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The Pitch

Snakebite

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Campaigning for free speech
We also only had one tractor, and so equipment had to be ferried backwards and forwards from SJP and the Cat and Fiddle. There were a great number of heroes at the time, some largely forgotten, who in the 2003-2004 pre season built retaining walls whilst trying to avoid trampling all over the badly neglected pitch. Barry Sansom, Dacre Holloway and many others ensured that we were ready (at least pitch wise) to start the season. The ongoing scenario that's often forgotten is that there was no certainty that the Football Conference would accept us as members.
That summer was fantastic at the park.
After the disappointment of the season the phoenix of a real club started to rise from the ashes and a whole bunch of us turned up at SJP through the summer, led by Barry and Dacre, to try and get a ground that had been awfully neglected into some sort of state for the coming season.

One of the things that sticks in my memory was that almost on a daily basis Ian Huxham would come out for a chat and to give us the latest stat e of the nation as of that morning on subjects such as a) whether the club even still existed, and b) whether we would be allowed into the conference the following season, and c) what new skeletons had emerged from the many closets, hidden by the previous regime.
As David mentions we built walls, painted everything it seems, helped Mark and John(?) with the pitch if needed, laid tarmac, weeded, cleaned, you name it.

The club for the first time felt like it was puling as one and the laughs we had went an awful long way to healing the hurt from that previous season. I think, although it's a while since I've checked, that some of my expertly laid tarmac is still in existence near the Dobleshed.
Great times.
 

Hants_red

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Clive Pring discussing pitch improvements out at the Car and Fiddle https://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/2019/may/pitch-renovation/
 

grecian-near-hell

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All this focus on the retained lists and next season, one important area which partially led to our drifting out of the autos was the state of the pitch just prior to lockdown and how it was cutting up.

Presumably nothing much will be done to it this year, so should we then be focusing on a hoof and hope ala Northampton next year as opposed to the beautiful game style of play next season. if so how will this then impact on the youth who have been coached to play along the ground.

Thinking about the pitch unless we can get points on the board whilst the sun shines, my optimism for next season could wane when the torrential rain comes and it starts to clog up,

People were talking about how it is difficult to assess how we are going to play prior to Northampton 4-3-3, 3-5-2, 4-5-1 etc, perhaps we need to bring in another formation 5-1-4 for when the Monsoons arrive.
 

Hants_red

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A start date for the new season would be useful for any planning for pitch improvements. Though it does look like quite a lot has been done already.
 

grecian-near-hell

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A start date for the new season would be useful for any planning for pitch improvements. Though it does look like quite a lot has been done already.
Drainage sorted or being attended to?
 

Hants_red

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Drainage sorted or being attended to?
I think the top surface got dealt with, but no idea about drainage.
 

grecianstew

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Aug 26, 2006
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Taunton
I would have thought that the pitch was one of the few positives to come out of this whole sorry affair. Able to top dress it, sow grass etc in the proper germinating season and then keep off it for the longest period in 70odd years to let it establish properly.
Sadly, whilst we may have been able to improve the drainage in the past, "sorting it out" is beyond the realms of possibility given it's location and geography.
 

Benguin

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Dec 14, 2004
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Bristol
I’m afraid unless we get a huge windfall and invest in a Desso Grassmaster type pitch it will always get a bit muddy after a Christmas.
 

Exehausted

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I’m afraid unless we get a huge windfall and invest in a Desso Grassmaster type pitch it will always get a bit muddy after a Christmas.
A quick search and there is a 4 minute clip on youtube of the pitch being laid at Wembley. 22 hours a day for 10 days. Goodness knows how much that would cost, but I think the bigger question is how much would maintenance cost. We seem to have been spending £60,000 every couple of years to sort out the drainage. The first season is okay, but then you get the second season, which was the one just gone and it's terrible again. If the capital spend was say £1,000,000 but it just needed a bit of reseeding every year and it lasted, say 20 years, it might be worth it. Anything to help the players play good football for a whole season. As Benguin says though, we would need a massive windfall. And it gets a lot more than "a bit muddy after Christmas!"
 

Andy Holloway

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Nov 20, 2013
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There was a programme in the TV series Richard Hammond whatever... when he visited the New White Hart Lane Stadium, now there is a pitch and a half! Removable on 3 3000 ton trays and can then be stored in their underground car park to allow all the 'pitch area' to be used for American Football. It can be stored for anything up to 13 days, and has special lights etc to keep it in tip top condition, there is even one of those computer operated mowing machines!
As to cost, goodness knows but more than a few quid!!
 
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