Artificial pitch vote

[foreverarover]

1 hour ago, olliethedug said:

The pitch at Rugby Park was poor for years before it changed to artificial. The Moffat Stand blocks most of the sun in the winter months. So the grass doesn’t grow. 

Exactly the same at Starks Park. The south half of the pitch was always churned up and disease ridden as the sun doesn't touch the surface during the winter months due to the main stand and south stand. 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Still, all those rutted and bare deserts will look just fabbydoo on Sky twice a year, and that's all that matters.

[0Neils40yarder]

6 hours ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Still, all those rutted and bare deserts will look just fabbydoo on Sky twice a year, and that's all that matters.

Either that or the clubs involved would get their act together and place a decent grass park inside their stadiums for use in the top league 

[RandomGuy.]

A pathetic decision, but made by the same clubs who railroaded VAR into the game so it's no real surprise really.

A decision made entirely so they can gain another percent in their favour in terms of being a top flight club as it kills the chance of growth for a lot of smaller clubs who rely on having an artificial surface.

Folk blaming the Old Firm are miles out here. It's the shite that float around the bottom, and I include my own club, who have more likely been the catalyst for this.

There should be massive fines now for shite grass pitches. You make the noose then you risk swinging from it.

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

Either that or the clubs involved would get their act together and place a decent grass park inside their stadiums for use in the top league 

Aye. Because removing 30% of a clubs income, then demanding they spend a 6 figure fee installing the pitch, then further 6 figures on yearly maintenance, is realistic.

I'm sure you'll seal clap when Motherwell are having to shell out £200k of prize money every Summer to help fund a club changing from artificial to grass?

[Harry Kinnear]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

Aye. Because removing 30% of a clubs income, then demanding they spend a 6 figure fee installing the pitch, then further 6 figures on yearly maintenance, is realistic.

I'm sure you'll seal clap when Motherwell are having to shell out £200k of prize money every Summer to help fund a club changing from artificial to grass?

 

I’ve seen two separate email replies from Neil Doncaster to MP’s/MSP’s concerns about this vote and neither mention anything about helping clubs out financially should they come up. All he goes on about is how great they are for getting this consultant in who is going to help you all to make sure your pitch is up to standard.

We laid a brand new £350k artificial pitch at the start of last season, it’s excellent and there is no way we will rip it up. This vote has effectively made it worthless us even trying to get up, especially if there isn’t going to be financial help.

I knew it would get through so it hasn’t really surprised me. I just wonder what the next hurdle will be to go up.

[RandomGuy.]

4 minutes ago, Harry Kinnear said:

I’ve seen two separate email replies from Neil Doncaster to MP’s/MSP’s concerns about this vote and neither mention anything about helping clubs out financially should they come up. All he goes on about is how great they are for getting this consultant in who is going to help you all to make sure your pitch is up to standard.

We laid a brand new £350k artificial pitch at the start of last season, it’s excellent and there is no way we will rip it up. This vote has effectively made it worthless us even trying to get up, especially if there isn’t going to be financial help.

I knew it would get through so it hasn’t really surprised me. I just wonder what the next hurdle will be to go up.

I think there will be enough of a pushback that some form of fund will have to be set up.

Otherwise it's even worse from the top flight clubs.

It's pathetic really, and just all about cutting the amount of clubs who can play in the top flight.

Will they even bother with play off games if two of the three clubs have artificial pitches?

[0Neils40yarder]

18 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Aye. Because removing 30% of a clubs income, then demanding they spend a 6 figure fee installing the pitch, then further 6 figures on yearly maintenance, is realistic.

I'm sure you'll seal clap when Motherwell are having to shell out £200k of prize money every Summer to help fund a club changing from artificial to grass?

If its realistic for Motherwell to have a good grass park, it should be absolutely realistic for Dunfermline, Falkirk, Raith Rovers and Kilmarnock.

 

Artificial pitches have their place in community complexes and the lower leagues

[Dav nan Gael]

Well well well,the latest in a long line of farcial decisions by the SPFL, but recently they've outdone themselves..............1) No grace given to Buckie Thistle over a Bronze licence .

2) Their invite into the Challenge Cup of former SPFL clubs in the LL who did not finish in the top of the table last season,at the expense of others who did.

3) The artificial pitch vote, in a country were its predominantly dark for 4 to 5 months of the year and the weather is getting wetter by the year, ffs it rained every day in the month of march...........

Back in the day we had the 10,000 and 6,000 all-seater debacle's. 

An absolute shitshow,certain clubs running a cabal with donkey Doncaster at the helm.

Edited June 1 by Dav nan Gael

[Radford]

8 hours ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Still, all those rutted and bare deserts will look just fabbydoo on Sky twice a year, and that's all that matters.

But, but, pitch consultancy firm blah, blah.

Embarrassed if my club voted for this resolution. Apologies to all the clubs impacted.

[Radford]

48 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Folk blaming the Old Firm are miles out here. It's the shite that float around the bottom, and I include my own club, who have more likely been the catalyst for this.

The Old Firm are very much part of this. Look at their records on these pitches and you can see what their problem with them is. Same applies to other *big* clubs.

For Saints, it unfortunately just reeks of self interest, if we backed it. Shameful.

[DA Baracus]

1 hour ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

Either that or the clubs involved would get their act together and place a decent grass park inside their stadiums for use in the top league 

So why haven't all current Premiership clubs with grass done this then?

27 minutes ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

If its realistic for Motherwell to have a good grass park, it should be absolutely realistic for Dunfermline, Falkirk, Raith Rovers and Kilmarnock.

 

Artificial pitches have their place in community complexes and the lower leagues

We do have a grass pitch. It churned up pretty badly over winter and didn't recover. It's being sorted now though.

[0Neils40yarder]

7 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

So why haven't all current Premiership clubs with grass done this then?

We do have a grass pitch. It churned up pretty badly over winter and didn't recover. It's being sorted now though.

Because they have spent their money on shite fitba players instead.

 

Good on the Pars...I'd prefer them in the top league with a grass pitch before livi or accies any day of the week

[Swello]

2 minutes ago, Radford said:

The Old Firm are very much part of this. Look at their records on these pitches and you can see what their problem with them is. Same applies to other *big* clubs.

For Saints, it unfortunately just reeks of self interest, if we backed it. Shameful.

The truth is likely to be that a lot of interests lined up here. I would imagine in a lot of clubs (like mine or yours) the "football department" were probably vociferous in getting rid of plastic pitches as managers (and some older pro's) never stop complaining about them. The boardrooms also like the idea of getting rid of them as it increases survival chances by weakening the teams below, who either can't get promoted or have to change their budgets if they do.

When you consider that the boards, playing side & (let's face it) the vast majority of supporters at established top flight clubs are all lined up against artificial surfaces, the vote was always a foregone conclusion as soon as it was made top flight only (and that is where the real contentious part of this is).

[Widge]

12 minutes ago, Radford said:

The Old Firm are very much part of this. Look at their records on these pitches and you can see what their problem with them is. Same applies to other *big* clubs.

For Saints, it unfortunately just reeks of self interest, if we backed it. Shameful.

I don’t like artificial pitches, but they’re part of the game and making people remove them isn’t the right way to do things. So I’m with the majority of the others on here in thinking the new ruling is incredibly short sighted. 
 

From a saints point of view you’re totally spot on. Let’s face it, we’ve got a grass pitch, a grass training pitch and an artificial surface that can be rented out. I don’t think there are many teams in the country with that facility and we don’t lose income at all around this. We’ve potentially seen it as a way to weaken others and let them lose income and budget. If that’s the case and I hope it’s not, then  it’s pretty shameful for all the clubs involved. 

[RandomGuy.]

45 minutes ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

If its realistic for Motherwell to have a good grass park, it should be absolutely realistic for Dunfermline, Falkirk, Raith Rovers and Kilmarnock.

You're getting £1m more in prize money every season than these clubs, and that's ignoring the higher attendances too.

Raith lost a fortune with a grass pitch due to their stadium shape too, a stand blocks the sun as the cotners enclosed, presumably you'll be wanting them to rebuild or move ground aswell then?

Or are you about to claim they should spend yet another 6 figure fee for solar lamps that run year round, and rack up a further 6 figure electricity bill, to maintain the pitch?

Its just fantasy stuff. I genuinely think a lot of fans have no idea how close to the wall lower league clubs are every year. 

17 minutes ago, Radford said:

The Old Firm are very much part of this. Look at their records on these pitches and you can see what their problem with them is. Same applies to other *big* clubs.

For Saints, it unfortunately just reeks of self interest, if we backed it. Shameful.

I'm worried clubs like Saints get a free pass as fans shift the blame to the easy targets of Celtic/Rangers/Neil.Doncaster and they refuse to deny it.

I hope someone's able to leak who voted what way.

Edited June 1 by RandomGuy.

[0Neils40yarder]

2 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

You're getting £1m more in prize money every season than these clubs, and that's ignoring the higher attendances too.

Raith lost a fortune with a grass pitch due to their stadium shape too, a stand blocks the sun as the cotners enclosed, presumably you'll be wanting them to rebuild or move ground aswell then?

Or are you about to claim they should spend yet another 6 figure fee for solar lamps that run year round, and rack up a further 6 figure electricity bill, to maintain the pitch?

Its just fantasy stuff.

I'm worried clubs like Saints get a free pass as fans shift the blame to the easy targets of Celtic/Rangers/Neil.Doncaster and they refuse to deny it.

I hope someone's able to leak who voted what way.

That's all fine...if they want to keep a plastic park due to the prohibitive costs, then keep it, but don't expect to be in the Premier league with it.

 

Standards have to be met...grass parks included, and clubs falling short should be taken to task 

 

Raith Rovers are outbidding teams in their own league for players, so I'll no be having the 'too poor' argument on them 

[RandomGuy.]

1 minute ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

That's all fine...if they want to keep a plastic park due to the prohibitive costs, then keep it, but don't expect to be in the Premier league with it.

The "Premier League" doesn't exist, but aye, if this is the hill you want die on then that's fine, but if you can't see how the 10k rule killed Scottish football financially, and how this is just repeating that mistake, then that's on you.

It's worth mentioning Motherwell don't have a natural grass pitch at Fir Park, I guess.

[0Neils40yarder]

Just now, RandomGuy. said:

The "Premier League" doesn't exist, but aye, if this is the hill you want die on then that's fine, but if you can't see how the 10k rule killed Scottish football financially, and how this is just repeating that mistake, then that's on you.

It's worth mentioning Motherwell don't have a natural grass pitch at Fir Park, I guess.

Premier league...top division...premiership...same difference.

While the 10k seats rule was abysmal in terms of reality (as in the amount of clubs who actually needed that amount of seats), it was required to an extent to force clubs who would happily give fitba players money whilst ignoring the utterly disgraceful facilities that were falling in and around their ears.

Yes motherwells hybrid pitch is magnificent...thanks very much

[RandomGuy.]

1 minute ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

While the 10k seats rule was abysmal in terms of reality (as in the amount of clubs who actually needed that amount of seats), it was required to an extent to force clubs who would happily give fitba players money whilst ignoring the utterly disgraceful facilities that were falling in and around their ears.

It led, and still does, to clubs losing a fortune maintaining stadiums multiple sizes too big for them.

But Motherwell are alright, so it's nobody else issue I guess. Being in the top flight and having the massive prize money every year has really skewed your perception of Scottish football IMO. One relegation, and the ~£2m+ shortfall that comes with it, would probably be good for your mindset.