6 Mar 2010 by EHU Mission Control
Here we go again, and its funny no comments on this page about the yet again relaying of the surface.
A few over rated brainless executives innthe FA and wittering managers having a moan about the surface and play a game of monoply with the pitch by going straight back to the start again.
Does anyone remember the horse of the year scenario many years ago, on the old wembly pitch. the pitch suffered but was returned ti its glory without all this fuss.
I wonder what Steve Welch must be thinking concerning all this clap trap put across in the paper
If they had listened to the in the begining to those who have the knowledge and expertise at the point of construction we would not be it all this uproar and debate
It should be about senting standards that the world are envious of. not one big money spinner, balance sheets and PR exercises.
you may or may not agree but the FA do p**S me off
I have had my moan now
it can be done.....
I have just had a local county semi final on a surface that does not have the buget that I would wish for, but I have recieved rave reviews from the match officials, and management and players from both winning and losing side even after the recent weather. this is after six home fixtres and twe cup games
The future is bright, the future is EHU !
With the Wembley scenario, we, the groundsmen will never come out very well. Purely because of the environment and the punishment the surface has to take. So the best thing that we can do is to ignore the whole circus and privately wish the very best of luck to the current groundsman.
So.................
Bloody good luck mate, you deserve it and i dont envy you!
Now can we please not discuss this impossible situation, we all know it will never be resolved to everybody' satisfaction and who gives a toss about what Taggert and f*****n sun say.
Regards
Steve
Don't talk to me about Contractors Wonka, I am one myself......
Not sure if they use the same company for the turf, but if they do...blimey they must be making a fortune from it!
I remember the first pitch being grown at a 'secret location' somewhere, and when it was cut, it was driven down to Wembley at night with a police escort.
Nowadays they must just have a constant supply of turf heading down the M1 for the monthly returfing job! :o)
I am not going to point fingers at anyone but as a profession that is trying to raise its standards, then surely who ever is maintening the surface should tell the media and all of us why the pitch is poor what ever the reasons i.e rootzone ,turf pop concerts e.tc.
And then probably face the sack Adam. You dare not speak out in a manner that may show up the ignorance of the bosses.
7 Mar 2010 by magor
well bath , thats the top and bottom of it , cos what do us grubby fingered , scruffy dressed peasants know eh!
Often it would appear to not be very much magor. To often i have heard that country squire accent suggest that everything will be ok on the day. Often it is, but why, becuase the grubby fingered scruffily dressed peasant has got the country squire out of a hole.
I am now getting very long in the tooth. I say it once and let them get on with it. If they know best, so be it.
The important thing with todays technology is this, email every concern to the powers to be and save it. When the sh.t hits the fan just refer them to the email.
If you are 25 this may still be difficult to carry out, when you are to old to care just do it. Stand up for yourself.
bath,
The question still has to be answered who is in charge a head grounsman or an outside expert ?
what it comes down to and im sure most football based groundstaff would agree is that unless you are given enough time to carry out a proper renovation to grow in from scratch post concerts or whatever other events you will not achieve a good surface. They should stop this inane turfing and give the man enough time to establish a grown in pitch. With the resources he has at his disposal ie lighting rigs, etc. he would be able given a good period of time for example 12 weeks to establish a good root base and that is essentially what has let the wembley pitch down over the past few years. Turf will never take properly it might get you through the warmer dryer months but come winter ul be left with a poor unstable surface. It is simply not the groundsmans fault from what i can see. You only have to look at villa park and the emirates to see what a difference in surface you have at a football only arena where the groundsmen are given enough time to carry out a proper renovation.
It certainly does Adam. It may not even be an outside expert, could just as easily be an inside job.
Hope your well.
Having watched the Arsenal game last night in HD and seen how incredible their pitch is it is a discrace that at our national stadium is so bad. As a nation we should expect a pitch every bit as good as that at The Emerates Stadium. Whatever reason it is not needs sorting out immediately.
Chris
You will never see a statue in honour of a committee.
How many times has the Emirates been relaid ?
Therein lies your answer, if they keep on relaying Wembley every other week they are never going to get a good pitch.
In a remarkably sensible football pundit 'moment', last saturday ,Mark Lawrenson was asked what was wrong with Wembley, he answered with one word 'roots'., there aren't any obviously.
What goes around, comes around
I know this has probably been said before but.....
Wembley is a multi-use venue, the other stadiums as stated are not! As a result Wembley will never be afforded the luxury/time to grow a pitch from seed.
Maintaining a newly laid turf pitch in such a hostile environment isnt easy. No-body re-turfs anymore - unless its absolutely necassary!
So unless Wembley/The FA do a massive U turn, or find other ways to re-coup the costs to build, Wembley will remain a multi-use venue.
The point I am making chaps is it is our national football stadium not motor racing, not pop concerts and not whatever else they choose to put on it. It makes us look a laughing stock in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Chris
You will never see a statue in honour of a committee.
I totall agree but although we may discuss all of wembleys problems, i stii feel that some one has to go to the media and explain all of the currant issues with the suface, otherwise the groundstaff will keep on taking the blame maybe either pitcare or the I.O.G should stand up for the industry and those at wembley its self.
Adam, people are two a penny ask Len Smith or Phil Frost. Would your bursar take responsibility or hang you out to dry?
Vic.
10 Mar 2010 by STAFF - John Richards
Hi Adam - you may not be aware that our MD, Dave Saltman, has been quoted by 4 national newspapers and been interviewed on Talk Sport and Five Live in the past week. He was very supportive of the groundstaff at Wembley and went to some lengths to explain the problems that they have to deal with at this type of venue.
Regards
John Richards
Pitchcare
10 Mar 2010 by GaryA
John
For those of us who haven't seen said printed press or heard the interviews on the radio could you, or indeed Dave himself, give a synopsis on here?
Thanks
Gary
Be Just and Fear Not
10 Mar 2010 by Dave
As far back as I can remember, Wembley has been a multi use stadium, while most of us will have fond memories or one cup final or another there, I also remember going to see the likes of Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones etc back in the 80's. It was also used for all sorts of other events.
The venue is an event venue and not a football stadium.
Now there is an even greater need at many large venues, such as the Millennium as Lee points out, The Ajax Arena in Holland and others to host even more events than ever before. With a seating capacity of 90000+ people it is an obvious choice for big non grass and grass events.
The high multi use means that you don't really get many windows of opportunity to do a 'normal renovation' and grow in the surface from seed, so turfing is usually the only option.
In days of old footballers accepted any old surface to play on, these days the expectation is infinitely greater and so apart from playability the aesthetic quality is paramount. So even when a pitch surface isn't bad, and let's be honest the pitch was much better for the England game last week than the Carling Cup Final the Sunday before-it still was deemed unacceptable in some quarters.
If you want to harbour the dream that Wembley should only host a handful of major cup finals and internationals, then please wake up.
The Wembley staff have to manage the logistics of event management and standard Groundsmanship, often in very limited time frames.
I think that the relative cost of a regular re-turf as and when necessary is a small one in comparison to the high level events held on the pitch.
We all want Wembley's playing surface to represent our Industry, especially as it's renowned the world over as an iconic landmark.
I have no doubt that the surface and the methodology used at the stadium will continue to improve in time and make us all proud.
Cheers,
Dave
10 Mar 2010 by GaryA
Thanks Dave. Very concise.
No doubt it is something that will rumble on and on.
Go well.
Gary
Be Just and Fear Not
there was a good talk on this very topic at Harrogate. It was given by management guys from Wembley and a very brief synopsis would be:
for the first couple of years management neither understood nor cared about why there were problems with the grass surface.
the management is starting to understand the problems - and are being forced to pay attention.
The changes really are evident (to me as an observer). The pitch is currently way way better than it was in previous years - it might not be great but it is better.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
And about 2/3 relaid as we type........
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
So is there a solution or not?
Wembley can keep blaming the Groundsman / consultants whoever for the condition / spec / build / maintenance of the pitch ( and who knows, do they have a point??????) and keep replacing them as long as there are groundsman prepared to take the job on, and Groundsman will keep blaming the "non sport " extra events, so it is a never ending circle.
To me, from a purely idealistic view, surely this is the venue for the pallet system to be used?
yes logistically a pain, but any more so than re turfing x number of times per year??
it would give a chance for a grown in surface, that can be moved as and when needed, maintained off site during these events, then put back in when needed.
wouldnt the surface then respond to the Groundsmans skill and expertise, and reflect as much??
Simples
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