MILLENIUM STADIUM PITCH

Oh my God, it's like a vegetable patch, can't see too many football games being attracted down there.
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It's never been right from the start.

I played a charity football match there back in April and it was more suited to mud-wrestling. Worse than a Sunday League pitch.

WRU will probably copy Cardiff Blues and get a 3G/astro surface eventually.

I think it's only football really stopping big stadiums all resorting to an AstroTurf pitch.

- Cheaper to Maintain
- Drains better in high rainfall
- Safer, wouldn't crumble under your feet like turf (especially wet turf) can

I think the only problem is they don't like how the ball bounces, but surely you can adapt to that?

I don't think they need a plastic pitch. What they have to do is just budget for the £100k it cost to change it. If they've got to change it 4 times a year then just budget for that. It might sound like a lot of money but in the scheme of things it's not a big amount. I bet if you looked at the costings then they spend more moeny on things far less important. Trouble is now, because they started out not wanting to spend on the pitch they've got used to that and now it's hard for them to stick their hands in their pockets.

They like to think the Mill Stad is a world class stadium but it never has been simply because they skimp on the most important part - the pitch.

Red614 wrote:I think it's only football really stopping big stadiums all resorting to an AstroTurf pitch.

- Cheaper to Maintain
- Drains better in high rainfall
- Safer, wouldn't crumble under your feet like turf (especially wet turf) can

I think the only problem is they don't like how the ball bounces, but surely you can adapt to that?

The first pitches, if I remember, QPR & Luton, were awful, but the technology has improved over the years and I think the bounce of the ball has been pretty much sorted out now. I watched a Scottish game on Sky recently and didn't realise that it was being played on an artificial pitch until well through the first half.

I am still not sure about artificial pitches for rugby, because of the impact nature of the sport. Certainly short and longer term injuries to knees, ankles and shoulders are a major problem in the NFL, where most stadia have artificial surfaces.

used to love a mud patch of a field when i was playing rugby.loads of scrums and lineouts......and everyone else was dragged down to my shambling pace:sniggers: 

TDA wrote:

Red614 wrote:I think it's only football really stopping big stadiums all resorting to an AstroTurf pitch.

- Cheaper to Maintain
- Drains better in high rainfall
- Safer, wouldn't crumble under your feet like turf (especially wet turf) can

I think the only problem is they don't like how the ball bounces, but surely you can adapt to that?

The first pitches, if I remember, QPR & Luton, were awful, but the technology has improved over the years and I think the bounce of the ball has been pretty much sorted out now.  I watched a Scottish game on Sky recently and didn't realise that it was being played on an artificial pitch until well through the first half.

I am still not sure about artificial pitches for rugby, because of the impact nature of the sport.  Certainly short and longer term injuries to knees, ankles and shoulders are a major problem in the NFL, where most stadia have artificial surfaces.

I agree - no PLASTICS.

Cyncoedslumdog wrote:

TDA wrote:

Red614 wrote:I think it's only football really stopping big stadiums all resorting to an AstroTurf pitch.

- Cheaper to Maintain
- Drains better in high rainfall
- Safer, wouldn't crumble under your feet like turf (especially wet turf) can

I think the only problem is they don't like how the ball bounces, but surely you can adapt to that?

The first pitches, if I remember, QPR & Luton, were awful, but the technology has improved over the years and I think the bounce of the ball has been pretty much sorted out now.  I watched a Scottish game on Sky recently and didn't realise that it was being played on an artificial pitch until well through the first half.

I am still not sure about artificial pitches for rugby, because of the impact nature of the sport.  Certainly short and longer term injuries to knees, ankles and shoulders are a major problem in the NFL, where most stadia have artificial surfaces.

I agree - no PLASTICS.

FFS.......