The black rubber infill was probably topped up prior to the game and the pitch brushed and watered. While there is an extensive thread on the pitch, the black infill is cheaper than the green coloured variety and looks a lot worse than pitches where the coloured stuff is used. As with most Dundalk fans grass would be preferred, the artificial pitch served a purpose in the mid 2000s when first installed and was invaluable income and savings. That said if an average grass pitch was watched closely sand and loose soil would kick up also. As for the ball bobbling about, I didnt notice it any more than usual or even any more than many grass pitches during a dry spell. The pitch in Tallaght is exceptional. The one in Cork gets so much use that it is probably a real headache to keep right. The only people that can really assess the pitch is the players that use it most often albeit we know their preference. It would be interesting to hear their honest assessment of the Oriel pitch and the one in the Brandywell. As for 'the seriousness of the club in Europe' many clubs in Europe have artificial surfaces. The Luzhnky for one hosted international qualifiers and artificial surfaces are or were allowed up to CL semi finals. That many rugby clubs for example have opted for artificial surfaces without concern for injury etc and in Municipal Stadium developments its quite possible they will be opted for especially if multiuse, we will see more of them in the league over time. I'd take it if Louth CoCo were building a ground we could use!!!
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