs with plastic pitches.

When does this unfair advantage kick in? Asking for a recently relegated side

[houston_bud]

I understand why fan owned clubs have put this to the members, these decisions should be taken based on evidence though and I wonder how many people voted to ban them based on a gut feeling.

I would prefer if all the teams played on grass, I even quite like the fact that a pitch will get a bit heavier during winter or cut up a little at times, but I don't think it's right to ask teams to rip out pitches that meet UEFA standards to get into the top flight.

 

[bob_mcshug]

The fact that fans/clubs are voting to put a barrier to promotion up because they simply "don't like artificial pitches" is utterly ridiculous.

I much prefer grass pitches too but it shouldn't be a requirement to play in the top flight. There should be minimum standards (higher than what's there currently) for both grass and artificial pitches and clearly stated consequences for failing to adhere to this. 

The 12 teams voting on a fundamental issue that affects multiple leagues is a nonsense, as is the usual 'all or nothing' approach to the vote and the lack of transparency about the reasons for banning them.

Edited May 29 by bob_mcshug

[strichener]

All these teams that have artificial surfaces and rail against the unfair advantage.  Are these the same teams that have them at their training grounds and actually train on them.  That being the case you would assume that the disadvantage is therefore self-inflicted.

Why train on one surface and then complain about actually doing your job in the same conditions.  Mental.

Edited May 29 by strichener

[Granny Danger]

Are there any fans whose club doesn’t have an artificial pitch in favour of artificial pitches?

[strichener]

8 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

Are there any fans whose club doesn’t have an artificial pitch in favour of artificial pitches?

I see absolutely no reason to ban them.  If UEFA allow it for their No.1 competition then I don't see why we can't use them at all levels in Scotland.

[DA Baracus]

10 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

Are there any fans whose club doesn’t have an artificial pitch in favour of artificial pitches?

Yes.