Message Board - Football: Groundsman or Parky??
27 Aug 2009 by Mightyjimbob
I`ve just come back into work after a relaxing week in cornwall on holiday to be told that my football club has booked in a fire walking event to be staged on the pitch!!
Yeh thats right, they are proposing to lay a strip of glowing hot coals on the pitch for around 4 hours, whilst people walk over them, mind over matter stuff for charity.
Whilst i`m not knocking them for thinking outside the box and getting involved in charity work, to think that this is a good idea during the football season is really beyond me.
I thought it was a wind up when I was told, April fools day I thought.
It will kill the grass, its a needless exersice on the pitch, what are the health & safety implications of holding such an event on a football field??
I`m absolutly fizzing as you can all imagine, after all the hard work I`ve spent all summer tending to the pitch, they tell me this is what they are going to do to it....
What are your thoughts guys? Has anybody else had this on there pitch?
27 Aug 2009 by Eddy21
MightyJimbob,
Surely they wont be just laying the hot coals on your pitch, I would have thought there will be some form of protective sheeting put down or the coals will be put down in some form of container, hence it shouldnt be a massive problem.
Send me an email or flick me a message on facebook, as id like to know some more about this weird ritual that they are planning to carry out.
Speak soon
DE
Learning is there for every man
27 Aug 2009 by fidget
You've got some bright sparks there!
28 Aug 2009 by Cranfield Last edited 28 Aug 2009
The pitch will still suffer regardless of the fact that the coals may be in a container; the sheer heat produced will transfer through whatever container they use and scorch the ground with the grass dying off!
28 Aug 2009 by Eddy21 Last edited 28 Aug 2009
Fair point Cranfield,
But maybe there could be some solutions to the situation being talked about?
I dont know what kind of temperatures will be created, but as you say it is going to be very hot.
Im just wondering if a raised platform could be created to allow a little airflow under the container, hence keeping the temperatures down a little bit at ground level, this could be placed over a heat and flame resistant textile (I dont know what kind of temperatures these things can withstand?) but maybe this could be doubled/ trebeled up for more effect and less damage to the turf?
I dont know what your match schedule is Jim, would it be possible to remove the turf in a certain area and replace after this ritual has been carried out?
Come on folks...surely others will have some ideas?
Then again Jim you could just say...... NO 
Learning is there for every man
28 Aug 2009 by Neil Dixon
Cant it be done on a car park??
I had this several years ago and it was done in the car park with no problems.
28 Aug 2009 by Barry Pace Last edited 28 Aug 2009
Mighty....
Anywhere other than on your playing areas, ask anyone who has had a car burn out on a pitch and how long it takes to recover.
Regardless of whether you strip turf or not or they put 'protection' down the heat created is likely to have a sterilising effect basically boiling anything below til it bursts or burning it off.
I do not know what temperatures these things get to but anywhere there is flame and heat will potentially kill off the soil infrastucture if the soil temperature gets too high for too long and almost certainly damage to termination of your grass leaf beneath is almost guaranteed. I have recently been looking into large scale burners for vegetative control and there is a point where soil can be detrimentally affected in the mid to long term.
I would even worry about it ruining your car park if you have tarmac, try and get it located somewhere that isnt of value as a surface.
Surely can it not be located off the actual playing surfaces, somewhere where maybe it can be seen everytime someone walks out to remind them to listen to a bit of experience and advice next time.......
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
28 Aug 2009 by Grassman2011
How about the EXIT !!
28 Aug 2009 by sipho
we have had this event on a few occasions ok not on the main football pitch but on turf never the less.
What our lettings departement did was lay rolls of turf ontop of the existing turf thus forming a buffer zone. There was not too much damage to the underturf.
Afterward we were left with some good turf rolls which we could use on bare areas as not all the turfs get burnt.
hope this helps.
Sip
Gogga International Affairs Officer
28 Aug 2009 by Mightyjimbob
I really do need to find out some more info on this in a bit more detail.
But i have found out that it can be as hot as 1250 degrees, just to point out that mercury melts at 1100 apparently!!!
It is going to be 20 ft long and 4 ft wide, its a mixture of pine, ash & oak that they burn.
I`m still of the opinion that it would be more suitable done anywhere but the pitch, it is after all first and foremost a football pitch for playing a good standard of football.
If this were to happen, I would really want some sort of guarantee that afterwoods you would not be able to tell in the slightest that its been there at all. This I`m not sure they would be able to give you!!
Everybody has raised some good points so far, which i`m sure i`ll be able to use in my argument against having such an event on a football pitch.
Question? Would this happen at a football league or prem club during the season??? Hmmmmm
29 Aug 2009 by Steve63
I thought mercury was molten at room temp.
The turf roll idea seems a good solution, maybe some sheets of asbestos would work well, with respirators to avoid the dust!
Don't talk to me about Contractors Wonka, I am one myself......
31 Aug 2009 by Neil Dixon
A course of paving slabs would be ok, enough to stop scorching the grass.
The fire / coals are only in situ a small amount of time so a bit of yellowing perhaps.
You will find more damage will be caused in the areas where the idiots stepping out of the coals as they will want the area watered no doubt!!!!
3 Sep 2009 by Mightyjimbob
http://www.stalybridgeceltic.co.uk/newsdisplay.php?item=9347
3 Sep 2009 by sipho
what about using fire blankets ?
Gogga International Affairs Officer
3 Sep 2009 by Mike
Fire blankets are ok, but they only usually have a peak temp resistance of approx 1000 degrees, and a sustained heat resiliency (approx 4 hours) of about 400 degrees.
I like Neil's suggestion of paving slabs. Personally, I would lay slabs on the ground, followed by a fire blanket, then a heat reflective sheet, and finally, another course of paving slabs - i'd be surprised if any significant damage was present after that!
Failing that, I believe that you can get ceramic textile sheeting, which I imagine would also do a suitable job.
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