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Pitch Inspection***GAME OFF***


L_G

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If this isn't a reason for an April break, I don't know what is.

Does anyone care what Celtic and their fans think, have they not had their fair share of finger pointing already this season? Don't let Rangers fans thank you for it either, try to explain about the weather, and nature, how buildings are man made, but the weather can't really be controlled by man. Draw a diagram if necessary, you know the one with the sea, the sun, a hill, and a cloud, with arrows, and Simba and Mufasa explaining about the circle of life.

Half the Selik support wern't even anywhere near Perth, let alone the stadium when the game was called of. They were in their houses in Aviemore, Culloden, Smifton eh, Hilton, The Ferry, and for the few that make a weekend of it and come over from Dublin on the Friday, the cells. For the few that do actually come from Glasgow, and the surrounding towns that's have several senior league teams between them that could all do with an extra supporter or two,, what were you doing leaving at 6:30? The game was supposed to kick off at 12, not 10, you were going to be waaaaay to early.

i have read this 6 times and still do not have a clue wat u are on about :confused:

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If this isn't a reason for an April break, I don't know what is.

Does anyone care what Celtic and their fans think, have they not had their fair share of finger pointing already this season? Don't let Rangers fans thank you for it either, try to explain about the weather, and nature, how buildings are man made, but the weather can't really be controlled by man. Draw a diagram if necessary, you know the one with the sea, the sun, a hill, and a cloud, with arrows, and Simba and Mufasa explaining about the circle of life.

Half the Selik support wern't even anywhere near Perth, let alone the stadium when the game was called of. They were in their houses in Aviemore, Culloden, Smifton eh, Hilton, The Ferry, and for the few that make a weekend of it and come over from Dublin on the Friday, the cells. For the few that do actually come from Glasgow, and the surrounding towns that's have several senior league teams between them that could all do with an extra supporter or two,, what were you doing leaving at 6:30? The game was supposed to kick off at 12, not 10, you were going to be waaaaay to early.

i have read this 6 times and still do not have a clue wat u are on about :confused:

phew and i thought it was just me

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I think it's meteorological symbology, with a philosophical explanation of the symbolism inherent in that great work "the lion king" which explains why 'tic fans don't come from Glasgow in the same way that gorillas don't live in foressts and zebra's don't graze on the savannah. At least I think that's what it is.

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However we look at this, it's unacceptable.

Something needs to give as the USH system is now the cause of postponements not a solution to matches under threat.

Sorry but USH did not cause the problem. Very heavy rain caused it. Spiking would not have made a blind bit of difference because the water had no place to go. It should have gone into the firth but the extremely high spring tides held it back. Covers over the pitch would not have helped the problem. The water still needs somewhere to go. I'm just surprised IHE hasn't been around yet to explain the effects of the aquifer.

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"Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." The weather has now "fooloed" the club with the same trick 3 TIMES in short order. When the Dundee Utd game was called off earlier in the season, this should have fired a warning shot to the groundsman and the club. It was going to cost a few quid in lost hospitality revenue and ticket refunds, but they must have been counting their lucky stars it wasn't an Old Firm game or , even worse, a televised Old Firm game! The club should have been seriously looking at the merits and cost/benefits of all potential solutions to the problem. When exactly that nightmare scenario occured a few weeks ago for the cup tie there should have been severe recriminations all round. The solutions previously considered should have been implemented without hesitation.

The fact of the matter is that a football club's primary responsibilty is to ensure it is "open for business" on a mere 20-odd days in the year. These 3 postponements will probably have cost the club in excess of ?300k, in lost TV money, refunded tickets including the admin, lost hospitality revenue, money paid to the hospitality caterers who will have been paid in full for such late cancellations, stadium caterers for the pies they have cooked and had to throw out, potentially having to recompense Celtic for the expenses incurred in flying up and staying in the most expensive hotel in the city.

If ICT was being run like any other business - I know football clubs aren't, on the whole, run like any other business but humour me - after the first postponement the senior management of the club should have been asking questions of the groundsman. What can we do to prevent this happening again? Is it likely to be a problem in the future? What investment is required? etc. They would then go to the board and make the case for spending the money to rectify the problem. After the second postponement the board, fearing the reprecussions for the lost revenue from the shareholders, would have demanded action and accountability. After yesterdays postponement, heads would certainly roll.

All this may sound like scapegaoting and playing the "blame game", but the alternative is called "burying your head in the sand".

As I said at the start of this post, that this has now happened 3 times this season, it is time for the fans of the club to start demanding answers and accountability.

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It's more than that is it not? There was two Motherwell games called of a couple of months ago (one of which was due to rain IIRC) and don't forget, there was a QOTS game called off due to very vague and unusual circumstances last season. It seems to be a bit of a recurring theme.

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County used to get games called off due to the state of their pitch whilst our games went ahead. Now it is the other way round. The met office is also telling us that for the UK as a whole this has been the driest March since 1953. Saturday's rain was heavy but not exceptional and it was not preceded by a period of rain which would have left the ground saturated - a fact evidenced by the river levels being pretty normal for the time of year. The tide theory is intersting but a red herring - the pitch is above high tide level and should have drained enough before the spring tides to allow the new rain to soak into the soil. Note that the exposed aspect of the pitch allows wind and sun to dry the pitch better than more enclosed stadia.

Rain fell from the skies and the tides ebbed and flowed long before the USH was installed. We even used to have Bobby Mann compressing the ground but we didn't have these problems before the USH went in. Commonsense says the USH must be a factor here.

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http://blogs.soccern..._v_celtic_g.php

really cannot say much about this article other than : **** !!!! Surprised ESPN associate with it, especially as all his other articles appear to be inflammatory too.

What an ill informed condescending *****.

I see if you read the comments further down, he seems to think that the fact that the fact that the Celtic groundsman has won the best groundsman award three times, backs up his argument. Like most Celtic fans, he's more interested in point scoring than actual facts! And looking at some of his other articles, they all seem to be of the same cringworthy ilk.

Em, Rene, I'm sure your a nice person and all that but, ffs, please do not ridicule, torment or bear yo buttocks at the life blood of The Caley. We need them to take at least 9 points of us a season, tie up our local police and to put us out of at least one cup, if not two. We need them more than they need us.

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If this isn't a reason for an April break, I don't know what is.

Does anyone care what Celtic and their fans think, have they not had their fair share of finger pointing already this season? Don't let Rangers fans thank you for it either, try to explain about the weather, and nature, how buildings are man made, but the weather can't really be controlled by man. Draw a diagram if necessary, you know the one with the sea, the sun, a hill, and a cloud, with arrows, and Simba and Mufasa explaining about the circle of life.

Half the Selik support wern't even anywhere near Perth, let alone the stadium when the game was called of. They were in their houses in Aviemore, Culloden, Smifton eh, Hilton, The Ferry, and for the few that make a weekend of it and come over from Dublin on the Friday, the cells. For the few that do actually come from Glasgow, and the surrounding towns that's have several senior league teams between them that could all do with an extra supporter or two,, what were you doing leaving at 6:30? The game was supposed to kick off at 12, not 10, you were going to be waaaaay to early.

i have read this 6 times and still do not have a clue wat u are on about :confused:

It's just a long winded way of saying free the weed.

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After reading Peter Lawell's comments on the postponement of today's game I would like to say that

the man is an overweight, ignorant, disgrace.

Bit rich coming from him. Why was our infamous cup victory postponed again? Was it due to their crap stadium falling apart? I lol'd at the 'Celtic fans being the lifeblood of Scottish football' - what a topper!

how do you keep the wind away from the stadium? Build a wall

how do you keep the rain off the pitch? put aGoretex or Nikwax cover over it.

fact is we have had two games against celtic called off due to a water logged pitch, more than a wee bit embarrassing is it not? If some miraculous shift in the female way of thinking comes about, and I get one of those elusive, restriction order referencing, not into my crack AT ALL beings back to my trapflat, I'll let you time how long I last, before I start crying out of nervousness, and she has to reassure me that it's not my fault, it's just natures way of telling me we're just meant to be friends but she still wants her £40, then you'll understand why I don't find it embarrassing in the slightest.

Edited by TheKnowledge
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If this isn't a reason for an April break, I don't know what is.

Does anyone care what Celtic and their fans think, have they not had their fair share of finger pointing already this season? Don't let Rangers fans thank you for it either, try to explain about the weather, and nature, how buildings are man made, but the weather can't really be controlled by man. Draw a diagram if necessary, you know the one with the sea, the sun, a hill, and a cloud, with arrows, and Simba and Mufasa explaining about the circle of life.

Half the Selik support wern't even anywhere near Perth, let alone the stadium when the game was called of. They were in their houses in Aviemore, Culloden, Smifton eh, Hilton, The Ferry, and for the few that make a weekend of it and come over from Dublin on the Friday, the cells. For the few that do actually come from Glasgow, and the surrounding towns that's have several senior league teams between them that could all do with an extra supporter or two,, what were you doing leaving at 6:30? The game was supposed to kick off at 12, not 10, you were going to be waaaaay to early.

and what about the ICT fans who had travelled up from the glasgow area, take your head out of the sand and stop the childish insults towards visiting supporters who help the club's bank balance, we get more from the OF than the rest of the teams in the SPL, most of the Celtic fans were very close to Inverness when the news was broke that the game was off. if people want to support a team that plays miles away from them then that's up to them, i live ten minutes from saint midden but drive up to Inverness to watch the Caley because i choose to.

Firstly, for what it's worth, I completely agree with your decision to choose The Caley. Secondly, whilst I both admire, and support the lengths you travel to watch The Caley, I don't completely agree with your mode of transport. The trains are a far more enviromemataly friendly way to travel, because after all, it's the future generations of Old Firm and The Caley fans that have to live on the Earth we leave them. In saying that, if you drive a hybrid, all is forgiven. Car pool is good too. Thirdily, I like your pun about head in the sand and childishness, but the Lion King was a jungle based movie, not desert, with a u rating (suitable for all, adults and childrenl), so unlucky.

As has now been stated by The Caley official website, the game would have gone ahead if an hour delay were to be permitted. If the fans attending the game were the only concern, why did The Caley and The Selik not just agree to kick off an hour later? It must be because the fans at home, that hadn't travelled, wouldn't have been able to see the whole game, as scheduling is more important to the tv companies than the wasted time o travelling supporters. If we want tv to be the main financier of the league, then they are also the boss, and everyone needs to accept the concequencious. No one wants anybody to waste their time travelling for no reason, but it can't be helped. If the pitch is unplayale, then thats it. I honestly, couldn't care less if we lost money and the Queens Celtic boycotted every game we ever play against them. If they never came North, or from their houses in Culbokie, Fortose, Nairn etc...... again, then I see those in favour of referees free from old firm pressure as the winners.

Edited by TheKnowledge
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However we look at this, it's unacceptable.

Something needs to give as the USH system is now the cause of postponements not a solution to matches under threat.

Sorry but USH did not cause the problem. Very heavy rain caused it. Spiking would not have made a blind bit of difference because the water had no place to go. It should have gone into the firth but the extremely high spring tides held it back. Covers over the pitch would not have helped the problem. The water still needs somewhere to go. I'm just surprised IHE hasn't been around yet to explain the effects of the aquifer.

Disagree Alex.

TCS has endured numerous downpours over the years but, to the best of my knowledge (await correction), a match had never been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch prior to the installation of the USH system. Surely the format of the rain hasn't changed in this period therefore it must be the alteration to the drainage that is the cause?

Previously, despite the location of the pitch and the impact that the tide has in its ability to drain, the pitch coped. Now it doesn't. The USH is the cause. Ask Tommy.

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However we look at this, it's unacceptable.

Something needs to give as the USH system is now the cause of postponements not a solution to matches under threat.

Sorry but USH did not cause the problem. Very heavy rain caused it. Spiking would not have made a blind bit of difference because the water had no place to go. It should have gone into the firth but the extremely high spring tides held it back. Covers over the pitch would not have helped the problem. The water still needs somewhere to go. I'm just surprised IHE hasn't been around yet to explain the effects of the aquifer.

Disagree Alex.

TCS has endured numerous downpours over the years but, to the best of my knowledge (await correction), a match had never been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch prior to the installation of the USH system. Surely the format of the rain hasn't changed in this period therefore it must be the alteration to the drainage that is the cause?

Previously, despite the location of the pitch and the impact that the tide has in its ability to drain, the pitch coped. Now it doesn't. The USH is the cause. Ask Tommy.

Yeah, that's a great idea, let's "Ask Tommy" if he thinks the waterlogged pitch is down to the USH (which has been installed for 6 years without waterlogging being as prevalent a problem as it has been this season). I'd imagine in Tommy's world anything and anybody is to blame but himself - I heard a whisper that our beloved groundsman was in fact instructed early last week to take a specific proactive measure (not sure of the technical details) to alleviate the potential water problems, but in his omniscience, he decided to ignore said instruction (probably because at that point the forecast wasn't too bad, or maybe because he counldn't be @r$ed).

Clearly someone has to take responsibility for this costly fiasco. Either the groundsman who refused to act on a specific instruction from the club's management, the club's management for not issuing such an instruction, or the board for not backing the club management's desire to take the action necessary to prevent the problem in the first place.

Unfortunately it is Club ICT we are talking about, so the protected cabal of Sutherland lackeys will be free from recriminations and repercussion.

Oh well let's hope that Motherwell's form takes a dramatic dip and we win our next 3 games, make the top 6 and this whole sorry saga can get properly swept under the carpet.

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Don't share your distrust of Tommy but if you think the fault lies with him I have to disagree with you.

I am very familiar with how the USH was installed, what depth below the surface it sits, what material it is embedded in, where it has worked/failed elsewhere (not as a heating system but as a blockage to drainage) and what corrective action is necessary to have the issue resolved. Suffice to say, none of this is down to Tommy Cumming.

Perhaps you would wish to comment on the level of postponements pre and post the installation of the USH and the reasons why?

Once again, we have a perfectly adequate discussion on an issue that is causing concern turned into a slagging match of all those associated with the club. Boring, just **** boring.

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Some of the comments from posters on here are so over the top as to be unbelievable. The game was called off purely because the kick was at 1200, not 1500 as the pitch was playable by then. If, as the media report, the clubs were agreeable to delay kick off by and hours but needed the SPL to sanction this, but as nobody could be found to do this, I also find astonishing. I don't know if it is in the SPL rules that any alterations to kick off times must be sanctioned by the SPL but this is the most important point that someone needs to answer. As usual, nothing but silence from the SPL on that one.

With regard to the slagging and blame being apportioned by some posters, it is good to know how many amateur grounsmen we have who follow this site. The volume of rain that fell in a short time was great and it did not stop raining until around 0700. Water does take time to drain away, and the mnore water you have, the longer it will take. The drains can only accomodate so much water and if too much, they will not empty. As for putting covers on the pitch, where does the water go then once it lies on the covers??.

Finally, many posters have said this never happened previously. I recall a midweek game against Motherwell a few years back when the pitch was really dreadful due to the amount of surface water on it. The bulk of the rain fell that afternoon and immediately preceding the match, from what i recall it stopped before the match and was perfect after that. Don't think, from the pictures of Saturday's pitch, that it was hugely worse, although the weter did seem to drain away as that game went on. We won that game 1-0 with a Barry Wilson goal if my memory is correct.

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Don't share your distrust of Tommy but if you think the fault lies with him I have to disagree with you.

I am very familiar with how the USH was installed, what depth below the surface it sits, what material it is embedded in, where it has worked/failed elsewhere (not as a heating system but as a blockage to drainage) and what corrective action is necessary to have the issue resolved. Suffice to say, none of this is down to Tommy Cumming.

Perhaps you would wish to comment on the level of postponements pre and post the installation of the USH and the reasons why?

Once again, we have a perfectly adequate discussion on an issue that is causing concern turned into a slagging match of all those associated with the club. Boring, just **** boring.

Excellent. It will be great to hear from someone who has definite knowledge on the cause of the problem and what is required to fix it. Please can you give a brief (not too technical pls) description of what is required and an approximate cost to do this. This thread has too much theorising and speculation (including my own) and you have the power to put it to rest. Were you involved with the installation of the USH or do you had some professional dealings with such things?

Apologies if my last post descended into what you refer to as a "slagging match" but you will understand my frustration at there being nobody seemingly held accountable for repeated and increasingly costly postponements. I have always been quick to defend the club in the past (tho it has been a while since I last posted) but if this issue isn't sorted out soon we may be in danger of becoming like Fir Park circa 2007-8

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Don't share your distrust of Tommy but if you think the fault lies with him I have to disagree with you.

I am very familiar with how the USH was installed, what depth below the surface it sits, what material it is embedded in, where it has worked/failed elsewhere (not as a heating system but as a blockage to drainage) and what corrective action is necessary to have the issue resolved. Suffice to say, none of this is down to Tommy Cumming.

Perhaps you would wish to comment on the level of postponements pre and post the installation of the USH and the reasons why?

Once again, we have a perfectly adequate discussion on an issue that is causing concern turned into a slagging match of all those associated with the club. Boring, just **** boring.

Excellent. It will be great to hear from someone who has definite knowledge on the cause of the problem and what is required to fix it. Please can you give a brief (not too technical pls) description of what is required and an approximate cost to do this. This thread has too much theorising and speculation (including my own) and you have the power to put it to rest. Were you involved with the installation of the USH or do you had some professional dealings with such things?

Apologies if my last post descended into what you refer to as a "slagging match" but you will understand my frustration at there being nobody seemingly held accountable for repeated and increasingly costly postponements. I have always been quick to defend the club in the past (tho it has been a while since I last posted) but if this issue isn't sorted out soon we may be in danger of becoming like Fir Park circa 2007-8

Happy to do so once you have addressed the issue of postponements pre and post installation of USH. Think it's important to reach agreement on the cause before deal with the solution eh?

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Don't share your distrust of Tommy but if you think the fault lies with him I have to disagree with you.

I am very familiar with how the USH was installed, what depth below the surface it sits, what material it is embedded in, where it has worked/failed elsewhere (not as a heating system but as a blockage to drainage) and what corrective action is necessary to have the issue resolved. Suffice to say, none of this is down to Tommy Cumming.

Perhaps you would wish to comment on the level of postponements pre and post the installation of the USH and the reasons why?

Once again, we have a perfectly adequate discussion on an issue that is causing concern turned into a slagging match of all those associated with the club. Boring, just **** boring.

Excellent. It will be great to hear from someone who has definite knowledge on the cause of the problem and what is required to fix it. Please can you give a brief (not too technical pls) description of what is required and an approximate cost to do this. This thread has too much theorising and speculation (including my own) and you have the power to put it to rest. Were you involved with the installation of the USH or do you had some professional dealings with such things?

Apologies if my last post descended into what you refer to as a "slagging match" but you will understand my frustration at there being nobody seemingly held accountable for repeated and increasingly costly postponements. I have always been quick to defend the club in the past (tho it has been a while since I last posted) but if this issue isn't sorted out soon we may be in danger of becoming like Fir Park circa 2007-8

Happy to do so once you have addressed the issue of postponements pre and post installation of USH. Think it's important to reach agreement on the cause before deal with the solution eh?

As I thought I had intimated in my previous post I am glad to bow to your superior technical and statistical knowledge on the subject. Unfortunately I am too young to remember much about postponements pre-2005 :tongueincheek: either that or my memory just isn't that good!

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Delaying kick offs is nothing new and questions have to be asked as to why this wasn't considered or why the inspection wasn't delayed until 11 am. I remember a few years ago being kept out of the ground until about half an hour before a cup replay aginst Partick one wet Wednesday night whilst the pitch inspection was carried out.

There have been many reasons given all round the country for years - e.g. away team bus delayed in traffic or broke down, floodlight failure, snow on the pitch, turnstile malfunctions and even crowd riots. If this game had been delayed until 12.30 or 12.45pm we would have thought nothing more of it and there would have been no clash with the 3pm kick offs elsewhere. Okay, so the Cellic fans would have got more bevvied in the pubs than they usually are but at least the game could have been played and we wouldn't have this prolonged thread and our own support getting a bit angry with each other.

Edited by Row S
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Don't share your distrust of Tommy but if you think the fault lies with him I have to disagree with you.

I am very familiar with how the USH was installed, what depth below the surface it sits, what material it is embedded in, where it has worked/failed elsewhere (not as a heating system but as a blockage to drainage) and what corrective action is necessary to have the issue resolved. Suffice to say, none of this is down to Tommy Cumming.

Perhaps you would wish to comment on the level of postponements pre and post the installation of the USH and the reasons why?

Once again, we have a perfectly adequate discussion on an issue that is causing concern turned into a slagging match of all those associated with the club. Boring, just **** boring.

I'd love to know the corrective action required to resolve this issue , are you going to enlighten us ?

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"Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." The weather has now "fooloed" the club with the same trick 3 TIMES in short order. When the Dundee Utd game was called off earlier in the season, this should have fired a warning shot to the groundsman and the club. It was going to cost a few quid in lost hospitality revenue and ticket refunds, but they must have been counting their lucky stars it wasn't an Old Firm game or , even worse, a televised Old Firm game! The club should have been seriously looking at the merits and cost/benefits of all potential solutions to the problem. When exactly that nightmare scenario occured a few weeks ago for the cup tie there should have been severe recriminations all round. The solutions previously considered should have been implemented without hesitation.

The fact of the matter is that a football club's primary responsibilty is to ensure it is "open for business" on a mere 20-odd days in the year. These 3 postponements will probably have cost the club in excess of ?300k, in lost TV money, refunded tickets including the admin, lost hospitality revenue, money paid to the hospitality caterers who will have been paid in full for such late cancellations, stadium caterers for the pies they have cooked and had to throw out, potentially having to recompense Celtic for the expenses incurred in flying up and staying in the most expensive hotel in the city.

If ICT was being run like any other business - I know football clubs aren't, on the whole, run like any other business but humour me - after the first postponement the senior management of the club should have been asking questions of the groundsman. What can we do to prevent this happening again? Is it likely to be a problem in the future? What investment is required? etc. They would then go to the board and make the case for spending the money to rectify the problem. After the second postponement the board, fearing the reprecussions for the lost revenue from the shareholders, would have demanded action and accountability. After yesterdays postponement, heads would certainly roll.

All this may sound like scapegaoting and playing the "blame game", but the alternative is called "burying your head in the sand".

As I said at the start of this post, that this has now happened 3 times this season, it is time for the fans of the club to start demanding answers and accountability.

"When the Dundee Utd match was called off"

I might be wrong but, didn't the spl call off all games that weekend? If i remember correctly the pitch was playable. The decision was taken on the grounds of safety to travelling fans. I'm sure you'll correct me if i'm wrong.

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"When the Dundee Utd match was called off"

I might be wrong but, didn't the spl call off all games that weekend? If i remember correctly the pitch was playable. The decision was taken on the grounds of safety to travelling fans. I'm sure you'll correct me if i'm wrong.

You're thinking of before New Year when the SPL pulled the entire Sat 4th December card on Wed December 1st but it turned out that the Inverness pitch was playable on the Sat and the A9 had been capable of transporting 4000 skiers to Cairngorm that weekend.

The game was then rescheduled for Tuesday (I think) Feb 15th and it emerged at around lunch time that there could be a flooding problem due to heavy rain. The SPL, who had been advised of the problem at an early stage, refused to allow anyone other than the match referee to inspect the pitch even though there are referees, albeit not still active but of vast experience, including at least two Supervisors, based locally.

The match referee didn't arrive until about 5pm and we can only speculate as to whether he was under pressure from the SPL to get the game on since he took an eternity bouncing balls on the surface and running up and down. The game was put off at a time when the United team bus was in Aviemore and their fans were on their way.

There are bound to be several people on here who well remember that the TCS pitch, after it opened in 1996, for years had a reputation of never having had a game postponed. In fact I think it was well after the turn of the millennium before the first postponement and these were also very few and far between after that.

However I am in absolutely no doubt that the pitch has become more liable to flooding since the USH was installed for the return from Aberdeen in January 2005. Apart from the direct effect of the installation of the pipes, there is also the problem that the surface can only be forked and spiked to a few inches for fear of bursting the pipes.

I found the observation by an earlier poster that the USH has possibly caused more postponements than it has prevented very interesting!

However I might also observe that this problem does seem to have become more marked in the recent past so, although the USH is a very likely culprit, perhaps some investment is also needed in a surface which now over 15 years old.

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Well that's me just home. What a b l o o d y disapointment that was !!

Working on a Saturday and living in Argyll doesn't give me the opportunity to get to anymore than a couple of games per season.

I always manage to wangle a wee family long weekend break in Inverness, always seems to coincide with a home match :rolleyes: .

I was really looking forward to our home win ! but hey what can you do.

Fair play to the club though, I went up to the stadium today to see if I could get my ?65 quid back, and did , no problem. Also managed to get a programme from Saturday.

Still managed a great weekend in Inverness (as usual) and of course made sure I got to The Gellions to catch the brilliant Schiehallion, What an atmosphere those boys create !

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However I am in absolutely no doubt that the pitch has become more liable to flooding since the USH was installed for the return from Aberdeen in January 2005. Apart from the direct effect of the installation of the pipes, there is also the problem that the surface can only be forked and spiked to a few inches for fear of bursting the pipes.

I found the observation by an earlier poster that the USH has possibly caused more postponements than it has prevented very interesting!

However I might also observe that this problem does seem to have become more marked in the recent past so, although the USH is a very likely culprit, perhaps some investment is also needed in a surface which now over 15 years old.

I fall on this side of the argument too .... and have about 4 brief comments to make.

1. Prior to the installation of USH we had, I believe, ONE (or perhaps two) weather related call off(s). It certainly wasnt more.

2. The installation of USH definitely changed the drainage of the pitch, I remember hearing this back when it was first installed. I got a full technical roundup from Tommy and literally didnt understand a word but basically, looking back on that explanation, prior to pipes going in a lot of the surface had to be very heavily compacted and the porosity that was once there and allowed drainage was no longer as efficient. I think.

3. Definitely more trouble than its worth, "adequate pitch protection" should have been the term. I too believe it has caused more postponements than it has solved !

4. Interested in Charles' comment about the 15 year old surface and perhaps there is some validity in the idea that the pitch itself, and the drainage below might also be affected by "old age".

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