Perennial issue.

[andyetfc]

Given that it's not yet September, and there is a long way to go, is it really necessary for the under 18s team to play on the main pitch? Yes, it's part of their development, but will the pitch stand up to the number of scheduled first team, Borough, ladies and any other games during the season?

[lovely stuff]

I totally agree.I'm always surprised at the amount of teams that use the ground..Most clubs even at this level would think hard about ground sharing.Let alone having the Ladies and Youth teams play every week on it as well..Can you imagine Spurs and Arsenal for example having other sections of their club play all their home games at WHL or The Emirates? Maybe it brings in added revenue for us through bar and gate receits.But this must be weighed up against the added cost of floodlighting/electric bills and pitch maintainance.Also the cost to the first team of having to win matches on an overused playing surface.

[Enfield United]

Spurs+Arsenal do play some minor games on their main pitch. For example Our 18's might have 10 home games and this season play in a midweek league. Compared to pro clubs having 20 odd home games, which they also play at local clubs and main ground including FA youth cup matches.

 

However at our level we should be and are community driven, therefore be every bit Enfield Town Football Club and not Enfield Town Football Team. Just my opinion of course.

 

This is a topic brought up each year, however there never seems to be a constructive solution or real supportive ideas that could work, other than having a 3G pitch which has its own pit falls.

 

Our club have been running this way for 15 years it hasn't harmed us too much has it?

[lovely stuff]

Its good that the ground is in regular use as this does reduce the risk of vandalism.I also think it is important that each non-senior team play a few games each on the main pitch each season.But lets not forget there are 15 woefully underused 'community' pitches on the playing fields right next to the ground.

 

Ps..Who is to say that the cancellations of first team matches over the last few seasons at important times of the year,did not have a negative influence on our promotion pushes?

Edited August 28, 2016 by lovely stuff

[townerboy]

i think we shoudl also rememebr the srain it puts on our volunteers who have to come into the ground and staff it for these games.

[andyetfc]

We cannot compare our situation with that of a premier team. Arsenal/Spurs probably have more ground staff than we have people on the board.

Edited August 28, 2016 by andyetfc

[Enfield United]

I think all the points made are valid and shows we still have a long way to go in thinking we are a bigger club than we are.

Park pitches- doesn't meet competition criteria, would cost an extra £1,600 per annum

, hiring another venue substantially more

Agree totally more volunteers of help is needed to man the stadium for 'minor' games

We've replaced our ressies with EBFC which helps

 

Additionally having a ladies/U18 + first team meets the very sort after community charter status and will allow us to tap into grants and funding for stadium improvement should we go up to conference south level.

 

our club call off U18/Ladies games at the slightest hint of damaging the pitch pre first team games, as do other clubs at our level.

[lovely stuff]

All our many other teams.youth sections and ladies youth sections do not play in the stadium and have to arrange their own pitches.

A lot of other clubs even at non-league level have their u18's and ladies teams play on other grounds rather than all in the same stadium.I think we should look at hiring a groundshare with a team a couple of league below us.Such as Cockfosters or Hoddesdon where both the U18's and Ladies could play (say) two-thirds of their games each.With maybe 3 or 4 games each at Donkey Lane still.

 

Must take you up on the assumption that U18 and ladies games get called off at the slightest hint at damaging the pitch.Remember last season when a saturday league game was called off because of the poor condition of the waterlogged pitch,even though it was a completely sunny and clear all day.Then it rained heavily all night making the surface even worse,but the ladies section turned up the next morning.Forked the pitch and promptly played a game on it.

 

If we have to have 3 sections of our club playing every game on the pitch,then should we really allow a further groundshare with a club that has no connection with us..Ie.this new team called Enfield Borough?? 

Edited August 29, 2016 by lovely stuff

[MbrunoB]

The Ladies have 11 league games plus cup games spread over 10 months so it works out about one game every 3 weeks and they do far less damage than men's games. A few years ago one of our leagues rivals directors were going to get rid of the Ladies team that played there but the groundsman wanted them to remain as the pitch was in better condition after the game than before. The Ladies also pay to play so if you remove that from the balance sheet the difference would have to be made up from somewhere else or cut the budget. Perhaps the solution is for more people to volunteer rather than tell others what they should be doing?

[Big J R]

The Ladies have 11 league games plus cup games spread over 10 months so it works out about one game every 3 weeks and they do far less damage than men's games. A few years ago one of our leagues rivals directors were going to get rid of the Ladies team that played there but the groundsman wanted them to remain as the pitch was in better condition after the game than before. The Ladies also pay to play so if you remove that from the balance sheet the difference would have to be made up from somewhere else or cut the budget. Perhaps the solution is for more people to volunteer rather than tell others what they should be doing?

 

Thank You MbrunoB  !

 

I was going to post yesterday, however..........

 

Before the temporary demise of the Meadowbank in Dorking prior to a new stadium/ground being built this year, Dorking Ladies used to play Sunday lunch-time for home games.

 

It was quite possible that Dorking F.C. 1st team had played on the ground the previous Saturday, and left the ground with divots and gouges.

 

The Ladies would quite happily walk the pitch prior to kick-off and tread down.

 

Ladies generally play football without sliding and wreckless tackles and leave the pitch well trodden down for the groundsman to easily work on.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Big J R

[OldTowner]

As noted above, the Club which remember is a Supporters / Members run Club, gain by letting the ground out for income. Ladies or Enfield Zborough or any other user pay for the privilege.

Stop the income stream.

Lower the first team budget.

 

What is your choice !??

[andyetfc]

My initial question related to under 18s playing on the main pitch. How much income is generated whenever they play on the pitch?

[thecoldend]

Enfield Town Football Club.... not just the first team...

[andyetfc]

Agree. But surely someone has to weigh up the the overuse of the pitch, and the amount of work spent on it, against the income generated.

[Enfield United]

income from gate receipts comfortable covered the cost of the game last night. So no burden to our coffers and in fact many new local people came through our turnstiles, used/saw our facilities and interacted by creating a good sporting atmosphere. I really can't see any negative issues other than it'd be nice if more 'supporters' or volunteers mucked in to help rather than fault find.

[andyetfc]

ET. Excuse me. Is no one allowed to pass comment or give an opinion about what goes on at 'our' club? Go back to the formative years of 'our' club and you will find that lots of supporters 'mucked in' long before others tagged along.

[big guy]

we could go for the plastic pitch . No maintenance needed play as many games as you want  money comes in for the club and teams and not for the upkeep of the pitch .Ok a big outlay at first but surly pays for itself and no postponements in winter or when it rains for the rest of the year. 

[andyetfc]

A recent Council consultation document indicates that money is available for an all weather pitch. However, it will be in the corner of the playing fields!

[OldTowner]

Plastic pitch requires "daily" maintenance, sweeping etc.

Letting it out - great.

Who is at the Club to do that and monitor use ?

[Enfield United]

Andy- I find that I regularly get 'can't I have an opinion?' Like comment whenever I for one challenge anyone's view with realism.

Yes loads of people mucked in at first who have now decided to less or nothing, thank goodness for a few 'taggers on' who help out the hard core originals, voluntarily today.

3G needs as much time spent on it as a grass pitch + a lot of broom heads and sweepers. Plus replacing in a few years time.

We can wish many things but above all we need volunteers who are doers and generous supporters that will be from members £10 per year to £30 a month #GoToTown season ticket holders/subscribers, the more generosity we have the more generous the club can be in rewarding the real grafters.

But like everyone else this is just the opinion of a tagger on,