Floodlights ! Really worrying

[PRR]

Will this new groundsman also do Fleetwoods pitch?

[Bobaleski]

Doesnt our groundsman do fleetwoods pitch?

Love it.

[Holkerbird]

Doesnt our groundsman do fleetwoods pitch?

Love it.

No, he didn't do it last season.

[Jonty]

Re- pitch-

My worry is not so much the bald patches in the goals / penalty spot, but the fact they are like trenches and there are compacted divots underfoot. The pitch needs more than a cut first. The grass actually isn't growing very well, it looks in poor health and needs aeriating to relieve the compaction, get some air in and to encourage new growth. Also it's getting a bit too much into summer to be giving new seed a chance to germinate and the roots to take stock. To come in tomorrow and cut it will not be enough. It needs a lot of work.

The same thing happened last close season I really thought it would be maintained this time round. I agree with the gala- why have it here? what value are we placing on the playing surface? It is going to walked all over on Sunday.

[Down The Park]

I played on Holker Street regularly in the early 80's it was like a snooker table - pleasure to play on. Shame to hear of it's (apparent) demise.

[ant]

Football is supposed to be played on a football pitch.Our pitch is more conducive to crazy golf the last few years. A real shame as it inhibits playing good football and looks awful as the ball bobbles all over the place and makes the poor striker/passer of the ball look sunday league.(which in turn roars on the hecklers!) we have all witnessed this the last few seasons on this surface.

[thegaffer77]

Football is supposed to be played on a football pitch.Our pitch is more conducive to crazy golf the last few years. A real shame as it inhibits playing good football and looks awful as the ball bobbles all over the place and makes the poor striker/passer of the ball look sunday league.(which in turn roars on the hecklers!) we have all witnessed this the last few seasons on this surface.

Yep really crap pitch, pity the other teams were able to play on it better than us.

#badworkmanblameshistools.

[mally]

It has been said by the board for the past 2 seasons at least that the floodlights HAVE TO be addressed because they are NOT safe, so I really don't know why they have not been made a priority. At the end of the day if at some point someone turns round and finally condemns them, that would then mean the ground being closed which means we cannot play any games and then we really are stuffed. Bearing in mind the trouble the rugby seem to be in as well, is it not time the silly and to be blunt childish sentiment and pride was put to bed and both clubs had proper discussions with real intention about the practicallities of using one ground or the other, then spend the money made/left over from the sale of which ever on the one ground and the pitch so they can share? Yes I did say the naughty SHARE word! I don't particularly like the idea of sharing anymore than anyone else but for goodness sake let's see sense at last for the sake of both clubs. I am extremely impressed by the money donated and the work currently being done by the volunteer group but even they would admit they are only plastering over the cracks in the short term. The cost of the real work needed on both grounds to bring them up to standard must be be astronomical and lets be realistic, un achievable without a major backer.

So what would you suggest then if the rugby didnt exist,and vice versa !.

[John Very Little]

It has been said by the board for the past 2 seasons at least that the floodlights HAVE TO be addressed because they are NOT safe, so I really don't know why they have not been made a priority. At the end of the day if at some point someone turns round and finally condemns them, that would then mean the ground being closed which means we cannot play any games and then we really are stuffed. Bearing in mind the trouble the rugby seem to be in as well, is it not time the silly and to be blunt childish sentiment and pride was put to bed and both clubs had proper discussions with real intention about the practicallities of using one ground or the other, then spend the money made/left over from the sale of which ever on the one ground and the pitch so they can share? Yes I did say the naughty SHARE word! I don't particularly like the idea of sharing anymore than anyone else but for goodness sake let's see sense at last for the sake of both clubs. I am extremely impressed by the money donated and the work currently being done by the volunteer group but even they would admit they are only plastering over the cracks in the short term. The cost of the real work needed on both grounds to bring them up to standard must be be astronomical and lets be realistic, un achievable without a major backer.

It seems that whenever there is a problem at the ground that needs addressing people cannot see further than selling one of the RL/AFC grounds and sharing with the rugby. Once you've sold the ground its gone forever and there's no going back.
You only have to look at the development bid to see what could be achieved. There were initially 32 bids and we got down to the last 2 so must have come so close to being selected.
As mentioned at the AGM and Members Meeting a similar blueprint could be made for other possible developments that we could house at the ground and having gone through all the processes once we'd have a good idea what to do/expect the next time. There were also other things in the Feaseability Study results that told us what we could do to maximise the use of the ground to generate cash for other things.
I actually think there needs to be a slight culture change where we allocate a little cash to ongoing maintenance instead of leaving things and fixing them when they become no longer fit for purpose?

[spirit of 1990]

I actually think there needs to be a slight culture change where we allocate a little cash to ongoing maintenance instead of leaving things and fixing them when they become no longer fit for purpose?

This thought has gone through my head several times over the last couple of months. We currently have a very healthy pot of money to up-grade/tidy the ground, but we aren't a fundraising group & only have such a decent amount of cash stashed away through Exile & generous donations from supporters & the betting syndicate etc, once this goes I don't know where the next influx of cash will come from.

I don't want to even think about where we were six months ago with just £200 in the pot!

I would like to think in the future the club could find a way of putting aside a little money for the upkeep of the ground if possible, we have a few ideas on how to top up our kitty but it's hard when you don't want to take away potential money from the BDF or even the club.

We can keep on top of things within reason but what happens when the pot is running low? we don't want it to get to the stage of either leave it or just a cheap make do type job again.

A tough one but one we, & the BoD's should be thinking of for the future (assuming the re-development has fell through)

[mrsenario]

Maybee the fans on this forum can forward a few ideas then we can capture them all and discuss in the next asset management meeting.

Quite right though Ian , Ive been concerned with this as you know, it may ony have to be something simple like entry through certain turnstiles for a pound more and the money goes into the maintenance fund or car parking charges etc...

I think if even £30-£50 came in for each home match, it would keep us ticking over but any ideas welcomed for fundraising through the match days.....

dont forget, it ony pays for materials...all labour done by the group....maybee blanket collections, smaller sponsorship etc, throw us some ideas please!!!

[Uncle Peter]

I think the parking idea is a good one. Maybe a suggested donation of £1, with all funds to the maintenance area?

I appreciate this won't go down well with some, hence the word suggested. I would certainly chuck a quid in the bucket at every home game.

Sent from my XT910 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[Jonty]

What is the general view on installing a modern scoreboard that has an advertising capability (pre-match / half time) . This scoreboard would be self funding via small business advertising over a lease period and would target new sponsorships that had never been involved with advertising through the club before. Also, the board could display club safety / fan messages / birthdays / good lucks etc (Anything really) as well as the usual club marketing (hospitality, next game, away ISA travel details etc etc.

Self paying scoreboard, any additional profits from this to go into Maintenance Area pot.

This could be in place in tie for next season. Would there be any support towards aiming to do this independently through the forum? What do other fans think towards this idea? would be something totally new for us- could we make it work as a revenue source for the Maintenance Area.

[DaveC]

As long as it was a cheap and nasty scoreboard with pixels missing and the like, it could be good. Could be good to remind folk like me of the score, I get confused when we've scored a few.

[Steelworks End]

That's not a bad idea, Jonty. The only problem could be the upfront costs of installing it, with so many other priorities for the little amount of money available, unless we are prepared to speculate to accumulate. Unfortunately, that's not the Barrovian way.