3G pitches

In view of the horrendous winter we have had, is it time to give consideration to the use of 3G pitches next season.

Think about it and discuss it within your club. I understand, there are pitches available and now is the time to start making arrangements if your club think it is worth considering.

I for one enjoy playing on a 3G pitch and our team agrees with this. However, we played on a 3G pitch the other week so we could get a game and it was almost double the price of the grass pitch. So money would be the issue for us.

Carnabys use a 3G pitch for games and training. unsure on the running costs of it but i highly doubt its a HUGE increase on what we were paying last few season at Mossdale Meadows. plus we have two teams to cover the costs which i suppose makes it easier.

only had one game called off on the 3G and that was a bit of a farce. "Underlying water" apparently after the snow had melted away.

its a lovely surface to play on. games are more likely to go ahead bar three foot of snow. only real issue is the wires that run across the pitch to seperate it. although refs often say just play on it has worked for us and against us many times this season so we can't complain in any way.

if there were more teams with a 3G pitch to play on it could only be a good thing. i also believe it discourages people diving in like dickheads all over the place cos nobody wants a carpet burn. they take around 3 weeks to disappear and you can barely sit down for a week

Far too expensive. Hopefully now that there are more and more being built, the prices will come down.

We have played a few of our friendlies on the 3G pitch at the loughborough uni and they charge £89 full pitch for 2 hours. So for a season that would cost a lot more than a grass pitch!

I agree with the majority. The costs would be far to much and unless there is a Scrappy Garage type benefactor then I don't think any club could really afford it.

Yuk dont mention crappy garage, that names been swept under the rug.

3g football is not a true game(grassroots), footballs not football unless its on proper grass, leave the 3g surface for netball and hockey ladies to use.

Silly idea. You could not really play a top game on em with say a title at stake n it hits the wires n costs you the league. daft idea!

I like rolling in mud!

3 mud baths a week for me.

I'm sure there's a rule somewhere that says if the ball hits the wire it's an indirect free kick. Agree the prices would have to come down, but some venue somewhere will cotton on to this and make a nice little earner. Knighton Park is as bad as I've ever seen it currently, and most home games are stopped at least twice to remove dog mess.

close polska....the wire if unable to be removed becomes an outside agent and every time the ball hits it a drop-ball should be awarded,,,,,,last game i did on one was in uppingham and we had 13 drop-balls in the game

if a pitch inspection is done properly then the dog mess would have been spotted

man in black wrote:

close polska....the wire if unable to be removed becomes an outside agent and every time the ball hits it a drop-ball should be awarded,,,,,,last game i did on one was in uppingham and we had 13 drop-balls in the game

But often common sense rules.

rule was bought in because common sense didnt work,,,,,too many arguements about where the ball would have gone if it hadnt touched wire,,,

The two times we have played on astroturf the referee said it is a drop ball if it hrs the wire at the beginning of the games but mid way through the game just played on without saying they would do that. Need to be constant and stick to what they say at beginning of the game

i told both captains what i would do if it touched wire,,they both agreed ,,,13 drop balls

Its a joke you cannot call that a serious game! id refuse to play its farcical

We played a few friendlies pre-season on one and i think the ball only hit the wire once in 3 or 4 games, don't think its generally a problem and the surface is good for knocking the ball around - will always suit some sides more than others

surely only teams that 'hoof it' keep hitting the wire?

The wires are at third of the pitch,,,,, quite a few goalkicks hit the wire

it really does sound like the way forward after all.

Widds wrote:

I like rolling in mud!

roll?

man in black wrote:

The wires are at third of the pitch,,,,, quite a few goalkicks hit the wire

the wires can easily be removed but management doesn't bother because there income is small sided footy or training. To me its the same as the lads putting the posts and nets up so just do it yourselves.

the prices are high again because the long term commitments are small sided footy and training (cross court thirds) so unless you gave them some kind of weekly commitment for the season then i think they would stay the same.

would like to know the cost for aylestone rec, guthlaxton and New college?
there will be one around aylestone meadows/riverside school soon enough too

shnurgan wrote:

man in black wrote:

The wires are at third of the pitch,,,,, quite a few goalkicks hit the wire

the wires can easily be removed but management doesn't bother because there income is small sided footy or training. To me its the same as the lads putting the posts and nets up so just do it yourselves.

the prices are high again because the long term commitments are small sided footy and training (cross court thirds) so unless you gave them some kind of weekly commitment for the season then i think they would stay the same.

would like to know the cost for aylestone rec, guthlaxton and New college?
there will be one around aylestone meadows/riverside school soon enough too

How could a single Sunday football team give a weekly commitment?

Wouldn't it be more beneficial if the various pitches could give a weekly commitment to Sunday football?

For example, judgemeadow (or any of the others) could hand the booking responsibility to The Alliance league for the Sunday 10am-1pm slot. That way the league could try to ensure that there is steady flow of fixtures played on there. It would also give the league a pitch for important matches - i.e. cup fixtures or for teams that have a big backlog.

All football games should be played on grass......end of

Sparta3...
when i say them i am referring to the alliance league not individual clubs.
my point was that in order to bring down prices then the management of the facilities (surely the council own a few of them) would need some kind of commitment rather than one offs as and when it is convenient for the league. I guess it wouldn't have to be the entire season but just over the winter 3-5 month period when it is very likely that games are to be cancelled.

the con balance being sometimes having to play on 3G even when grass is fine because you are booked onto it but then how would this work with your fees to the council for your regular grass pitches as some clubs pay for the year for grass pitches and not as and when required?

For me unfortunately I dont think this is a viable option. Whilst a number of 3g pitches have been built there is still nowhere near the number of grass pitches which means only "the lucky few" would be able to use it even if they wished to.
We enquired prior to xmas about the possibility of using one and were informed we could kick off at 9pm on a Tuesday or a Friday and that was it for availability.

I think this debate could just further muddy the water as the league look to work out the best way to get the seasons played. Personally I think shifting kick off times back a little in the winter months when we know we're going to experience cold snaps would be an option that it would be worth looking at.
Also the numbers in league debate and whether cups should be mandatory or opt in/out are all discussions that I believe are bubbling away somewhere.

As far as 3g goes, the snow still renders the majority unplayable and in my experience they are comfortably more expensive and more costs result in more teams folding.

Just my opinion

dump a cup(bily walton)

grass is for football, 3g is for 5 a side
END FOOKING OF

nothing to do with carnaby's playing on one is it tommy

i have always thought that at the start of the season, the first 3 or 4 weeks (including night games) should just be various cup competitions and no league games. This would benefit in two ways: firstly, any sides with an eye on a league title would not be inconvenienced by putting out a weakened side for a midweek game. Secondly, take the last few months. There is an urgency to get Billy Walton / County Cup / Stokes / Foster Cup games etc. played so that the Finals can be at Holmes Park in time for their booked slots. If you get a semi or quarter called off - as happened last Sunday - it HAS to be replayed the following week for the same reason. But that means clubs are wasting a week when they might have been able to play a league game somewhere which eases their fixture backlogs.

I get the doubts, I wasn't too impressed when I found out we were to play on 3g, as said football is meant for grass. But having nearly played a season on it its great! Much much better for playing on, and very few games cancelled compared to grass. Yeah its a bit more expensive, but only a little else we wouldn't be doing it. We have 2 sides so can book it, but no reason why two teams couldn't share a 3g pitch, it happens with grass pitches.

Wires aren't as bad as made out, last game we played think it only hit them once. And not much worse than a bobble or dodgy bounce on a grass pitch.

Our game last Saturday was moved to 3G. First half hit wire once which was fine second half seven times. Drop ball every time nightmare.

Depends on the ref, out of all 1st and 2nd team games we've had, only 1 has insisted on drop ball every time, all others just play on, which whilst I accept isn't perfect, is better than the drop ball IMO, which was a farce, makes it a bigger deal than it needs to be (and somehow MAKES the ball hit it more!!! ). Don't remember it being much of an issue in our game do you?

No to be honest that game was fine, and first half Saturday fine. Second half though was horrendous our manager counted for some reason and was 7 times second half which meant game stopped seven times. We played inter mivan too in a friendly on ones on saffron lane, pretty sure they had no wires, if did sure didn't hit once all game.

CSKA17 wrote:

I get the doubts, I wasn't too impressed when I found out we were to play on 3g, as said football is meant for grass. But having nearly played a season on it its great! Much much better for playing on, and very few games cancelled compared to grass. Yeah its a bit more expensive, but only a little else we wouldn't be doing it. We have 2 sides so can book it, but no reason why two teams couldn't share a 3g pitch, it happens with grass pitches.

Wires aren't as bad as made out, last game we played think it only hit them once. And not much worse than a bobble or dodgy bounce on a grass pitch.

You do pay a gazillion pounds in subs etc (allegedly). And your club commits to weekly training sessions which probably helps your price, as well as having two teams instead of one.

Sparta3 wrote:

CSKA17 wrote:

I get the doubts, I wasn't too impressed when I found out we were to play on 3g, as said football is meant for grass. But having nearly played a season on it its great! Much much better for playing on, and very few games cancelled compared to grass. Yeah its a bit more expensive, but only a little else we wouldn't be doing it. We have 2 sides so can book it, but no reason why two teams couldn't share a 3g pitch, it happens with grass pitches.

Wires aren't as bad as made out, last game we played think it only hit them once. And not much worse than a bobble or dodgy bounce on a grass pitch.

You do pay a gazillion pounds in subs etc (allegedly). And your club commits to weekly training sessions which probably helps your price, as well as having two teams instead of one.

Ha ha, we're not cheap no! But good value for money I think.

Anyway, back to topic, I think its about £10 difference to our old grass pitch. Don't think the training there makes a difference, just the regular weekly booking, which could be achieved.

I respect that many don't like it, and will choose not too, just truing to state its not as impossible as some may think

The gazillion pound subs gets spent on cones and printed training shirts though so its definitely worth it.

Embroidered not printed i hope

The first batch of training jackets are embroided but the current 11/12 season range were printed.

Cones are neither printed or embroided but it may be worth looking at. If its revenue we can spend on something totally ridiculous and makes us look more professional then it'll be worth it