Replace the pitch at Oriel. Read something a while back that they would have to replace their synthetic pitch with a grass one.
We are the Galway Boys Stand up and make some noise"
Nope, we are upgrading it as far as i know. Still don't know the ins and out but heard that we could have a temporary measure of replacing the filling. Or replacing the pitch altogether for a higher spec one.
Its a good source of income so i can't see us going back to grass.
Is there any hope that they might change their games to a Friday or Saturday night?
i see the issue of the pitch and having the advantage is already an issue and has been mentioned on MNS.
If it was an advantage for us then we would have been unbeaten at home since we got the surface in.
when your on it , it just feels like your on a grass pitch.
I hope Drogheda don't get relegated , because it will be a pleasure taking 3pts of them at home and away next season.
Sligo Rovers have a synthetic training pitch, and Ive been told its better quality than the Dundalk one, and let me tell you if may feel kinda like grass when your running on it. But try doing a sliding tackle on it, it peels your skin like a cheese grater. If found out the hard way.Originally Posted by baddebt
Good money spinner tho.
Manager: Fergal, have you your boots with ya?
Fergal: Ya, I have them here.
Manager: Ah good stuff, well give them to this man so, he forgot his!
What happens if the pitch fails uefa standards which it has done already twice in recent times.These pitches only get a licence from uefa for a two year period they then have to be totally replaced to apply again ,this will cost a fair amount of money and ur running out of time to have it ready for next season.There is a very high maintenance prog to be followed to keep it up to standard which Dundalk have failed to do since it was installed.
would not agree that they have failed to maitain it its in excellent condition however if it is open to the public it is impossible to maintain a eufa standard so i think the problem will be if they use a sytetic surface for next season would it still be a source of revenue
I wish i did not know then what I dont know now
I've played full competitive matches on both Sligo's pitch and in Oriel. Let me tell you Oriel is ten times better. Still not great for sliding tackles though. When wet, maybe it is.
I've played in Oriel many times and i found going to ground was grand. Its not as bad as some other jobs.
Long Live King Kenny
If you look at te last 2 seasons Dundalk would appear to have an advantage playing on that surface compared to other sides. They actually had a better record at home than Harps two seasons ago even though Harps finished a massive 10 points clear of them, Cobh got only 2 points more to them despite fininshing 11 points clear of them. You can argue how big an advantage it is but you can't argue if it is or is not an advantage IMO.
It is absolutely no advantage to us. Both teams have to play on it. We lost 4 games this season on it. We lost to Shels, Longford and Limerick twice. With the exception of Longford the other 3 times we lost the teams that beat us played better football and kept the ball on the ground more. Its a perfect pitch for teams that want to play football.
A distinct disadvatage against us is the cabbage patches then that we have to be forced to play on when we travel away from home.
Long Live King Kenny
Your home record says otherwise it is klaughable that you would even challenge this.
Of course I'll challenge it.
This season we clocked up 40 Points at home out of 54. Last seasons champs where cobh with 45 pts taken from home. Rovers amassed 46 pts in 2006 and sligo in 2005 got 35 points at home.
Those points achieved had more to do with the teams themselves rather that the pitch that they played on. Cobh and Shamrock Rovers both got more points than us at home in the years that they won it. So where their pitches that season giving them an unfair advantage? In both those season cobh drew with us in 2007 and rovers beat us while drawing the other game. Our only advantage over the other teams is that we are better than them at home. If Oriel was grass it would still of given the same results.
Long Live King Kenny
2006 Champions - Shamrock Rovers - Unbeaten at home
2007 Champions - Cobh Ramblers - Unbeaten at home
2008 Champions - Dundalk - Beaten four times at home
There's no unfair advantage for Dundalk. Teams are generally stronger at home than they are away, but we've actually lost less games away from home this season (although we've picked up more points at Oriel). In 2006, when we finished second to Rovers, we picked up more points away than we did at home. Dundalk are not strong at home because of the artificial surface, despite what some people want to believe. But it's good to see you're getting your excuses in early.
Considering you actually finished 11 points behind Cobh last season while just picking up 2 points less shows you have a real advantage. Once again this season you were top buy taking 3 points more than Shels, even say Shels had hung on against Limerick and had won you lads would not have been promoted and still have had the best home league record. I would discount your first full season by saying that it took you time to get used to it to be fair. But the last two season you could not have any argument that it is a major advantage to Dundalk to play on that pitch. As it was for Luton Town, Oldham and QPR all clubs who have fallen away since they were made tear up their plastic pitches.
p.s. stop being so defensive i have not used the word unfair, but i have used the word advantage.
It is an advantage to any team that tries to play football on it. When most teams come to Oriel they sit back and defend so obviously they are going to be disadvantaged.
You have to agree that a synthetic pitch does play differently than a grass pitch. For this reason it does take a longer to get used to how the pitch plays. By playing on it reguarly you therefore have to have an advantage, all be it a small one.
Manager: Fergal, have you your boots with ya?
Fergal: Ya, I have them here.
Manager: Ah good stuff, well give them to this man so, he forgot his!
If we go next season unbeaten at home to Cork, Bohs, Derry and St. Pats I will take my hat off and say the our pitch gives us an advantage.
Long Live King Kenny
Your getting mixed up, having an advantage does not make you unbeatable, it just means your picking up more points than those group of players would do on a normal grass surface.
Then your missing the point as well. Could we not of picked up the majority of our points because we have a superior team with a superior budget to attract the best players in the 1st division.
Long Live King Kenny
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