| Pitch update on 16:26 - Jan 1 with 4256 views | kel |
| Pitch update on 16:04 - Jan 1 by Plattyswrinklynuts |
Fair point Kel but Accy is on as is Radcliffe.
About time people (& not just on here) stopped blaming previous regimes & the club got off their collective backsides & found a solution, albeit temporary until we can sort out something more permanent. I don’t know if this is correct but I was told by a friend that Mr Gauge allegedly said “the pitch is a loss making part of our business so we haven’t invested in it “.
If that’s the case it frankly beggars belief, if we can’t put games on you’re looking at a useless piece of grass with 4 stands round it. Can’t blame the club for Owdum or today but to have the only postponement on the top 6 leagues (Boston) was lamentable. Add to this we are IMO in 2 useless tinpot cups- my only interest is getting out of this league- & we’ll be struggling to fit games in as it stands, never mind future pitch issues. |
Eh? |  |
| “He was deliberately misleading the EFL” |
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| Pitch update on 16:51 - Jan 1 with 4115 views | 49thseason |
| Pitch update on 15:23 - Jan 1 by 49thseason |
A millimetre of rain falling on a square metre of pitch = 1 litre of water
At 105 m x 68m, the pitch = 7140 sq metres x 75mm of rain = 535,550 litres of water that fell on the pitch yesterday and today (or for us oldies 117,805 gallons).
The average monthly rainfall in Rochdale for January is 110 mm...over 75 mm of rain fell on the pitch in the last 24 hours. |
I posted this to try and give some perspective to the size of the problem,. I have no doubt it is possible to overcome our current pitch problems but it has to be recognised that as it stands we are almost back to square one in terms of its suitability for professional football to where we were at the turn of the millenium before any real pitch resurfacing had been considered.
Like so much around the COA , the lack of investment is manifesting itself in the pitch, the dire decor in the main stand, and the general state of dilapidation around the place that repainting cannot disguise..
The scale of what is needed is huge, presumably this is why there are talks of a major renovation to the main stand but its also the case that many aspects of the ground are simply wearing out and finances do not allow the renovation required. |  | | |
| Pitch update on 16:53 - Jan 1 with 4105 views | Plattyswrinklynuts |
| Pitch update on 16:26 - Jan 1 by kel |
Eh? |
Oops, sorry fella!! |  | | |
| Pitch update on 17:09 - Jan 1 with 4007 views | 442Dale |
| Pitch update on 16:51 - Jan 1 by 49thseason |
I posted this to try and give some perspective to the size of the problem,. I have no doubt it is possible to overcome our current pitch problems but it has to be recognised that as it stands we are almost back to square one in terms of its suitability for professional football to where we were at the turn of the millenium before any real pitch resurfacing had been considered.
Like so much around the COA , the lack of investment is manifesting itself in the pitch, the dire decor in the main stand, and the general state of dilapidation around the place that repainting cannot disguise..
The scale of what is needed is huge, presumably this is why there are talks of a major renovation to the main stand but its also the case that many aspects of the ground are simply wearing out and finances do not allow the renovation required. |
We have invested in the pitch, it’s more that whatever work has been done, we are not much better off. It’s trying to establish why and finally getting it right.
The last point is something that we will hopefully hear more about in the coming months because the finances will allow it if those plans require investment. Otherwise, they won’t be included in the plan!
You’re right though, work is needed around a lot of the ground. |  |
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| Pitch update on 17:28 - Jan 1 with 3882 views | kel |
Ha, no worries. I wouldn’t be capable of making a post with so many calculations in it. | |
| “He was deliberately misleading the EFL” |
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| Pitch update on 19:16 - Jan 1 with 3541 views | judd |
| Pitch update on 16:04 - Jan 1 by Plattyswrinklynuts |
Fair point Kel but Accy is on as is Radcliffe.
About time people (& not just on here) stopped blaming previous regimes & the club got off their collective backsides & found a solution, albeit temporary until we can sort out something more permanent. I don’t know if this is correct but I was told by a friend that Mr Gauge allegedly said “the pitch is a loss making part of our business so we haven’t invested in it “.
If that’s the case it frankly beggars belief, if we can’t put games on you’re looking at a useless piece of grass with 4 stands round it. Can’t blame the club for Owdum or today but to have the only postponement on the top 6 leagues (Boston) was lamentable. Add to this we are IMO in 2 useless tinpot cups- my only interest is getting out of this league- & we’ll be struggling to fit games in as it stands, never mind future pitch issues. |
Surely the pitch has to be seen as the mother of the club. All things stem from it. It is a must have. It has minimum standards that we must meet, including the ability to get games on at weekends and bank holidays throughout the winter months.
Would rain covers have ensured today went ahead? I have no idea, but I see them as a necessary cost now, just like an insurance policy, a grudge purchase that you hope is never needed. A capital expenditure with a payback period measured over a number of years.
Perhaps fans can help fund their purchase if the club does not have the cash to invest?
A £10 donation from each adult season ticket holder and a diversion of squad builder funds perhaps? [Post edited 1 Jan 19:17]
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| Pitch update on 19:31 - Jan 1 with 3482 views | 442Dale |
| Pitch update on 19:16 - Jan 1 by judd |
Surely the pitch has to be seen as the mother of the club. All things stem from it. It is a must have. It has minimum standards that we must meet, including the ability to get games on at weekends and bank holidays throughout the winter months.
Would rain covers have ensured today went ahead? I have no idea, but I see them as a necessary cost now, just like an insurance policy, a grudge purchase that you hope is never needed. A capital expenditure with a payback period measured over a number of years.
Perhaps fans can help fund their purchase if the club does not have the cash to invest?
A £10 donation from each adult season ticket holder and a diversion of squad builder funds perhaps? [Post edited 1 Jan 19:17]
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Still awaiting confirmation about what is happening next re. Squad builder/Fighting Fund but that’s a good idea. We have to know where we stand first, whether proper covers which cover the whole pitch would help and what the cost would be.
Regarding the Squad Builder/Fighting Fund, this was raised at the Trust AGM almost two months ago:
https://www.daletrust.co.uk/2024/11/trust-2024-agm/
“ The funding of the Squad Builder and the Fighting Fund launched at the 2023 AGM, and strongly supported by BOGS, should have been reviewed at the end of last season. This did not happen, and there are suggestions for alternative projects to be considered. In the meantime, the SB and FF funds will continue to benefit from donations made until a change, if any, is made to support an alternative project. Those currently donating will then be advised whether or not to support either the current projects, or any new project adopted. However, if any new project/s is/are adopted, the final balance for the SB and the FF will be ring-fenced for use for those specific projects only.”
Not sure why we currently still have a ‘Squad Builder’ or ‘Fighting Fund’ without such a review actually taking place and a Trust member vote. | |
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| Pitch update on 20:39 - Jan 1 with 3244 views | Plattyswrinklynuts |
| Pitch update on 19:16 - Jan 1 by judd |
Surely the pitch has to be seen as the mother of the club. All things stem from it. It is a must have. It has minimum standards that we must meet, including the ability to get games on at weekends and bank holidays throughout the winter months.
Would rain covers have ensured today went ahead? I have no idea, but I see them as a necessary cost now, just like an insurance policy, a grudge purchase that you hope is never needed. A capital expenditure with a payback period measured over a number of years.
Perhaps fans can help fund their purchase if the club does not have the cash to invest?
A £10 donation from each adult season ticket holder and a diversion of squad builder funds perhaps? [Post edited 1 Jan 19:17]
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The new owners have the cash Judd, but who knows what the communication between the club / trust & them is like at the moment. But it’s a pressing issue. | | | |
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| Pitch update on 20:55 - Jan 1 with 3182 views | judd |
| Pitch update on 20:39 - Jan 1 by Plattyswrinklynuts |
The new owners have the cash Judd, but who knows what the communication between the club / trust & them is like at the moment. But it’s a pressing issue. |
But it shouldn't necessarily be incumbent on the new owners to stump up every time.
We can help, aa we have done previously.
If drainage is the issue and we can't afford to fix the drains, then does stopping heavy rain residing on the pitch solve the problem? Can excessive water alongside the pitch drain away?
I've no idea of the cost of full pitch covers. If they're PVC then the cost of such has shot through the roof recently
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Nevertheless, we should, in my opinion, seek to drive a solution to this problem if we are not satisfied.
There were 2 seperate sheets put in place on the pitch yesterday, approximately 10% of the pitch covered. | |
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| Pitch update on 21:16 - Jan 1 with 3116 views | D_Alien |
| Pitch update on 20:55 - Jan 1 by judd |
But it shouldn't necessarily be incumbent on the new owners to stump up every time.
We can help, aa we have done previously.
If drainage is the issue and we can't afford to fix the drains, then does stopping heavy rain residing on the pitch solve the problem? Can excessive water alongside the pitch drain away?
I've no idea of the cost of full pitch covers. If they're PVC then the cost of such has shot through the roof recently
.
Nevertheless, we should, in my opinion, seek to drive a solution to this problem if we are not satisfied.
There were 2 seperate sheets put in place on the pitch yesterday, approximately 10% of the pitch covered. |
I wondered about that
Are they our covers, or were they borrowed/hired? Were they a kind of 'sticking plaster' to make it look as if something was being done, when in effect the coverage was wholly inadequate and potentially even worse. If the game had gone ahead for instance, there would have been areas relatively soaked and others not, leading to all sorts of issues with footholds and the movement of the ball
I agree it's wrong to just expect the Ogdens to stump up for decent pitch protection, but any cost/benefit analysis has to be made with lost revenue and goodwill of those who've already forked out for travel/accommodation etc.
As you say, the playing surface is the foundation of everything that happens at the club. With fixtures building up due to postponements, there's potential for losing not just momentum but also league position at the end of the season [Post edited 1 Jan 22:18]
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| Pitch update on 22:30 - Jan 1 with 2883 views | Sandyman |
We've seen numerous "remedies" to the pitch problem going back decades. Some have lasted for a while, some have been disastrous.
The most recent one, promised by an incompetent at a fans forum, suggested a be all and end all solution supported by a ten year guarantee at great cost, not that RAFC had the money! A few years later, the pitch is wrecked by rain, those responsible have fled or deny involvement (both parties) and any relevant paperwork seems not to exist. Unprofessional and inadequate all round.
While the idea of fans helping out financially can make a useful contribution, I would be wary of handing out anything without knowing the solution would live up to its promise and be backed up by a genuine guarantee. We've learned from recent events and the empty words of one narcissistic individual that things must change.
If the club can come up with a solution, which is open to scrutiny at a fans meeting and in detail by Dale Trust for the commercial bits, then no doubt we can move on together. It could be a project that bonds the fans and directors and builds trust that has been eroded, by no fault of the Ogden Trust.
This will no doubt be a topic that raises questions at the next Fans Forum. I hope our directors of 2025 have more than the overly verbose hot air of one person five years ago. |  | | |
| Pitch update on 23:45 - Jan 1 with 2721 views | 49thseason |
| Pitch update on 17:09 - Jan 1 by 442Dale |
We have invested in the pitch, it’s more that whatever work has been done, we are not much better off. It’s trying to establish why and finally getting it right.
The last point is something that we will hopefully hear more about in the coming months because the finances will allow it if those plans require investment. Otherwise, they won’t be included in the plan!
You’re right though, work is needed around a lot of the ground. |
We have indeed spent plenty on the pitch, whether this can be regarded as an investment is, at this moment, doubtful. Maintaining the surface is one thing, building a drainage system that prevents the pitch from becoming waterlogged is a different issue and without suitable drains, the surface, on very wet days becomes irrelevant.
If memory serves, there was a period when we were amazed that the pitch stood up to heavy rainfall easily. Didnt one of the several pitch renovations build some new drains alongside the main stand and out behind the Sandy Lane goal to the main drains on Sandy Lane? Is it blocked? Has it been disrupted by recent pitch work?
Getting a drains company in would seem to be an obvious first step, maybe its been done but given the quantity of water involved, the drains have to be in tip top condition, until we know they are, any further work is potentially pointless. | | | |
| Pitch update on 02:01 - Jan 2 with 2638 views | ThreeLions |
| Pitch update on 22:30 - Jan 1 by Sandyman |
We've seen numerous "remedies" to the pitch problem going back decades. Some have lasted for a while, some have been disastrous.
The most recent one, promised by an incompetent at a fans forum, suggested a be all and end all solution supported by a ten year guarantee at great cost, not that RAFC had the money! A few years later, the pitch is wrecked by rain, those responsible have fled or deny involvement (both parties) and any relevant paperwork seems not to exist. Unprofessional and inadequate all round.
While the idea of fans helping out financially can make a useful contribution, I would be wary of handing out anything without knowing the solution would live up to its promise and be backed up by a genuine guarantee. We've learned from recent events and the empty words of one narcissistic individual that things must change.
If the club can come up with a solution, which is open to scrutiny at a fans meeting and in detail by Dale Trust for the commercial bits, then no doubt we can move on together. It could be a project that bonds the fans and directors and builds trust that has been eroded, by no fault of the Ogden Trust.
This will no doubt be a topic that raises questions at the next Fans Forum. I hope our directors of 2025 have more than the overly verbose hot air of one person five years ago. |
I remember me and you being part of a group of volunteers helping Craig the groundsman shift a back braking mountain of sand onto the pitch just so we could complete the season as the drains had collapsed in the corner between the sandy and willbutts. Must have been 20 years ago that and still no solution. The best the pitch has been is when Oli Makin was groundsman who now consults on pitch renovations. Would be worthwhile getting him involved again if he's not already. |  | | |
| Pitch update on 07:36 - Jan 2 with 2466 views | James1980 |
If it meant sufficient time for the drainage and pitch to be sorted properly would fans be prepared to ground share for the rest of the season. I know there are other implications but perhaps it would give the time required to get it sorted once and for all. |  |
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| Pitch update on 08:40 - Jan 2 with 2346 views | Dale_4_Life |
I understand several weeks of rain followed by 48 hours of torrential rain Tuesday and Wednesday morning made the situation impossible.
sticks in the throat still when between 2.30pm and 5pm New Years Day overhead conditions were near perfect.
Lets hope we get the game on when Saturday comes. | | | |
| Pitch update on 11:16 - Jan 2 with 2015 views | nordenblue |
| Pitch update on 07:36 - Jan 2 by James1980 |
If it meant sufficient time for the drainage and pitch to be sorted properly would fans be prepared to ground share for the rest of the season. I know there are other implications but perhaps it would give the time required to get it sorted once and for all. |
That's what the close season is usually for James, | | | |
| Pitch update on 11:27 - Jan 2 with 1999 views | James1980 |
| Pitch update on 11:16 - Jan 2 by nordenblue |
That's what the close season is usually for James, |
Yes but if the close season doesn't allow sufficient time for the work to be completed to the required standard. | |
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| Pitch update on 11:47 - Jan 2 with 1928 views | RooleyMoorBlue |
I got a quotation from this company. End to end covers need 1.5m clearance behind one goal for storage. The system is automated and uses rechargeable batteries at a cost of £138k. That includes installation. I'll c&p the email when it arrives. |  | | |
| Pitch update on 12:04 - Jan 2 with 1871 views | James1980 |
| Pitch update on 11:47 - Jan 2 by RooleyMoorBlue |
I got a quotation from this company. End to end covers need 1.5m clearance behind one goal for storage. The system is automated and uses rechargeable batteries at a cost of £138k. That includes installation. I'll c&p the email when it arrives. |
Was a question about how much postponements cost the club asked at the AGM? | |
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| Pitch update on 12:45 - Jan 2 with 1756 views | Yorkshire_Dale |
| Pitch update on 12:04 - Jan 2 by James1980 |
Was a question about how much postponements cost the club asked at the AGM? |
Always difficult to quantify in terms of ££ lost but it's much more than that Jimbo, it's the loss of goodwill and fan dissatisfaction which is hard to re-coup. Don't you think?? | | | |
| Pitch update on 14:38 - Jan 2 with 1506 views | James1980 |
| Pitch update on 12:45 - Jan 2 by Yorkshire_Dale |
Always difficult to quantify in terms of ££ lost but it's much more than that Jimbo, it's the loss of goodwill and fan dissatisfaction which is hard to re-coup. Don't you think?? |
I'd say well over £138,000 over the years [Post edited 2 Jan 18:44]
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| Pitch update on 15:42 - Jan 2 with 1324 views | foreverhopefulDale |
| Pitch update on 11:47 - Jan 2 by RooleyMoorBlue |
I got a quotation from this company. End to end covers need 1.5m clearance behind one goal for storage. The system is automated and uses rechargeable batteries at a cost of £138k. That includes installation. I'll c&p the email when it arrives. |
Are the rechargeable batteries triple A or double A ? 😄 |  |
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| Pitch update on 15:46 - Jan 2 with 1290 views | foreverhopefulDale |
| Pitch update on 15:42 - Jan 2 by foreverhopefulDale |
Are the rechargeable batteries triple A or double A ? 😄 |
Seriously though k although an high initial outlay, it would pay for itself over a period of time, and wouldn't require too much in the way of people' to cover and uncover unless full of snow. Obviously would need to be combined with decent drainage for the water from the covers. | |
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| Pitch update on 16:36 - Jan 2 with 1128 views | Dale_4_Life |
This issue does need to be front and central regarding focus.
Could the trust stump up £150k (has it £150k to stump)?.
The other consideration is the guarantee regarding shelf life and where to store (properly) for 10 months of the year when these expensive new covers are not required.
Oldham was monsoon like so where does the water go when its swept away?.
Boston really was an embarrassment that i hope is never repeated. The lack of planning for miniscule amount of rain i can only assume was non existent. | | | |
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