Bateman's view of SYCOB's pitch

[Tom]

http://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/sport/sloughtown/articles/2011/02/25/50821-bates-happy-to-play-away/

 

"Our pitch will be a challenge with the rain. The lads call it a cabbage patch, one called it an allotment but allotments tend to get tended to. "I don't want to be critical because it's not our ground but we made an investment in the summer and it seems to have been poured down the drain."

 

"There's too many games played on it. We are suited to play football so it doesn't help but it's the same for both sides."

 

 

I agree whole heartily with the comments made.

 

 

 

 

 

[Matt]

Best thing we can do, in my honest opinion, is see if ourselves and the new Windsor club can come to an agreement for us to move back there. It seems to me like it would help both clubs immensely. And to be honest, I prefer Stag Meadow over Holloways Park anyway, but that's a personal opinion.

[Windsor Rebel]

The sooner we get our own ground the better. Money spent on the pitch? Echoes of our past pitch spend at Windsor, I think...

[A Rebel and a Saint]

I agree with Matt, purely based on the fact that Windsor is easier to get to than Beaconsfield, and it would be beneficial to us and the new Windsor club if they can get Stag Meadow back as we could probably go for less money if they are playing at a lower level. It would also benefit Beaconsfield in the way that their pitch would be able to recover from a few years of multiple teams playing on it. Obviously that is in the hands of the people at the top of the club, but it could be an option.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

Also, on the topic of the pitch, I have been in Plymouth since Tuesday, what has the weather been like in Slough/Beaconsfield?

There is some rain due to move across the country today (it's already here) and due, according to the forecast, to reach Slough overnight tonight. Has the pitch recovered from the last bouts of rain over last week?

[Mark44]

No, I disagree. Holloways park is a much nicer place than the slag meadow IMO. the covered end behind the goal is great and much better than anything Windsor can offer us

[Tom]

I think they could almost certainly offer a better maintained pitch and a better chance of attracting players. Who in their mind would want to come play at SYCOB if they know the pitch is going to turn out like it is at the moment.

 

Fact is attendances are dropping at SYCOB and I would almost bet that it would get a slight increase if we moved back to Windsor, and like Matt has mentioned it would be beneficial to both clubs in the short term/medium term.

[Sue]

Definately prefer Beaconsfield without a doubt.

 

I'm not an expert on pitches, and sorry to rub it in again to you lot that never came to the game, but Cambridge's pitch was lovely and our team played the best I have ever seen, absolutely brilliant so there must be a story there somewhere.

[Matt]

Yeah, and you'd like to think Windsor's would be pretty good having had no football played on it for six months come the start of the new season!

 

I just find Holloways Park really depressing and it's also difficult to get to for those without a car.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

So am I getting this right from Steve Batemans comments that Slough payed for the pitch refurbishment?

 

If so what has the rent been for, and having bailed SYCOB out why did they not maintain it?

 

IF Slough were to go back to Stag Meadow I would only be intrested if there was cover behind the goals.

 

The sooner we get our own ground (even if the pitch is a mud bath rather than any fancy 28459G pitch) and stop relying on other clubs who rip Slough off the better!

[Chris]

I have the opposite view of Matt really, but I can see it from both angles.

 

From a personal perespective I really like going to football at SYCOB. At SYCOB the pitch and stadium is compact - seems close to the players, much better atmosphere, nice terracing behind the goal. Whereas when we were at Windsor it felt very open to me and it's a big ground, which I was not too keen on.

 

Having said that, the pitch at SYCOB is not good at the moment. I fear that we'll loose a lot of the players next season because of the pitch. Lets be fair though, both Windsor & SYCOB could have easily not offered a ground share and we'd be without a club so i'm very greatful to both clubs.

 

As others have said Windsor is easier to get to and i'd think we'd get attendances back up to the 300+ mark. Might even be worth seeing if Burnham or Maidenhead is an option now?

Edited February 25, 2011 by Chris

[chris sliski]

I have to agree the pitch has taken a hammering , but also its played far more games than Windsor have had on their pitch , so no big surprise there !

 

Before we moved from Windsor , the pitch was horrendous too , is ok for most not to see behind the scenes ..At Windsor we were left at times on a saturday

morning to get out there and try to fork areas of puddles ..at Beaconsfield the 2 guys who have their work cut out to get the ground ready , they try their best and

can only do so much ( retired and in their sixties) ...

 

If we move back to Windsor in the short term , we have to arrange for the porta cabins to be moved , we have to get Sue a newer club shop ....this all before

we know if Windsor would take us back after all it was the new owner who wanted to raise the rent almost 2 fold ... and also we would properly need to find a new venue for the under 18's team , as we could not do this at Windsor...

 

The facilities are newer and more modern at Beaconsfield ! and car parking though quite restrictive when its wet ...is much better too..

 

Does the club want to up heave again , and also with the new stadium on the horizon ..it would be better for us all to concentrate on this project than moving back to Windsor..??

 

Maybe is time for Beaconsfield to get some help for the 2 chaps , who as I say do their very best , but are straining under a harsh winter and a huge amount of games being played on the pitch...

 

Yes Steve Bateman is right , our team is a skillful and like to play a good passing game and the surface is terrible ,but we can not or will not be playing fantastic surfaces all year...here or at some of the other grounds in this league..as we move into the last third of the season maybe we should get on with playing football the way we did against Aylesbury on that sticky surface in the last 20 mins of the game when we realised we could not continue the passing game but resorted to the way Aylesbury were playing against us and it worked big time ! ,

maybe we need to stop worrying about the state of the playing surface..and adapt .its not going to change things at this stage of the season.

 

next season is another story ... and I am sure this will be a very very important point that the club will be taking up with who ever will be

our landlords for season 2011-2012

 

 

 

chris sliski personally

Edited February 25, 2011 by chris sliski

[readingrebel]

So am I getting this right from Steve Batemans comments that Slough payed for the pitch refurbishment?

 

If so what has the rent been for, and having bailed SYCOB out why did they not maintain it?

 

IF Slough were to go back to Stag Meadow I would only be intrested if there was cover behind the goals.

 

The sooner we get our own ground (even if the pitch is a mud bath rather than any fancy 28459G pitch) and stop relying on other clubs who rip Slough off the better!

 

 

I was not sure about the 'we' bit in SB's statement, whether he meant 'we' as in Slough or 'we' as in Beaconsfield/Slough as an entire club.

 

But as you've mentioned it Staines and nobody has denied it, I think we can rightly assume Slough payed for the new pitch which must be news to most supporters and really p#sses me off.

[readingrebel]

http://www.sloughobs...y-to-play-away/

 

"Our pitch will be a challenge with the rain. The lads call it a cabbage patch, one called it an allotment but allotments tend to get tended to. "I don't want to be critical because it's not our ground but we made an investment in the summer and it seems to have been poured down the drain."

 

"There's too many games played on it. We are suited to play football so it doesn't help but it's the same for both sides."

 

 

I agree whole heartily with the comments made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The conditions are the same for both sides but does not always suit both sides.

[readingrebel]

I agree with Matt, purely based on the fact that Windsor is easier to get to than Beaconsfield, and it would be beneficial to us and the new Windsor club if they can get Stag Meadow back as we could probably go for less money if they are playing at a lower level. It would also benefit Beaconsfield in the way that their pitch would be able to recover from a few years of multiple teams playing on it. Obviously that is in the hands of the people at the top of the club, but it could be an option.

 

 

Windsor would be easier to get to once those road works are finished. At the moment they are a nightmare to negociate.

 

Beaconsfield would obviously lose out considerably, financially and would probably slip further down the pyramid.

[readingrebel]

Also, on the topic of the pitch, I have been in Plymouth since Tuesday, what has the weather been like in Slough/Beaconsfield?

There is some rain due to move across the country today (it's already here) and due, according to the forecast, to reach Slough overnight tonight. Has the pitch recovered from the last bouts of rain over last week?

 

 

We've had a couple of days of dry weather.

 

As to the state of the pitch after the dry spell, I've no idea.

 

I would expect there's been communication between Beaconsfield and Slough as to the condition of the pitch and the prospects of the game going ahead tomorrow, especially as some heavy rain is due overnight and the pitch might need some attention in the morning to get the game played.

 

One way or another WE NEED TO GET THE GAME PLAYED TOMORROW.

[readingrebel]

Definately prefer Beaconsfield without a doubt.

 

I'm not an expert on pitches, and sorry to rub it in again to you lot that never came to the game, but Cambridge's pitch was lovely and our team played the best I have ever seen, absolutely brilliant so there must be a story there somewhere.

 

 

The story is we have the players who like a nice playing surface not a ploughed field!!

[3spirit]

I have to agree the pitch has taken a hammering , but also its played far more games than Windsor have had on their pitch , so no big surprise there !

 

Before we moved from Windsor , the pitch was horrendous too , is ok for most not to see behind the scenes ..At Windsor we were left at times on a saturday

morning to get out there and try to fork areas of puddles ..at Beaconsfield the 2 guys who have their work cut out to get the ground ready , they try their best and

can only do so much ( retired and in their sixties) ...

 

If we move back to Windsor in the short term , we have to arrange for the porta cabins to be moved , we have to get Sue a newer club shop ....this all before

we know if Windsor would take us back after all it was the new owner who wanted to raise the rent almost 2 fold ... and also we would properly need to find a new venue for the under 18's team , as we could not do this at Windsor...

 

The facilities are newer and more modern at Beaconsfield ! and car parking though quite restrictive when its wet ...is much better too..

 

Does the club want to up heave again , and also with the new stadium on the horizon ..it would be better for us all to concentrate on this project than moving back to Windsor..??

 

Maybe is time for Beaconsfield to get some help for the 2 chaps , who as I say do their very best , but are straining under a harsh winter and a huge amount of games being played on the pitch...

 

Yes Steve Bateman is right , our team is a skillful and like to play a good passing game and the surface is terrible ,but we can not or will not be playing fantastic surfaces all year...here or at some of the other grounds in this league..as we move into the last third of the season maybe we should get on with playing football the way we did against Aylesbury on that sticky surface in the last 20 mins of the game when we realised we could not continue the passing game but resorted to the way Aylesbury were playing against us and it worked big time ! ,

maybe we need to stop worrying about the state of the playing surface..and adapt .its not going to change things at this stage of the season.

 

next season is another story ... and I am sure this will be a very very important point that the club will be taking up with who ever will be

our landlords for season 2011-2012

 

 

 

chris sliski personally

 

 

I think you're spot on,Chris S,it seems to me that some of the fans have short memories.When we were at Windsor we had exactly the same problems with their pitch as we do now at Beaconsfield. To me,as you've rightly pointed out,it would cost our club to move again which is even more money down the drain,when we should be saving for the new stadium back at Slough.

If we are to waste Steve Easterbrook's/Directors/Supporters Trust/Sponsors money,why don't we share the cost with SYCOB to get a proper groundsman/greenkeeper to keep the pitch better.Thought that criteria was supposed to happen anyway,when we agreed this new pitch/drainage system.

 

If we are determined to leave Beaconsfield,I think we should approach Burnham to groundshare especially being they've got financial problems.Thus we maybe able to hammer out a better deal bearing in mind Bob Breen is their Chairman.However,I do think Beaconsfield are at least,trying to make their ground better and are far more welcoming and are open to ideas with their groundsharers than Windsor ever was.

[Banny]

To those who are unhappy @ Holloways Park, Be Carefull of What You Wish For.

Everyone at B/SYCOB have been very welcoming to STFC, unlike some @ W&E.

With regards to the pitch it is dissapointing after the work on it last summer, when it looked fine, but still much better than W&E`s pitch the first year it was relaid. (& miles better than the new Wexham Park pitch after its first game, this was eventually one of the best pitches in the country)

Last year we played on the new surface at Biggleswade, if you went there you will probably agree it was the best pitch we had played on for years, lush short grass flat, every pass ran true; I saw it yesterday, like cabbage patch down the center third, gradually getting greener out to the wings, with two churned up mud tracks where the lino`s run.

B/SYCOBs pitch needs time to get established, and probably a lot more work.

[Leicester Mike]

Is the pitch playable today? I won't be able to make it, but hope the match is on.