 | News
Comment | Sir Alf Stand Gets a Spruce Up
at 19:01:33
The tarpaulins in the SBR cover up some air vents to improve the air flow to the pitch. Not entirely sure why they are actually there, i think it was a health and safety thing. Reason no one has ever seen these vents is because they arnt allowed to be open on a match day. |
| News
Comment | Clegg: Keane Was Showing the Strain
at 18:49:02
Curbs has been lined up for alot of jobs but he has been holding out for an established prem club, I dont think he would be too interested in taking on a struggling championship team as much as i would like him to.
If the Hodgson "a good friend with Marcus Evans" rumours are true, then come on Evans open your wallet up and give hodgson a deal untill the end of the season with the option of an extension based of objectives such as points, win percentages etc. Look at the team he got in the UEFA cup final, they wernt exactly the best team in the competition, but he got the absolute best out of them through tactics etc. Couldn't care less what happend at liverpool, they have been relying on a core of players (Reina, Carragher, Alsonso, Gerrard, Torres) for years, now that its been broken up (Sold Alonso, coupled with Torres poor form) theyve fallen apart, predictable. |
| News
Comment | Ferguson Gutted By Postponement
at 12:07:00
The idea behind boiling water is to increase the soil temperature you pillock Blueoff, because below the millimeteres of frost the soil was about +4degrees.
How many of you would have worked christmas day at 6/7 in the morning, especially with three kids at home. Well Mr Ferguson did. The idea that Marcus Evans didnt care about this game is a load of crap, it still cost him £100,000. And a Sky game is only worth about £80,000 extra to a championship team.
Ferguson clearly knows what he's doing, as mentioned he was approached for the Wembley job, Pitch of the Year winner in the Premier league and Championship, he's a UEFA consultant, and an SIS (Support in Sport) Non-exec director, meaning teams like Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, Ajax ask him for advice on pitch maintenance, re-turf's etc.
To have had 2 games called off in 14 years is a fantastic record, especially when you consider Arsenal have had that many called off since they moved to The Emirates, one of the most state-of-the-art stadiums/pitches in the world. |
| Blog
Comment | Ferguson Gutted By Postponement
at 12:07:00
The idea behind boiling water is to increase the soil temperature you pillock Blueoff, because below the millimeteres of frost the soil was about +4degrees.
How many of you would have worked christmas day at 6/7 in the morning, especially with three kids at home. Well Mr Ferguson did. The idea that Marcus Evans didnt care about this game is a load of crap, it still cost him £100,000. And a Sky game is only worth about £80,000 extra to a championship team.
Ferguson clearly knows what he's doing, as mentioned he was approached for the Wembley job, Pitch of the Year winner in the Premier league and Championship, he's a UEFA consultant, and an SIS (Support in Sport) Non-exec director, meaning teams like Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, Ajax ask him for advice on pitch maintenance, re-turf's etc.
To have had 2 games called off in 14 years is a fantastic record, especially when you consider Arsenal have had that many called off since they moved to The Emirates, one of the most state-of-the-art stadiums/pitches in the world. |
| News
Comment | Referee Explains Late Postponement
at 20:33:51
You had best be educated-
Under-soil heating would cost at least £500,000... Portman Road has no space to put a pump room (How else do you think thousands of litres of water get heated and pumped through hundreds of pipes?).
It cost ITFC £150,000-ish to buy the inflatable pitch cover- £350,000 less than undersoil heating.
ITFC loose £100,000 for any cancellations- so two games in 14 years means ITFC would still be £150,000 out of pocket... Plus the running cost, undersoil heating HAS to be replaced every ten years or so, or sooner if it breaks. The pitch cover doesnt.
Undersoil heating also wont save a match from rainfall, which the pitch cover has, probably two games every season. And if the snow against leiscter was being melted by undersoil heating it would have water logged the pitch. So ITFC have got it right, like it or not. Even the Emirates £2mill heating system couldnt cope with the snowfall the day we played leicster.
The late call off- When the cover was up, there were an additional 5 heaters working along side the hot-air pumped out using the covers main tube. When the cover was removed the air under it was approximately +6 degrees and the soil was +4.7 degrees. When it was taken off the moisture on the surface of the sheets transfered to the pitch (Mainly the cobbold stand side as that is the direction the covers are pulled towards), this, coupled with the warm air, from under the covers, condensing with the cold air (like breath on a cold day) caused part of the pitch to freeze- a very thin layer on the top, which a stud could have gone through in places but not others (The refs main concern).
Let me make it clear, there were no concerns with the pitch untill the covers were removed, thats why there was no inspection planned, and thats why there was a late postponement!
I know its frustrating but live with it! How many of you would work 11 hours christmas day to ensure the game was played, because the groundstaff did, aswell as members of the groundstaff being there from 6am till 10pm xmas eve. |
| Blog
Comment | Referee Explains Late Postponement
at 20:33:51
You had best be educated-
Under-soil heating would cost at least £500,000... Portman Road has no space to put a pump room (How else do you think thousands of litres of water get heated and pumped through hundreds of pipes?).
It cost ITFC £150,000-ish to buy the inflatable pitch cover- £350,000 less than undersoil heating.
ITFC loose £100,000 for any cancellations- so two games in 14 years means ITFC would still be £150,000 out of pocket... Plus the running cost, undersoil heating HAS to be replaced every ten years or so, or sooner if it breaks. The pitch cover doesnt.
Undersoil heating also wont save a match from rainfall, which the pitch cover has, probably two games every season. And if the snow against leiscter was being melted by undersoil heating it would have water logged the pitch. So ITFC have got it right, like it or not. Even the Emirates £2mill heating system couldnt cope with the snowfall the day we played leicster.
The late call off- When the cover was up, there were an additional 5 heaters working along side the hot-air pumped out using the covers main tube. When the cover was removed the air under it was approximately +6 degrees and the soil was +4.7 degrees. When it was taken off the moisture on the surface of the sheets transfered to the pitch (Mainly the cobbold stand side as that is the direction the covers are pulled towards), this, coupled with the warm air, from under the covers, condensing with the cold air (like breath on a cold day) caused part of the pitch to freeze- a very thin layer on the top, which a stud could have gone through in places but not others (The refs main concern).
Let me make it clear, there were no concerns with the pitch untill the covers were removed, thats why there was no inspection planned, and thats why there was a late postponement!
I know its frustrating but live with it! How many of you would work 11 hours christmas day to ensure the game was played, because the groundstaff did, aswell as members of the groundstaff being there from 6am till 10pm xmas eve. |
| News
Comment | Town Announce Squad Numbers
at 16:51:00
Reduce the wage bill, Sack keane. That'l save a few million!
If i remember correctly Civelli asked for the number 13 shirt when we signed him as its his "Lucky number", if thats what a good player (Who cost £1mil) wants then why take it away and give it to Ian Mcloughin... Sorry but ive seen him play more than once- Absolute pants.
Wickham, 9, Nice to see we arnt relying on any one player in particular!
And how immature to give lisbie 33, I know he hasnt show it for ipswich but he can score goals if he plays regular football, double figures for col u and played out wide alot. Keane needs to give these players a chance. Good way to demoralise 8 players by transfer listing and demoting their numbers, thank god they didnt score 8 of the 9 goals against newmarket............... |
| Blog
Comment | Town Announce Squad Numbers
at 16:51:00
Reduce the wage bill, Sack keane. That'l save a few million!
If i remember correctly Civelli asked for the number 13 shirt when we signed him as its his "Lucky number", if thats what a good player (Who cost £1mil) wants then why take it away and give it to Ian Mcloughin... Sorry but ive seen him play more than once- Absolute pants.
Wickham, 9, Nice to see we arnt relying on any one player in particular!
And how immature to give lisbie 33, I know he hasnt show it for ipswich but he can score goals if he plays regular football, double figures for col u and played out wide alot. Keane needs to give these players a chance. Good way to demoralise 8 players by transfer listing and demoting their numbers, thank god they didnt score 8 of the 9 goals against newmarket............... |
| News
Comment | Keane Second On Manager Rich List
at 14:33:34
Well said BluePG.
All you people against Evans, Clegg and Keanes era, go support Palace- No money, administration, going down. That could easily have been us until Evans bailed us out! "Old fashioned clubs" like Fulham still get £60mil for being in the premier league... Sounds very old fashioned! Dont be so bloody stupid! |
| Blog
Comment | Keane Second On Manager Rich List
at 14:33:34
Well said BluePG.
All you people against Evans, Clegg and Keanes era, go support Palace- No money, administration, going down. That could easily have been us until Evans bailed us out! "Old fashioned clubs" like Fulham still get £60mil for being in the premier league... Sounds very old fashioned! Dont be so bloody stupid! |
| News
Comment | Keane: Fans Have Been Magnificent
at 21:18:15
Dont get me wrong im an ipswich fan, But are we are blinded by Keane being a big name?
We are seriously in a relegation fight and the play-offs is out of sight. If Magilton, Royle or Burley had us in this mess everyone would have called for them to be sacked- In fact we all did! But none of them spent the kind of money Keane has.
10 points is catchable i will admit- but we have to WIN games. 48 points left to play for and to realistically make the play-offs we need about 37-40 points. can people honestly say we are only going to drop 8-11 points in that time? |
| News
Comment | Ferguson at Africa Cup of Nations
at 21:07:38
Colchester U's pitch is probably one of the worst in league one, but before you slag someone off why dont you try doing the job yourself first? Its not solely the groundsmans fault, he just gets the finger pointed at him because he is the instant association with the pitch. Why dont people look into the clubs investment into the maintenaince of the pitch? Maybe its just the best that can be achieved under unfortunate circumstances? |
| News
Comment | Ferguson Calls for Youth Cup Break
at 21:00:20
Just to let you all know, i am a groundsman, and i used to work for alan-
1. Alan wants the youth cup to have a "winter break" for the months of january and february. This is because many premier league teams get dispensation and play at other venues untill the quarter-finals (Played in march-april time). For example Arsenal use Barnets Underhill stadium, preventing damage to their own pitches outside the "growing season"
2. In the last 3 or 4 seasons, the portman road pitch has been "ruined" by youth cup games, two against watford and this most recent one against fulham. Its not just alan who complains when the pitch isnt in good nic because both David norris and Jon walters complained to me at half time of the Boro' game.
3. The kids in the youth cup complain, in the previous round the had to play at underhill, not exactly a exciting venue in comparison to the emirates stadium.
4. Just sticking up for a fellow groundsman now- Colchester have a poor pitch due to the club not investing enough into it when the stadium was made. They have no form of pitch protection, such as a pitch cover, under-soil heating or a "Sub-air" system. Also as part of the planning permission when the stadium was built the stadium is used by "the community" for some of the summer. So colchester have about 2-4 to renovate their pitch for the new season, where as most teams have 8-10 weeks.
P.s. You may think im a sad old fart aswell, but i fully understand the problems professional football grounds man such as Alan and Dave Blacknall (Col U head groundsman) have to face- unlike everyone who has just slagged them off without understanding or knowing the work that goes into their pitches. Now i think an apology is due, even if they may never see it! |
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