Our pitch!

Our pitch has looked dreadful of late despite the fact that we have had very little snow in comparison to other areas of the country..I wonder what the problem is?

 

Could be the concerts every summer.

 

That did cross my mind, but the pitch looked fine earlier in the season and has only looked really bad since the turn of the year..

 

This is a usual problem for all new grounds. When you consider the pitch at Roker had been rolled two or three times a week for almost 100 years, and the grass roots were so entangled under-ground, nothing much was going to disturb it. Any damage was surface stuff - something like a scratch on our hands. But this ground is only 15 years old. It's nothing like as settled, and when it's cut up, the damage is more like a human flesh wound.

 

Perhaps it is being used to play football on instead of hoofball

 

I agree there is a problem. We noticed last couple of games the ball wasn't moving as well as it should and I noticed McLean having some issues with it. I think they had put sand on it to reduce the muddiness maybe but it was really cutting up. Drainage needs attention perhaps? The grass at the SoL was reseeded after the concerts last summer so doubt they are the problem.

Maybe it is because we are far in the north compared to most other grounds (St James apart of course) and the SoL gets very little light at this time of year. Grass won't grow if the temperature is less than about 6 degrees either so all this together is probably why. I think a lot of other clubs have that new surface that has plastic blades of grass interwoven with real grass so it stands up better. Probably we need to look at that solution but I guess it is expensive.

Having said that think back to how pitches used to be!!!

 

We should relay it after the cup game imo.

 

Did you ever play on a pitch so muddy that no matter how hard you kicked it the ball only moved a few inches? take a look at some of the old footage from days gone by

 

But I thought Exeter was South of Sunderland?

 

I wonder if it is because the pitch is below ground level (it is!) .

With stands all round, air flow will be minimal (apart from actual windy days) and the turf may not be dried out sufficiently ...

 

I read this once. It's been relayed more times than a big market slapper.

I read also that there is a problem getting the suns rays onto all areas of it.

 

If that's the case then I can't understand why they water it before games even when it has been raining all week...

 

The lack of air movement over the surface and little sun on the pitch particularly December to February are the problem

 

at anfield where i had a tour not long ago the have massive haters which they lie on the pitch to dry it out can we not do the same??

 

We could always peg out a couple of mags on the park. They would hate that...massively

 

Typical, a discussion on how best to grow and dry our grass and Amsterdamroger is nowhere to be seen ;-)

 

i ment heaters though liverpool do have alot of haters atm

 

PHIL Bardsley says Sunderland will have to beat their crumbling pitch this weekend, as well as wounded Champions League opponents Arsenal.

Both Martin O’Neill and Arsene Wenger made reference to the poor state of the pitch at the Stadium of Light when the two teams met in the league last Saturday.

And as someone who has played on the deteriorating surface over the course of the winter, Bardsley can only echo their concerns.

“The pitch is not the best at the moment,” the Sunderland full-back conceded.

“In fact, it’s probably the worst in the league, but, that said, we are trying to adapt to it and use it to our advantage because we are used to it.

“I can’t see too many top teams coming here and playing football on it.

“For the last three or four games, the pitch has been terrible. I think everybody knows that.

“But we’ll adapt to it, get on with it – that’s what we’re all about.

“We’re professionals and we go about it in the right way and try to play as much football as possible on it.”

Sunderland will have the pitch relaid over the close season, once the summer concerts – Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bruce Springsteen – are played out.

In the meantime, the club will hope that the three-week break which follows this Saturday teatime’s FA Cup visit of the Gunners, before Liverpool are next guests at the Stadium of Light, will help the surface improve.

 

Beat me to it! Not sure where commachios story came from but a similar article in the Journal says pretty much the same thing http://www.journallive.co.uk/safc/safc-news/2012/02/16/sunderland-s-playing-hampered-by-poor-pitch-61634-30340967/

 

may be some horticultuarist or keen gardener will confirm this i think the angle of the stadia is restricting the light and sun causing bad growth