Glawster shits are destroying an award winning pitch.

[Malabus]

Did you see the sand and mud everywhere!!

#GloucesterCityOut

[Daveangel]

And that's with us having not set foot on it since 17th December, 4 and a half weeks ago.

No game till 28th Jan so it'll be 2 games in over over 8 weeks.

[confused.com]

the double team does not help the pitch, but it has to be said, it has seemed to fall apart very quickly this season. This is based purely on observing the surface since the start of the season

[andgarod]

Not really the lodgers faul
About a third of the money needed to sort the pitch was spent

As I recall a special seed mix with added base to allow easy rooting was used
It was I think said at the time that prem and championship pitches used this

How many games do they play on it and what size of groundstaff do they have?

I said to someone last night that some of the dead or missing patches looked as if someone had walked on it while it was frozen and that the footprints were where the grass dies. Equally it could be that those patches were more compacted and died as the result of a fungal attack

When we are sure of survival we need to get 2 or 3 companies in to look at and give advice
I am not knocking our groundsman because you cannot turn a ploughed field into a bowling green surface by spending £25 K
Serious investment £100+K might do the trick

Having said that they say a bad pitch is a leveller

Do lower lge2 teams usually have bad pitches
Crowdfunding the pitch may be the only answer
Sell of a metre square at £10 minimum and you will bring in £70K

Good to see people on the pitch flattening it because there was no way it can be repaired

This is a boardroom problem

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Boardroom problem 7 years in the making.

[everyman]

Not really the lodgers faul
About a third of the money needed to sort the pitch was spent

As I recall a special seed mix with added base to allow easy rooting was used
It was I think said at the time that prem and championship pitches used this

How many games do they play on it and what size of groundstaff do they have?

I said to someone last night that some of the dead or missing patches looked as if someone had walked on it while it was frozen and that the footprints were where the grass dies. Equally it could be that those patches were more compacted and died as the result of a fungal attack

When we are sure of survival we need to get 2 or 3 companies in to look at and give advice
I am not knocking our groundsman because you cannot turn a ploughed field into a bowling green surface by spending £25 K
Serious investment £100+K might do the trick

Having said that they say a bad pitch is a leveller

Do lower lge2 teams usually have bad pitches
Crowdfunding the pitch may be the only answer
Sell of a metre square at £10 minimum and you will bring in £70K

Good to see people on the pitch flattening it because there was no way it can be repaired

This is a boardroom problem

I support a crowdfunding,on the condition that we are the only home team on our pitch.

[andgarod]

load of old bull

http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/it ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

makes you pround Mr Baker doesnt it

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

load of old bull

http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/it ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

makes you pround Mr Baker doesnt it

Don't think anyone would disagree with Bradford's sentiment.

[theidlerich]

Couldn't agree more with their comments ......perhaps our club shop and food outlets could offer buckets and spades as well - labelling the "pitch" [using the term very loosely] - as good as Weston-super-mud!
Very wise not to risk their better players on that surface. Our Directors have a lot to answer for; and the share pitch decision is equally as bad as GJ's 'retain the squad' one.

[andgarod]

on reflection a cow field would have more grass

[confused.com]

Was just about to post same myself. No farmer would have his cattle on that pitch (unless silage being provided)

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Time for Gary Johnson to issue the ultimatum we want to hear: "No groundshare in 2017/18 or else I will resign". That way the Board will have to take responsibility and make a proper decision.

[asl]

And that's with us having not set foot on it since 17th December, 4 and a half weeks ago.

No game till 28th Jan so it'll be 2 games in over over 8 weeks.

Just bumping this point, Dave. You said it so quietly, I think RCS missed it.

You're welcome.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

And that's with us having not set foot on it since 17th December, 4 and a half weeks ago.

No game till 28th Jan so it'll be 2 games in over over 8 weeks.

Just bumping this point, Dave. You said it so quietly, I think RCS missed it.

You're welcome.

There has been a minimum 56 league games a season every season for seven years. Playing double the number of games per season than the the pitch can cope with most seasons.

If you really think a 9 week spell with just two games for Gloucester is more relevant than the cumulative year on year damage you are very mistaken.

Gary Johnson said after the Accrington game that "there has been too many games played on it". I trust you will be making your snarky response to him in due course?

[Ralph]

PB said after last season that there would be no groundshare next time. I know he's political but.. He said it

[Fuller]

There is no strength in the grass or top layer of soil at Whaddon Road now, there has got to be a bigger issue rather than just doing the amount of work that is done every summer, no doubt the pitch experts need to be called in to get it sorted once and for all for future seasons.

Also I note there are the same 2 or 3 volunteers trying their best at half time every week to repair some of the damage. If there were 20 or 30 volunteers out there it still would not be enough to repair all those massive divots but it would help surely.

[Daveangel]

And that's with us having not set foot on it since 17th December, 4 and a half weeks ago.

No game till 28th Jan so it'll be 2 games in over over 8 weeks.

Just bumping this point, Dave. You said it so quietly, I think RCS missed it.

You're welcome.

Didn't fit the agenda I suppose.

Out of interest, when we are elsewhere next season and you lose a game, will it still be because of the pitch recovering from us?

I'd imagine GJ can run with that for maybe 3 seasons, but at what point will it have anything to with him?

[Daveangel]

PB said after last season that there would be no groundshare next time. I know he's political but.. He said it

He did.

He said maybe a couple of games,but the fact that we need to have a season long contract signed and submitted to the league by the 31st March means that would be pointless.

[Ralph]

I'll be annoyed if he backs down Dave. I have no issues with GC anymore, nice to see you doing ok but get off our land lol

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

And that's with us having not set foot on it since 17th December, 4 and a half weeks ago.

No game till 28th Jan so it'll be 2 games in over over 8 weeks.

Just bumping this point, Dave. You said it so quietly, I think RCS missed it.

You're welcome.

Didn't fit the agenda I suppose.

Out of interest, when we are elsewhere next season and you lose a game, will it still be because of the pitch recovering from us?

I'd imagine GJ can run with that for maybe 3 seasons, but at what point will it have anything to with him?

Gary Johnson has an agenda? If you count "wanting to succeed as a manager and win games" then yes, I suppose he does.

[everyman]

I asked Kevin Stewart (Liverpool)if he enjoyed his time with us,he did but said it was very difficult to play decent football on our pitch.

[Reliant Robin]

Undersoil heating for all Football League Clubs outside the Championship, paid for from the bloated wealth of the FA and Premier League prima-donnas and their greedy agents, is what's urgently needed. Failing that, the same group should provide top quality 4G artificial playing surfaces for all League 1 and 2 Clubs.

Providing better surfaces for all these Clubs would provide the means for improving the standards of all UK based professional footballers outside of the top Clubs.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Great suggestion Reliant. 4G pitches for all L2 and L1 clubs would be about a fortnight's wage bill for Chelsea or Man City etc, and what, 0.5% of the next TV deal? Would help the whole game, and the top clubs would benefit from their loans going out to play on top pitches, and good surfaces for youth and reserve teams.

Makes think back to the documentary and long newspaper articles. Fed up of the harsh winters and poor pitches in the summer they built loads of indoor 3G and 4G pitches and have more per head than any other country. In the space of ten years they went from nothing to a European force. Their squad now grew up on those surfaces, England's on a cow field. We won't ever develop the ball control and technical skill teams like Portugal show when our youth grow up on pitches like ours.

Top shout Reliant! Write to the FA!

[Reliant Robin]

My verbatim would certainly go down well with the F.A. LoL, RCS, but many thanks indeed for your support of the suggestion - it is appreciated. Makes you think how much could really be done in this Country to improve the skills of our footballers if the F.A. were genuine about improving skills? We are definitely light years behind other nations and have been for so long now, it's all taken for granted. Getting the F.A. to part with their money is damn near impossible, unless they see a profit in it for themselves further down the line. Astronomical amounts of money now goes into Football in this Country but it all ends up In the wrong hands, and the lower League Clubs miss out completely.

Footnote: Perhaps if Mr Paul Baker or Mr Gary Johnson read this Forum, maybe they could take it up at the League Chairmens or League Managers meetings, respectively. It would have a knock-on benefit for all professional footballers, including those with the top flight Clubs, who play in Cup games or go out on loan to Lower League Clubs.

[ctfc-fan]

Not that it's our issue, but have Gloucester got any options for next season Dave et al?

[Daveangel]

Not that it's our issue, but have Gloucester got any options for next season Dave et al?

Plenty going on in the background. Would be pretty soul destroying to be demoted for off field issues.

We'll get by, we always do!

[Reginald]

I'd love to see us back as the sole users of our pitch.
But I reckon Gloucester City haven't got the money to build a new stadium....maybe to do the demolition/groundwork, but beyond that....
Probably why there's this silence on their part?

[leohoenig]

It is all quiet from Gloucester as they are (hopefully) formulating a plan. Perhaps they will try the same strategy as Hayes did this season. Hayes announced they would play at their rebuilt stadium and in fact played one game there before going back to ground sharing as they could not get a safety certificate. Since then they have played on other ground but without a long term agreement.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

I have said it before, and will say it again. Merge the CTFC and GCFC into a County side.

Then we only need one ground.

[Malabus]

I have said it before, and will say it again. Merge the CTFC and GCFC into a County side.

Then we only need one ground.

Why would we wish to pollute our famous soccer club.

[asl]

I have said it before, and will say it again. Merge the CTFC and GCFC into a County side.

Then we only need one ground.

In the interests of fairness, we could merge the names, too: we could take the first two words of our name ('Cheltenham Town') and the last two words of theirs ('Football Club'.)

[art vandalay]

Not really the lodgers faul
About a third of the money needed to sort the pitch was spent

As I recall a special seed mix with added base to allow easy rooting was used
It was I think said at the time that prem and championship pitches used this

How many games do they play on it and what size of groundstaff do they have?

I said to someone last night that some of the dead or missing patches looked as if someone had walked on it while it was frozen and that the footprints were where the grass dies. Equally it could be that those patches were more compacted and died as the result of a fungal attack

When we are sure of survival we need to get 2 or 3 companies in to look at and give advice
I am not knocking our groundsman because you cannot turn a ploughed field into a bowling green surface by spending £25 K
Serious investment £100+K might do the trick

Having said that they say a bad pitch is a leveller

Do lower lge2 teams usually have bad pitches
Crowdfunding the pitch may be the only answer
Sell of a metre square at £10 minimum and you will bring in £70K

Good to see people on the pitch flattening it because there was no way it can be repaired

This is a boardroom problem

I support a crowdfunding,on the condition that we are the only home team on our pitch.

The board should finance the pitch renovations in their entirety as they are the sole cause of the appalling standard of the pitch.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Not really the lodgers faul
About a third of the money needed to sort the pitch was spent

As I recall a special seed mix with added base to allow easy rooting was used
It was I think said at the time that prem and championship pitches used this

How many games do they play on it and what size of groundstaff do they have?

I said to someone last night that some of the dead or missing patches looked as if someone had walked on it while it was frozen and that the footprints were where the grass dies. Equally it could be that those patches were more compacted and died as the result of a fungal attack

When we are sure of survival we need to get 2 or 3 companies in to look at and give advice
I am not knocking our groundsman because you cannot turn a ploughed field into a bowling green surface by spending £25 K
Serious investment £100+K might do the trick

Having said that they say a bad pitch is a leveller

Do lower lge2 teams usually have bad pitches
Crowdfunding the pitch may be the only answer
Sell of a metre square at £10 minimum and you will bring in £70K

Good to see people on the pitch flattening it because there was no way it can be repaired

This is a boardroom problem

I support a crowdfunding,on the condition that we are the only home team on our pitch.

The board should finance the pitch renovations in their entirety as they are the sole cause of the appalling standard of the pitch.

True. The Board should take responsibility. British business has a culture of boardrooms making mistakes and letting employees and the public pick up the bill. As you say, time for the Board who destroyed the pitch to repair it.

Be interesting to hear the Fan Elected Director's (not the Finance Director's) view on the matter.

[plymrob]

I think we all have a view on the ground share and the state of the pitch - but some of us also have a good deal of respect for the commitment of the board year-in. With regard the Fan Elected Director - the clue's in the job title. First two words are key - and maybe the first needs a little more clarification for some?

[andgarod]

I see where you are coming from but they are yesterdays people ( actually they are not)
There is only one the chairman resting on his laurels
Brought in M Allen kept Yates past his sell by date, brought in Buckle used Bryans money to bring in Gary
So since M Allen arrived we have had 2 good years out of 7
Hardly a success
Why will no one join the board ?
Sorry yesterdays man.
I admit I dont have a replacement for him but we will not move forward unless something changes