State of the Showgrounds pitch

[SRFCbrothelutd]

Lads, Our pitch is an absolute disgrace and it will hold us back big time. There hasn't been a game on it in months and it looked like there was a load of Michael Toolans cattle on it grazing for the winter. I think with the players & manager we have & the great football he's trying to play we should have a pitch worthy of cooks beautiful game. Surely there are people in sligo who are qualified in doing pitches so the club should make an apeal for help. No shame in asking for help...

[Rovers fan]

Agree, it was an absolute disgrace today. Even dribbling the ball wasn't even easy and players had to be conscious about a 5 yard pass. Obviously Its not going to suit the type of game we play.

[red metal]

Totally agree for the first time in a few years we have a manager and the player who want to play the game the way it should be played. but the pitch is so bad it,s just holding the team back i feel .I was up in Terryland at the end of november last year with Abbey Utd and the pitch was like a carpet you would have thought it was the start of the season instead of the end of it.And as soon as the game was over they had 4 lads working on it.I know the Sligo Rovers trust are trying to sort this problem but are running into all sorts of bother

[srfc1928]

couldnt agree more with the above posts.the pitch is a disgrace, at one stage tonight Faz tried to give a simple pass but the ball bobbled and he ended up looking like a fool. Must be very frustaing for professional footballers to ply their trade on surfaces like that. Also we are trying to encourge new supporters to come and watch LOI football, telling them that the standard has improved greatly but its hard to justify it, on pitches such as ours

[Rovers1]

Sligo Rovers trust are trying to sort this problem but are running into all sorts of bother

dont know if you mean the Showgrounds Trust or the BO'RST but the BO'RST have looked into this and unless we can come up with at least €20,000 were hitting a brick wall with Ray Gallagher standing on top of it.

[Rovers fan]

dont know if you mean the Showgrounds Trust or the BO'RST but the BO'RST have looked into this and unless we can come up with at least €20,000 were hitting a brick wall with Ray Gallagher standing on top of it.

Add an extra zero to that amount. It would cost 200000 to get the pitch repaired properly

[Rovers1]

yeah but cheapest is €20,000 plus we need winter football back,in order for pitch to rest during summer and temperatures to rise to help the grass.

[SligoBrewer]

Add an extra zero to that amount. It would cost 200000 to get the pitch repaired properly

Where's this figure coming out of?

[Rovers fan]

Where's this figure coming out of?

a 100% reliable source, why?

[sligoman]

Where's this figure coming out of?The guy who took samples of the pitch a few weeks ago.

[Only1Rovers]

Surely there are people in sligo who are qualified in doing pitches so the club should make an apeal for help. No shame in asking for help...

There is a fella living in Sligo who has worked on the resurfacing of old traffered the Bernabau (however its spelt). He's one of the top men in the business.

[sligoman]

There is a fella living in Sligo who has worked on the resurfacing of old traffered the Bernabau (however its spelt). He's one of the top men in the business.Is that the same guy who did Wembley and took samples of our pitch a few weeks ago?:confused: Surely we don't have 2 top groundsmen living in Sligo:eek:

[Red&White Rover]

Is that the same guy who did Wembley and took samples of our pitch a few weeks ago?:confused: Surely we don't have 2 top groundsmen living in Sligo:eek:

Sure DonalE can have a look at it. the greens in Rosses Point are immaculate.

[redtildead]

Sure DonalE can have a look at it. the greens in Rosses Point are immaculate.
Ya Im sure he'll have no bother in turning it into a quality surface!

Gonna need a lot more than that Im afraid.

[DonalE]

Sure DonalE can have a look at it. the greens in Rosses Point are immaculate.

You've not been out in a while so :rolleyes:

[srfc1928]

There is a fella living in Sligo who has worked on the resurfacing of old traffered the Bernabau (however its spelt). He's one of the top men in the business.
Only1Rovers/Sligoman youre both on about the same guy.
Hes Chairman and CEO of SIS, one of the biggest and best pitch builders in Europe. They have constucted the pitches for Euro 2004 and the World Cup in 2006.But hey we were lucky SG let him take a few soil samples:D
www.supportinsport.com (http://www.supportinsport.com)

[akearins]

Could not agree more on the state of the pitch.It is the worst playing surface in the LOI and no amount of spreading BEACH sand on it will cover this up.I Lost count of the amount of stray passes which were directly the fault of the playing surface at Fridays game.More serious than stray passes is players safety.I was in front of Alan Moore in the first half when his foot got caught in the top surface and looked like he twisted his knee.

The Trust (thats The Bit O Red Supporetrs Trust NOT Sligo Rovers Trust)did arrange with SIS group for samples to be taken of the pitch.The long and short is under top surface is almost perfect, soild and drainage top quality.As for top surface , the levels are soenof the worst seen.

In a nutshell €200,000 is the minimum to resurface the pitch.
This is what needs to be dobne in the window we have:

Remove top 40mm (1 day) leave spoil on site, add about 600 tonnes of sand to mix with existing soils and create a new profile (3 days), laser level the pitch to take out the existing levels (1 day) and then install 40mm purpose grown turf and lay new surface (3 days). This is the expensive option but it is dictated because the Rovers play summer soccer. The summer soccer means there is no time to carry out summer renovations .This option which can be carried out in January/early February or at the end of the season.

As with all the problems mentioned on the forum, we all know them and not really much done by stating them here.Now what solution can we provide....
The trust have looked into the problem, we now know what can be done.
Its not a dead duck, a lot of money I agree but think of the benefits and rewards it would provide.

A playing surface that would be conjusive to attractive football,a playing surface that woudl be able to be used more often, palyers safety.

From Friday evenings game I saw enough to know we have a very exciting squad of players which deserve a good palying surface and its about time the club along with supporters , together help sort it out.

If anyone is interested in trying to achieve this the PM me or drop down to a trust meeting and we can see where we can go with it.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

[bennyc]

Its well and good talking about resurfacing the pitch I was there yesterday (Sunday) and the divots are still not fixed from Friday Nights game. What is the point of paying 200K for a new pitch if no one is even fixing the divots after the game.

[dublinred]

How much did Dundalk pay for their syntetic pitch and how would the annual maintenance costs compare to grass, might be an optiopn if considerably cheaper also would give an advantage in home games.

[clubman]

How much did Dundalk pay for their syntetic pitch and how would the annual maintenance costs compare to grass, might be an optiopn if considerably cheaper also would give an advantage in home games.


Dundalk are in hugh trouble with their playing surface. This year they only received a first division licence because of it. If they were to win the first division this coming season then it would mean they have to invest heavily on either bringing the syntetic surface up to european requirements or pulling it up and relaying grass. Either way a huge cost. Their surface was never as good as our all-weather facility and because of that they suffer now.

[red_away]

Gerry Carr's comments on the pitch - very discreet but the message was clear


“I don’t really want to say too strong of words about it, everyone who has seen it tonight……it is hard to make a comment on it. It is not up to the standard that is required for this league anyway. We’re in desperate need of a roller, I know that costs money but we’re in desperare need of one of them.”

Does anyone know what type of roller he is talking about and what is the cost of one?

or can one be hired out regularly?

[Boo_Boy]

Does anyone know what type of roller he is talking about and what is the cost of one?

or can one be hired out regularly?

it may be a water roller

http://www.sportsequip.co.uk/acatalog/synthetic-pitch-equipment-football.htm

there's another kind of roller that is a very heavy steel one that flattens out the pitch.

[red_away]

i doubt he means that type - i'm sure its a heavy duty roller

[Redzer]

Fair play to the Trust. They have found out what’s wrong with the surface. And more important found out how to put it right.
We now need €200,000 to resurface the pitch.
I have an idea. I don’t know how it would go down.
I am a member of the 400 Club, and have been from the start. €20 a month is deducted from my account by DD.
That’s only €5 a week per year.
Now if every member of the 400 Club put in an EXTRA €10 a week for 1 year we would have €208K.
Maybe not all the members would agree, but then give anyone else who are not members, the option to put in €10 a week for the sole purpose of upgrading the pitch. When the full amount is collected they can immediately stop the DD. I believe we could achieve the 200K needed in this way.
The MC would have to put one person in charge of this arrangement ( Not RG) so the amount raised is guaranteed towards the pitch. A quarterly account would need to be given to the contributors.
Any thoughts?

[avvenalaf]

Why don't we groundshare with Sligo Rugby Club. They have done that at Wigan and the pitch is accepted as Premier League standard :D

Seriously, I'm all for that idea - 398 to go.

[forza rovers]

no it would just end up as if a farmer had ploughed the pitch

[sligoman]

no it would just end up as if a farmer had ploughed the pitchWha?:confused:

[DonalE]

Why don't we groundshare with Sligo Rugby Club. They have done that at Wigan and the pitch is accepted as Premier League standard :D

Seriously, I'm all for that idea - 398 to go.

Egg chasers in The Showgrounds :eek:

[deecay]

Why don't we groundshare with Sligo Rugby Club. They have done that at Wigan and the pitch is accepted as Premier League standard :D

Seriously, I'm all for that idea - 398 to go.
The JJB is nowhere near premiership standard,wouldnt even want to think about going into negotiations with that crowd

[Rovers1]

ive already been on to a member of the MC about the use of our roller here, its the same kind of roller that is used on football pitches, but just waiting for a reply, plus the club would need to supply a smaller tractor because our tractor is way to heavy to go on a football pitch.

[sligoman]

the club would need to supply a smaller tractorProbably won't happen so:o.

[Boo_Boy]

when i was in rochdale visiting friends we went to the rochdale fc club and there groundsman was using a seated lawnmower to pull it around the pitch!:D

[DonalE]

ive already been on to a member of the MC about the use of our roller here, its the same kind of roller that is used on football pitches, but just waiting for a reply, plus the club would need to supply a smaller tractor because our tractor is way to heavy to go on a football pitch.


There's a small tractor in The Showgrounds as is there a roller but neither will be going on the pitch for the foreseeable future

[clubman]

There's a small tractor in The Showgrounds as is there a roller but neither will be going on the pitch for the foreseeable future

Donal, would a good rolling of the pitch do the trick or how far will it do to solve a very bumpy pitch?

[DonalE]

It would definitely help but would only be a short term solution i'd say

[Rovers1]

its been rolled today afaik ;)

[sligored]

i think that rolling it might do more damage than good. from my limited knoledge of golf course maintenence i think aeration holes would be first priority long b4 rolling it and giving rainwater nowhere to go.

i know that golf greens are punctured with holes, then holes are filled with sand and then given a light rolling - i am not sure that we could not employ a greenkeeper on an advisory/part-time basis until the problem rectifies itself

if anyone from the committee is on here i might be able to put them in touch with a fully qualified greens keeper in strandhill golf club. pm me if interested.

just a suggestion as i feel andy tiernan is not the man to improve the condition of the pitch(Great servant down the years)

[Rory H]

[QUOTE=sligored;887482]

if anyone from the committee is on here i might be able to put them in touch with a fully qualified greens keeper in strandhill golf club. pm me if interested.[QUOTE]

Ouch Donal

[redtildead]

i know that golf greens are punctured with holes, then holes are filled with sand and then given a light rolling - i am not sure that we could not employ a greenkeeper on an advisory/part-time basis until the problem rectifies itself



Perfect man for the job among us :D

[red arrow]

we have to be very carefull here because of the time of year a roller that is to heavy would cause a huge amount of damage . if a heavy roller is used it will close of the drainage and surface water will sit. a possability would be to "scratch" the surface. this is where a machine is used to aerate the soils and then given a light roll. the trouble here is "scratching" the surface means weakening the grass root. it does give a better surface short term. a heavier roller can be used when the ground is drier not after all this rain

[Guitd]

we have to be very carefull here because of the time of year a roller that is to heavy would cause a huge amount of damage . if a heavy roller is used it will close of the drainage and surface water will sit. a possability would be to "scratch" the surface. this is where a machine is used to aerate the soils and then given a light roll. the trouble here is "scratching" the surface means weakening the grass root. it does give a better surface short term. a heavier roller can be used when the ground is drier not after all this rain

exactly rolling the pitch is a last resort proper machine for cutting will also roll lightly like thats what done in teryland pk

[Rovers fan]

lads my dad is a forrester and he said that the main problem would be drainage. As red arrow said scratching needs to be done. Now strandhill golf course have the machines to do this and they are only used about once a month, the rest of the time they are just sitting there doing nothing. Surely if this is whats needed rovers could approach strandhill g.c and rent the machinery.

[deecay]

lads my dad is a forrester and he said that the main problem would be drainage.
Ya its cuts up so easy,there was surface water just left of the away dugout

[DonalE]

When was a game last called off in The Showgrounds due to a waterlogged pitch?

[forza rovers]

When was a game last called off in The Showgrounds due to a waterlogged pitch?
not for years

[Only1Rovers]

ten years ago they put a great drainage system under the pitch, there is no problem with drainage.

[DonalE]

ten years ago they put a great drainage system under the pitch, there is no problem with drainage.

Exactly, that's my point. There's absolutely no problem with drainage

[sligoman]

It is being rolled next Tuesday and Wednesday.

[Only1Rovers]

lads my dad is a forrester and he said that the main problem would be drainage.


Ya its cuts up so easy,there was surface water just left of the away dugout

My post was in reply to the above.


Exactly, that's my point. There's absolutely no problem with drainage

I concur....

[Rovers1]

remember about 3 years ago, the pitch was ripped up at both ends, they were updating the drainage so there should be no problem with that part