'Space age' pitch?

[Guest]

From kentonline...

MARGATE are awaiting a decision from the Nationwide Conference on whether they will sanction the use of "third generation pitches".

The club have made a formal application to lay the country's first space age plastic pitch at the rebuilt Hartsdown Park at a cost of around £350,000

FIFA and UEFA have already backed the idea, as have the Football Association,subject to two provisos. FA Cup ties will not be allowed to be staged on them, and clubs have to see consent from their respectuive leagues.The Conference board of directors are due to meet next week when a decision is expected.

Stadium adviser Keith Piper said: "The advantages of these pitches is that they can be used 52 weeks of the year, and will generate much needed revenue."  

The pitch idea forms the centrepeice of the club's moves to take football back to the town after an absence of three years. Work is expected to begin by the end of the month, with most of the famous slope set to disappear.

The new Nationwide South season is due to start on August 6.

 

So does this mean no FA Cup ties at Hartsdown ever again?

[Gate4TehWin]

well it all sounds great and all but no fa cup ties thats unacceptable, im sure im not the only one that dreams of a decent cup run and if we got a plum draw i would wanna play it in margate not in dover or some were else.

[Guest]

It doesn't make sense. If you can play league matches, why not FA Cup ties? And what about other cups such as the FA Trophy? Maybe if our pitch is a success the FA will look again at that rule.

[Guest]

i thought it got turned down <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Cookie]

What the hell is wrong with a normal grass pitch. O.K. you wont be able to play on it every week when the weather gets bad but thats a part of football that goes back years and years. Not knowing what the weather will do to the pitch etc. Will the pitch be soggy, hard, snowed over,waterlogged etc. Its all part of the fun of football.I appreciate that the commercial side of things would be enhanced but even then theres no guarantee of putting on games week in week out. Just look at some of the race tracks where there are artificially laid tracks. Once thought to be able to race in all weathers. But that hasnt been the case at some tracks.

There is also a word going round that progress to a certain league with this "new" pitch would only take us so far, maybe into the conference but not beyond. O.K, for the time being, but paying the extra cost and then maybe in a couple of years we having to re-instate the grass again in order to go forward,unless the F.A. sanction such a surface.

Its nice to know that we would be one of the first to lay this but do we really want it. I know its not our decision so whatever we may say either for or against would come to nothing but I for one would miss the "normal" surface and all its uncertainties each week.

And finally,as mentioned elsewhere why on earth can we not use it for F.A. cup games. I fully agree that that competition is one of the highlights of the year and not to be able to play home ties at Hartsdown would be a damn shame,not to mention loss of revenue to another club who would have to help out.

Having said all the above I would be just happy to get back home with whatever pitch we lay but I am not one for supporting this kind of surface.

[MargateFan]

I am not a great fan of this idea.

Lay a good layer of sand beneath the turf for drainage, then it will not get boggy. We are on a bit of a hill anyway so the drainage should be OK.

Not play our FA cup ties at home? Huge disappointment.

The players get used to this new pitch and then go away to play on the bogs that are some of the away pitches, will that not put them at an away disadvantage?

I am not very often critical of the club, but given our close brush with death is this not a tad ambitious? I just want to be at home smelling the grass!

[Cookie]

When I thought of that petition it was with the history of the club at the heart of it. We have a great history at this club that was foremost in my thoughts when that petition was put the people. In that history, included, were great promotions through the years & ex.players who had done good from their days at the "gate". But our main climb to fame was through the F.A. cup. With this coming to an end at Hartsdown the history of the club and the popularity of the club will fade therefore I feel slightly cheated in that the message for support for a the return to Hartsdown was with the history of the club foremost in mind. It would be a dying shame NOT to continue with F.A cup ties at home.

We have acquired signatures because of our famous cup runs. They were certain aspects of the club that people remember about us and they signed because of it to a point.

We must continue with football at Margate but it would be good to know that those that feel this is the best way to go could sit back and reconsider and think about the after affects that could arise from such a decision.

Football back at Hartsdown is paramount but closely following that is promotion to the highest level and a return to those great days of F.A. cup football in our own back yard against the cream of clubs. We must not give that up !

Lets begin to walk again before we try and run!

[michael]

I very strongly think its got to be plastic.

 

As KP says-you can use it 52 weeks of the year.

 

We need the revenue chaps to strengthen the side.

 

Games would virtually be gauranteed in any weather-all helps cash flow.

Think of the publicity.

The training that can be done in all weathers.

 

Margate play better on a good pitch-we tend to be a decent footballing side.

You get a better and more entertaining football game

 

 

Have not a few people cried out for reserve, youth and ladies teams-all could play and train on the pitch every week.

 

The FA Cup-the revenue is shared anyway from FA Cup so from that side of things it makes no difference.What is to say we would progress in the FA CUp anyway.If we do, the true supporters have followed the team for the last 3 seasons to every game 'away'at Ashford or Dover.If we were to draw a plum side -would we not prefer to play away anyway.

 

It would be quicker to 'lay'-no bedding down issues-are we not in a bit of a hurry to get finished for Aug 6th.A good pitch needs alot of preparation and normally takes a few `seasons to settle

 

I really can see no rationale behind not going 'plastic'.

 

Having said that, i anticipate being personally disappointed because i suspect the request to be rejected by the conference anyway, but so so hope they allow it.

[TonyM]

Imo,we dont need this,lets play on grass,the drainage at HDP is well known to be one of the best,and lets be honest FA cup games is all about what football is all about.

[knighty101]

this is a hard 1 to call but i must say how many cup game do we have at home... not many so on the basis we could play all year round footy reguardless of weather would enable as MM says better training and playing condidtions and more cash for our already strapped club.

[Cookie]

I take your point about the speed to lay the "plastic" pitch and the advantages of it MM but I still think it is a wrong move. Income from 52 weeks a year usage would of course be welcome...to some, but again ,that continued usage cannot be guaranteed anyway.

Isnt this money for this pitch included in the "loan" that would have to be paid back should the commercial side of things fail? If so,then we should not be overspending at this time else we could come to regret it later.

[knighty101]

thinking about things a bit more, how long will it takle to lay a old picth with good drainage and at high standard and how long to lay a space age one. i guess time could be the deciding factor. when considering we are already pushed for it.

[Gate4TehWin]

MM u are correct in all the points u have stated and i would agree with u compleatly, but i want to play are cup games in margate were we belong and were all our home games should be played its were we belong.

 

After 2 years of being nomads i dont ever want to play another home game outside of margate.

[Cookie]

I think Ray Baker will be quaking in his boots at this proposed new move. Where does his job stand with this in mind?

[michael]

You still have to look after a plastic pitch-roll it etc.

Renew the white lines.

 

Is'nt he the 'groundsman' as opposed to a 'pitchman'

[Cookie]

Fair enough. Plastic will save on lawnmowers anyway. Theres an expense spared to start with. WoW!

[Margate Don]

I'd be up for it - it would be great for MFC to be seen as pioneers in this regard, the publicity certainly couldn't do any harm to the club - let us lead the way into the 21st Century and surely the FA will follow

[Guest]

And if the additional revenue (given our recent financial situation) is the difference between getting back to the Conference and beyond, then let's sacrifice home FA cup / trophy games. You only get to host 50% of them anyway.

[TonyM]

What happens if they dont.

[Margate Don]

It will be interesting to get the Conference's position in a week's time - for my own part I'd give up the odd FA Cup home tie. OK I might regret that come our next great cup run but until then ....