| Volunteers needed now! 11:31 - Feb 5 with 42954 views | R17ALE |
Just had word that the club are doing the drill and fill by hand today. Anyone with an hour or two to spare is welcome, badly needed, as it's a time consuming business.
I think the general aim is to whack in one hole per square yard about 2-3 feet down and then fill with kiln dried sand.
Given that the pitch is around 8000 square yards the club needs help.
Now! |  |
| |  |
| Volunteers needed now! on 00:42 - Feb 6 with 5149 views | Shun |
Good stuff, SD. Thanks for your efforts and for keeping us updated. From the picture Clivert posted it does look like a huge improvement from even earlier today, but whether that's enough remains to be seen. |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 08:37 - Feb 6 with 4707 views | RooleyMoorBlue |
| Volunteers needed now! on 20:24 - Feb 5 by R17ALE |
Yes. When I left at 5pm three quarters of the filling had been done. From the centre-spot to the main stand touchline had been done. All the Pearl Street half had been done and was beginning to dry and firm up.
Half the Sandy Lane half had been done, but this half was in far worse condition. The Willbutts Lane side of the pitch looks reasonable.
I'm not belittling the situation, but it looks much worse than it is. At least you can now walk in a normal way on the treated Pearl Street half, whereas on the untreated Sandy half you were walking on a moving floor with mud squelching out from under your feet each time you took a step. And the mud smelt of shit.
Hopefully overnight the sand will soak up all the moisture and thicken up the top 3 inches and give the pitch some structure. Playing football on it might be tricky, and a ref might deem it dangerous. I certainly wouldn't like to open the batting on it.
I imagine it will be fairly obvious if it's got a chance first thing tomorrow. The hope is that it's completely dried out overnight, and can be brushed and rolled. Spray it with green paint, put the lines down and no-one will ever know! |
If the Sandy Lane end is so much worse, is there any particular reason that this end was not done first? Surely it would be better to give the most badly affected areas as much time as possible to recover?! Do we still have a groundsman? Which director(s) are (if any) directly responsible for the overseeing of the pitch? Was there a reason for frost covers not being used after the Blackpool game? Why does the club still make the same/similar mistakes time and again and never seem to learn from them?
`Somme` of these questions may have already been answered (apologies), some are perhaps rhetorical and the rest will probably never be answered. Thank you for all the updates for us `mushrooms`. |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 09:17 - Feb 6 with 4514 views | Knowlesy |
As of yet, no words of thanks or even an acknowledgement that anybody turned up to help yesterday from the club. I didn't go up to help, but I reckon that stinks. |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 09:38 - Feb 6 with 4371 views | BURYFC_1885 |
Taking an interest in the FA Cup, I was doing some browsing ahead of tonight's fixtures. Just seen the state of the Rochdale pitch via a few photos from yesterday afternoon. Wow, I've never seen a pitch as bad as that. Clearly, work has been done on it hence the holes but there's barely a blade of grass on it and the surface is incredibly uneven. |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 09:39 - Feb 6 with 4365 views | SandyDrum |
| Volunteers needed now! on 09:38 - Feb 6 by BURYFC_1885 |
Taking an interest in the FA Cup, I was doing some browsing ahead of tonight's fixtures. Just seen the state of the Rochdale pitch via a few photos from yesterday afternoon. Wow, I've never seen a pitch as bad as that. Clearly, work has been done on it hence the holes but there's barely a blade of grass on it and the surface is incredibly uneven. |
Cheers Geoff! | |
| Wish I'd chosen a different username... |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 09:40 - Feb 6 with 4360 views | rod_leach |
FFS give them a break. Maybe they are waiting for the job to be finished. Or how often do you want thanks to be issued? If it's on tonight I'm guessing there will be an announcement at the game. |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 09:45 - Feb 6 with 4323 views | BURYFC_1885 |
| Volunteers needed now! on 09:40 - Feb 6 by rod_leach |
FFS give them a break. Maybe they are waiting for the job to be finished. Or how often do you want thanks to be issued? If it's on tonight I'm guessing there will be an announcement at the game. |
Always a silver lining... if it does get called off there's a game going on 5 miles west. An originally postponed fixture funnily enough.
Given all the money that doesn't filter though the leagues.. would it be a fair suggestion to call for the FA to give lower league clubs funding to improve the quality of the playing surfaces?
The two Manchester giants have impeccable pitches yet every other pitch in GMR resembles a farmers field. It's detrimental to both the quality of the games being played but also the physical wellbeing of the players.
Also has other knock on effects such as lower crowds as people don't want to watch a mud fight for 90 minutes. | | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 10:20 - Feb 6 with 4116 views | SandyDrum |
| Volunteers needed now! on 08:37 - Feb 6 by RooleyMoorBlue |
If the Sandy Lane end is so much worse, is there any particular reason that this end was not done first? Surely it would be better to give the most badly affected areas as much time as possible to recover?! Do we still have a groundsman? Which director(s) are (if any) directly responsible for the overseeing of the pitch? Was there a reason for frost covers not being used after the Blackpool game? Why does the club still make the same/similar mistakes time and again and never seem to learn from them?
`Somme` of these questions may have already been answered (apologies), some are perhaps rhetorical and the rest will probably never be answered. Thank you for all the updates for us `mushrooms`. |
Having been on the pitch, I can understand that if the ground was too wet, ie standing water then drilling the holes would have been pointless, because the soil would have just collapsed back into the hotel along with stagnant water.
I think the pitch had to dry a certain degree before the process could take place.
If the Sandy Lane end was worst affected, then it would take longer to dry out, meaning the drill and fill could take place later than the rest of the pitch.
That's what I can gather anyway....I might be 100% wrong but that's what it looked like. | |
| Wish I'd chosen a different username... |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:31 - Feb 6 with 3697 views | Sandyman |
It's snowing. |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:34 - Feb 6 with 3659 views | rochdaleriddler |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:31 - Feb 6 by Sandyman |
It's snowing. |
Been snowing for hours in littleborough, not sticking |  |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:37 - Feb 6 with 3623 views | ChaffRAFC |
Given the Millwall fans will be setting off soon, surely we cannot possibly allow them to start travelling when it's in serious doubt.
The pictures tell you it's very much in doubt, and it's snowing.
If we delay the announcement until the away fans are half way up the M1 when there's not much chance of the game being on then we deserve all the inevitable criticism we get and more. |  |
| If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:44 - Feb 6 with 3553 views | rochdaleriddler |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:37 - Feb 6 by ChaffRAFC |
Given the Millwall fans will be setting off soon, surely we cannot possibly allow them to start travelling when it's in serious doubt.
The pictures tell you it's very much in doubt, and it's snowing.
If we delay the announcement until the away fans are half way up the M1 when there's not much chance of the game being on then we deserve all the inevitable criticism we get and more. |
If the dome is on, and the pitch has drained it could be ok, I would have thought a 2pm announcement would be fine, it's a 4 hour journey | |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:55 - Feb 6 with 3420 views | onedalefan |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:44 - Feb 6 by rochdaleriddler |
If the dome is on, and the pitch has drained it could be ok, I would have thought a 2pm announcement would be fine, it's a 4 hour journey |
If travelling by coach from their ground, would be surprised if journey can be done in less than 5 hours and that's not accounting for any poor traffic or the current weather conditions /forecast. Any announcement after 12 leaves us open to looking even more unprofessional than we have already. Does anyone know if a pitch inspection is actually scheduled? |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:59 - Feb 6 with 3370 views | nordenblue |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:44 - Feb 6 by rochdaleriddler |
If the dome is on, and the pitch has drained it could be ok, I would have thought a 2pm announcement would be fine, it's a 4 hour journey |
It will be a damn site longer than 4 hours in the snow whatever way they travel,I agree with Chaff I'd hope an announcement one way or the other anytime now | | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:59 - Feb 6 with 3366 views | rochdaleriddler |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:55 - Feb 6 by onedalefan |
If travelling by coach from their ground, would be surprised if journey can be done in less than 5 hours and that's not accounting for any poor traffic or the current weather conditions /forecast. Any announcement after 12 leaves us open to looking even more unprofessional than we have already. Does anyone know if a pitch inspection is actually scheduled? |
Nothing on club twitter | |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:03 - Feb 6 with 3309 views | rochdaleriddler |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:59 - Feb 6 by nordenblue |
It will be a damn site longer than 4 hours in the snow whatever way they travel,I agree with Chaff I'd hope an announcement one way or the other anytime now |
Snow is v fine here, 2pm is 5.45 hours before kick off , I'm sure a ref must have looked at it by now , down to communication again | |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:05 - Feb 6 with 3251 views | dingdangblue |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:31 - Feb 6 by Sandyman |
It's snowing. |
BBC weather says light snow till 1pm then fine rest of the day. With the covers still on it should be fine if the pitch repairs have worked. Just down to the ref now 😮
https://m.bbc.co.uk/weather/2639272 [Post edited 6 Feb 2018 12:05]
|  |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:17 - Feb 6 with 3054 views | rochdaleriddler |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:03 - Feb 6 by rochdaleriddler |
Snow is v fine here, 2pm is 5.45 hours before kick off , I'm sure a ref must have looked at it by now , down to communication again |
Sleet now | |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:21 - Feb 6 with 2993 views | onedalefan |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:59 - Feb 6 by rochdaleriddler |
Nothing on club twitter |
Does the referee have a twitter account? Maybe he could tell us something! | | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:24 - Feb 6 with 2941 views | 1949er |
| Volunteers needed now! on 11:31 - Feb 6 by Sandyman |
It's snowing. |
Matches before now have called off because of poor conditions around the ground! | |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:29 - Feb 6 with 2871 views | dalenumber2 |
Poor that nothing has been communicated when so many people will be wondering if/when to travel. Even if there is going to be a pitch inspection at 5 it would be good to know this. |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:32 - Feb 6 with 2812 views | dingdangblue |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:24 - Feb 6 by 1949er |
Matches before now have called off because of poor conditions around the ground! |
I know - there's pot holes everywhere! | |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:35 - Feb 6 with 2763 views | D_Alien |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:29 - Feb 6 by dalenumber2 |
Poor that nothing has been communicated when so many people will be wondering if/when to travel. Even if there is going to be a pitch inspection at 5 it would be good to know this. |
Exactly
Even if there's been no decision yet, a quick heads up on the process would help
People will be wasting time keeping an eye out, if say, a final decision was due at 2pm or whenever |  |
| |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:36 - Feb 6 with 2713 views | lyberoc |
A referee has today (Tuesday) taken a precautionary look at the pitch ahead of our Emirates FA Cup fourth round replay against Millwall.
He was invited into the Crown Oil Arena by the club to view the playing surface following work that has been carried out in recent days.
After a substantial amount of time was spent underneath the dome assessing the pitch and, following discussions between the Referee, ground staff and external pitch contractor, tonight’s match remains ON.
Due to the forecasted weather for this afternoon, the covers will remain on and will be removed as close to kick-off as possible.
The club would like to place on record its thanks to the ground staff, the pitch experts and, more importantly, the small group of volunteers who have worked tirelessly throughout the day/ night on Monday and again this morning, doing everything they possibly could to ensure the game can go ahead.
A further update will be provided if the situation changes.
We are extremely grateful to those fans for their dedication and support at a time when the club needed it the most. Thank you! |  | | |
| Volunteers needed now! on 12:37 - Feb 6 with 2703 views | boromat |
Thought they would have at least let us know what time a pitch inspection was taking place.
Edit: As if by magic the club post an update. :-) [Post edited 6 Feb 2018 12:43]
| |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.