What a pitch!
Whaaaat? Today’s game is off? No cracking open chilled bottles of Leffe? No moules and fries at half-time?
Interesting and probably coincidental that the club actually publish something on the state of The Valley pitch after the takeover news. Nonetheless it is well overdue as the pitch has become a source of ridicule and embarrassment and bluntly things are only going to get worse throughout the winter.
Investment by the previous owners was lacking in a whole host of areas, and the Valley pitch was just one of them, but as long as we have 11 players and ball, the pitch is kind of the next most important. They really had no intention of spending a penny more than was necessary did they?
The pitch has worsened steadily over recent seasons (Hull last year was a nightmare) and the drainage system behind the North Stand has long been a problem and has collapsed, so following heavy rain, the water doesn’t move away. Hence, every time there is a serious downpour the pitch quickly becomes a quagmire.
The top of the pitch was taken off in the summer and relaid and without anyone playing football on it, it looked like a bowling green, but that was the bare minimum of investment. I wonder what the new owner thought when he saw it? Duchâtelet installed an artificial pitch at Sint-Truiden in 2011 and is a loud advocate of them.
Yesterday Charlton’s Deputy Head Groundsman Nathan Chapman said that they are to place a dome on the surface for a week to dry the pitch out and then with the bigger machinery they will attempt to get it flat and dried out to a level where it’s playable.
That sounds to me as if there is no chance of the game being played on Wednesday either….. unless it is under the dome!
In all seriousness, nothing can be done until the summer, and Paddy Powell will have his work cut out to get games on. I expect more Doncaster, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday type surfaces. Another hindrance in our relegation fight for sure.
Is it a hindrance or a help? We are rarely the better passing side when we play, whilst we have the benefit of being used to the surface.
It makes for ugly viewing and is embarrassing, but I suspect it slightly helps our cause.
A fixture pile-up however would be unlikely to help however.
I agree with NYA (Whatever happened to you by the way) in that our passing game is pretty non existent with the big Frenchman up front. Most opposing teams teams will not fancy it one little bit, and we need every bit of advantage we can get. I say we take full advantage of an unfortunate situation.
NYA is back by the way – http://www.newyorkaddick.blogspot.com/2014/01/ill-be-your-friend-roland_3.html#comments and hopefully for a while.
I understand your comments on our playing style but we have hardly made the pitch work for us these past couple of seasons. If this is how it is to be, then Powell, well both of them, need to work on a plan to better teams on our own (mud) patch and of course it won’t be pretty.
However winning at home in whatever manner will be most welcome after our home form since winning promotion. Maybe selecting differing sides home and away would work?
Cheers for the signpost to NYA.
Maybe I was disingenuous about our playing style. I think SCP would like to play a passing game, but I just think Big Yann (consciously or unconsciously) promotes the long ball.
Sorting out our home form would be most welcome – its been a tough season so far for home supporters like me. Seems to me that we select a different team for every game currently – almost like we are searching for the magic formula. Therefore finding two systems that work seems unlikely.
Ho hum, new times ahead, reasons to be hopeful. COYR!
It’s been a tough couple of years for season ticket holders Richard. i think CP has just about tried every formular, and agree that when Yann plays we can’t help ourselves but to look for his head, which is frustrating because he is pretty good on the floor and I have seen him link play really well when he plays deeper.