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Watering the Pitch before kick off



Gritt23

New member
Jul 7, 2003
14,902
Meopham, Kent.
I'm sure the players are picking the wrong footwear - it's happened in every single match at the Amex.

Against Leeds United, Gordon Greer slipped over while standing still. :facepalm:

Indeed, it does have to be OUR fault for picking teh wrong studs / blades or whatever. The opponents don't seem to slip over anything like as much as we do, and that's just a schoolboy error.
 




Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
72,240
You mean - gasp! - they don't know the pitch is watered five minutes before kick-off...? Oh wow.

Somebody gormless - someone like, say, the Uruguayan chap?

If he was that smart he'd ensure they were wearing the right studs tho eh?

Anyways I've just Asked The club so we'll see if they have anything to say on the matter.
 




mcshane in the 79th

New member
Nov 4, 2005
10,485
It's gone on all season though so we're just embarrassing ourselves now and I'm surprised it's not directly led to conceding a goal, although I think one of the players did slip in the build up to one of the Palace goals so maybe it has
 


The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
If he was that smart he'd ensure they were wearing the right studs tho eh?

Anyways I've just Asked The club so we'll see if they have anything to say on the matter.

The 'right studs' are, I suspect, a personal matter.

One set might be good for one player and not so good for another. It ought to be down to the individual to ensure they're wearing the right ones.

How much effort do you think Gus wants to spend worrying about that aspect of each individual player's kit?
 




Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
72,240
The 'right studs' are, I suspect, a personal matter.

One set might be good for one player and not so good for another. It ought to be down to the individual to ensure they're wearing the right ones.

How much effort do you think Gus wants to spend worrying about that aspect of each individual player's kit?

Illogical captain. If the manager is thorough enough to want the pitch watered five minutes before the teams come out, he HAS to be thorough enough to also make sure the players are wearing the right studs for the conditions. Otherwise any potential tactical advantage is wasted, indeed might work against us.
 




deletebeepbeepbeep

Well-known member
May 12, 2009
21,764
It's gone on all season though so we're just embarrassing ourselves now and I'm surprised it's not directly led to conceding a goal, although I think one of the players did slip in the build up to one of the Palace goals so maybe it has

Yes, I think it did- it was Painter. Although I still think we would have lost!
 




Storer 68

New member
Apr 19, 2011
2,827
Pitches now are sand based and dry out much quicker than they used to. Players slipping over has very little to do with the fact that pitches have been watered but a lot to do with the modern design of boot, whose studs don't accomodate a change of weight / balance very easily. Just look at how little sideways grip the modern boot allows players. fantastic for running in a straight line but difficult to keep your balance if you shift your centre of gravity quickly.
1290695_f520.jpg

Here's a picture of the gloriuos turf that is Wembley Stadium, the HOME of English football.....
_45686942_wembleyracetrack226.jpg
 
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Seagull over Canaryland

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2011
3,557
Norfolk
This has been apparent in most of our games this season - and not just an issue at the Amex either. Various away grounds now seem to do this routinely. The pitch at Portman Road was watered right up to the kick off and curiously we seemed to be the only team skating around and falling over. The watered pitch seemed to suit the Tractor Boys far more than us. Is someone not choosing the right studs for the team's boots?

Maybe NSCers will recall a cup game (at Wolves?) I think in the late 70's when the Albion kitman (presumably Glen Wilson) thoughtfully took an extra set of the newly available pimply soled boots (mainly introduced for artifical pitches) because he noted that a hard frost was forecast for the evening game. Sure enough the pitch almost froze by half time and having changed boots the Albion then rang rings around the home team. Think Wardy was even more of a handful for the defenders that night because of the extra grip. After the game it was acknowledged that having the right boots gave us an extra advantage.

Bit of link here with the post about 'Pre Madonna' - it seems our players can wear all sorts of accessories like gloves and compression vests but not the right studs, which seems a tad more important.
 




Storer 68

New member
Apr 19, 2011
2,827
I don't know now - do pro players still utilise screw in studs or are their studs moulded
 




Seagulltonian

C'mon the Albion!
Oct 2, 2003
2,773
Still Somewhere in Sussex!
I can't recall any Hull players slipping, or any away team players slipping

Both teams have been caught out by the AMEX pitch on numerous occasions this season. I don't recall it happening at all at Withdean. Admittedly Withdean didn't have a state of the art watering system! :cool:

I thought the temperature dropped right down on Saturday night, in the 2nd half, and with the weather conditions, it probably got damper as the match went on.
 




Storer 68

New member
Apr 19, 2011
2,827
Both teams have been caught out by the AMEX pitch on numerous occasions this season. I don't recall it happening at all at Withdean. Admittedly Withdean didn't have a state of the art watering system! :cool:

I thought the temperature dropped right down on Saturday night, in the 2nd half, and with the weather conditions, it probably got damper as the match went on.

I thought Withdean's watering system was state of the art - just couldn't turn the fecker off.............................
 


B.W.

New member
Jul 5, 2003
13,666
Have to agree with the OP...
 




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