Alan Cawley on Oriel Park Pitch

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 23/04/2014, 7:59 AM

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish...610286-cawley/

**mcgonigle** · 23/04/2014, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish...610286-cawley/

How original from Cawley! There's a lot wrong with that piece but I couldn't be bothered anymore...

**Mr A** · 23/04/2014, 12:49 PM

Giving this its own thread rather than clogging up the stadium work thread with it.

**White Horse** · 23/04/2014, 1:11 PM

At least Alan Cawley has played on Oriel Park. Therefore, I give his arguments more credence than the lazy journalism that many pundits trot out.

The one think that irks me is his incorrect statement that the pitch is not being properly maintained. In the last two years, the pitch has received weekly maintenance in order to ensure that it is in the best possible matchday condition. This doesn't come cheap, so it is an incorrect allegation that Dundalk FC are being negligent with maintenance.

The pitch is due for replacement in the next couple of years and it would be great too see a return to grass. That would cause a problem in Dundalk as Oriel Park is a community resource that is used by other clubs and organisations. Clubs like to talk about community this and community that. However, being a real community club means sharing your facilities and the biggest facility is the football pitch.

**avvenalaf** · 23/04/2014, 1:27 PM

Take a wee trip west and see how Rovers can produce a proper football pitch AND community facilities.

**White Horse** · 23/04/2014, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by avvenalaf

Take a wee trip west and see how Rovers can produce a proper football pitch AND community facilities.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish...grant-funding/

It is well understood how the facilities were produced. Fair play to all involved in putting the funding together.

**bluewhitearmy** · 23/04/2014, 2:33 PM

Originally Posted by White Horse

At least Alan Cawley has played on Oriel Park. Therefore, I give his arguments more credence than the lazy journalism that many pundits trot out.

The one think that irks me is his incorrect statement that the pitch is not being properly maintained. In the last two years, the pitch has received weekly maintenance in order to ensure that it is in the best possible matchday condition. This doesn't come cheap, so it is an incorrect allegation that Dundalk FC are being negligent with maintenance.

The pitch is due for replacement in the next couple of years and it would be great too see a return to grass. That would cause a problem in Dundalk as Oriel Park is a community resource that is used by other clubs and organisations. Clubs like to talk about community this and community that. However, being a real community club means sharing your facilities and the biggest facility is the football pitch.

Weekly maintenance is that enough though? Is it the right kind of maintenance? From what I'm told these pitches need specific maintenance so if it is not receiving that then he is right. The pitch is not in a good condition its not in the best condition one of those pitches can be in so clearly the work being done on it is not enough or not being done properly.

**gormacha** · 23/04/2014, 3:50 PM

Well maintained or not, artificial pitches are a joke.

The only one I've ever seen behave remotely similarly to grass is the one the Portland Timbers play on, and even that isn't that great. Their surface is FieldTurf. What is the surface at Oriel?

An NFL research panel found that the incidence of serious knee and ankle injuries (especially ACL injuries) are 88% higher on artificial turf. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4988136

**Ezeikial** · 23/04/2014, 4:25 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

Giving this its own thread rather than clogging up the stadium work thread with it.

It would be helpful if you could also number these Oriel pitch threads.

Please wake me up if anyone says anything new

**Longfordian** · 23/04/2014, 8:13 PM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

It would be helpful if you could also number these Oriel pitch threads.

Please wake me up if anyone says anything new

I love the Oriel Park pitch!

**Charlie Darwin** · 23/04/2014, 8:30 PM

Originally Posted by White Horse

The one think that irks me is his incorrect statement that the pitch is not being properly maintained. In the last two years, the pitch has received weekly maintenance in order to ensure that it is in the best possible matchday condition. This doesn't come cheap, so it is an incorrect allegation that Dundalk FC are being negligent with maintenance.

But if it's being properly maintained, why is it still so bad? The only conclusion you can draw is that the surface is so incredibly awful that even proper maintenance can't make it halfway playable. There's a pretty good reason why Oriel was ranked below every First Division pitch - some of which you wouldn't let your dog run about in - when the PFAI were doing the pitch ratings surveys. Nobody likes playing on it and nobody likes watching teams play on it. Except for Dundalk fans, for some godforsaken reason.

**Sheridan** · 23/04/2014, 9:00 PM

Point 1: Oriel pitch clearly has a case to answer. No other UEFA-approved surface I've seen in any professional European league looks as threadbare and discoloured as Oriel.

Point 2: Alan Cawley's columns make Mark O'Neill-Cummins look like the second coming of Marcel Proust.

**Dodge** · 23/04/2014, 10:15 PM

Is the weekly maintenance the half time watering?

**White Horse** · 24/04/2014, 8:57 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

But if it's being properly maintained, why is it still so bad? The only conclusion you can draw is that the surface is so incredibly awful that even proper maintenance can't make it halfway playable. There's a pretty good reason why Oriel was ranked below every First Division pitch - some of which you wouldn't let your dog run about in - when the PFAI were doing the pitch ratings surveys. Nobody likes playing on it and nobody likes watching teams play on it. Except for Dundalk fans, for some godforsaken reason.

Most people derive their opinion from it's appearance on television. For some reason, it looks dreadful on camera.

I travel to most away games so I see Dundalk play on grass and on the 3G pitch. I have seen much worse surfaces than Oriel Park this season. For example, the pitch in Athlone looked fine to the naked eye. However, there were numerous examples of strange bounces that players on both sides misjudged. I was in UCD a couple of weeks ago and Dundalk players mentioned afterwards that they were forced to play a more aerial game as they couldn't play their normal quick passing game on the deck as the ball was bobbling all over the place.

A couple of season ago, the issue was player injury. However, Dundalk's record of muscle injuries and strains is the best in the league.

I am not an advocate of artifical surfaces and would like to see a grass surface in Oriel Park. However, I also tire of criticisms that are nothing other than ill informed prejudice.

**Dodge** · 24/04/2014, 9:05 AM

Originally Posted by White Horse

However, I also tire of criticisms that are nothing other than ill informed prejudice.

Sure, people criticizing the pitch are the ones with prejudice. Not the Dundalk fans...

**Charlie Darwin** · 24/04/2014, 9:57 AM

Originally Posted by White Horse

For example, the pitch in Athlone looked fine to the naked eye. However, there were numerous examples of strange bounces that players on both sides misjudged.

Just like at Oriel.

I was in UCD a couple of weeks ago and Dundalk players mentioned afterwards that they were forced to play a more aerial game as they couldn't play their normal quick passing game on the deck as the ball was bobbling all over the place.

Just like at Oriel.

**GCdfc** · 24/04/2014, 10:19 AM

Of course we should go with the CSKA solution just to make it appealing to the eye as most judgements about the pitch are based.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...anchester-city

**adamd164** · 24/04/2014, 10:21 AM

He's definitely right in the second part of that article about the fixtures.... Our game away to Limerick, by far the closest derby, was scheduled for a regular Monday night earlier in April. Absurd.

The fixtures don't have to be randomly drawn, everyone plays each other anyway. They should be used to maximise attendances.

**Dodge** · 24/04/2014, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by adamd164

He's definitely right in the second part of that article about the fixtures.... Our game away to Limerick, by far the closest derby, was scheduled for a regular Monday night earlier in April. Absurd.

The fixtures don't have to be randomly drawn, everyone plays each other anyway. They should be used to maximise attendances.

Isn't it preferable to have Limerick away on a Monday (for travelling purposes) than say Derry or Sligo?

Fully agree that current approach to fixtures is lazy but it's not as simple as having big games on Good Friday

**seand** · 24/04/2014, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Sure, people criticizing the pitch are the ones with prejudice. Not the Dundalk fans...

Surely everyone is prejudiced in some way (apart from me).

Anyway, we're ignoring the big issue with the Dundalk pitch.... how does it affect Shamrock Rovers fans and their pitch invasions? Do they have different tactics when invading a grass pitch in celebration of a suprise late equaliser at other venues?