Dens Park Pitch Debacle

[Weebroon98]

the rangers game could have been played last week but the powers to be didn't want rangers to play a game before the erse cheek derby. Dundee wanted it played then but were told to tow the line.

[Boris5115]

26 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

How much does it cost? Can’t remember what we paid. 

Looking at least a million quid. Grow lighting is also required in the autumn winter months and they ain't cheap either. I think we have 4 large rigs and 2 smaller ones. I do remember having a conversation with one of the ex groundstaff who is now at Hibs and he said more rigs were required at Tynecastle but budget didn't allow it. 

[Nookie Bear]

1 hour ago, Weebroon98 said:

the rangers game could have been played last week but the powers to be didn't want rangers to play a game before the erse cheek derby. Dundee wanted it played then but were told to tow the line.

That’s the kind of paranoid stuff I’ve been seeing all week from the Twitter Tims. The same ones that are trying to convince us that the game is rigged against them. 

[Nookie Bear]

1 hour ago, Boris5115 said:

Looking at least a million quid. Grow lighting is also required in the autumn winter months and they ain't cheap either. I think we have 4 large rigs and 2 smaller ones. I do remember having a conversation with one of the ex groundstaff who is now at Hibs and he said more rigs were required at Tynecastle but budget didn't allow it. 

That’s what I thought. Can we really expect clubs to be forking out that kind of money for the sake of one or two games potentially being postponed?

[Nookie Bear]

4 hours ago, Deevers said:

The move to any new stadium might be years away. The SFA should be putting a gun to their head with this. If it’s not sorted pronto they should be demoted. The pitch is an absolute disgrace.

How can the SFA put a gun to their head when no rule exists?

 

We have pitches deemed acceptable for the top league that players with known knee issues cannot play on. Much more of an issue imo

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, Boris5115 said:

Looking at least a million quid. Grow lighting is also required in the autumn winter months and they ain't cheap either. I think we have 4 large rigs and 2 smaller ones. I do remember having a conversation with one of the ex groundstaff who is now at Hibs and he said more rigs were required at Tynecastle but budget didn't allow it. 

You would think that they could share the rigs with Utd and take them up and down the road, in a normal environment obviously 🙄.

[Pasquale for King]

It’s quite an exposed pitch which is good for sunlight etc, only seems to be a certain part that maybe needs better drainage or some work done to it. Maybe the hundreds of flares when Rangers play there will help it dry out 🤦🏽.

[jamboinglasgow]

23 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

That’s the kind of paranoid stuff I’ve been seeing all week from the Twitter Tims. The same ones that are trying to convince us that the game is rigged against them. 

 

Yeah, was thinking that when I was reading it. The biggest trick Celtic fans ever pulled was to try and make out that there is a massive conspiracy to favour Rangers which ignores the fact that Celtic have won almost everything for the last decade, to make them out as the underdogs. Not that Rangers haven't benefited from things in the past, its just Celtic have benefited as well.

[Boris5115]

41 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

That’s what I thought. Can we really expect clubs to be forking out that kind of money for the sake of one or two games potentially being postponed?

Only 5 hybrid Pitches in the the SPL says it all. Clubs just don't have the money. 

[kila]

Pitches don't need to be hybrids, but clubs should be expected to maintain them to a standard and that includes investing in drainage. 

 

I imagine Dens is a bit like Tynecastle was, with clay building up. If they can't afford to invest in their pitch, then points deductions until they **** off down the tiers and replaced by a club that can.

[FarmerTweedy]

7 hours ago, Deevers said:

The move to any new stadium might be years away. The SFA should be putting a gun to their head with this. If it’s not sorted pronto they should be demoted. The pitch is an absolute disgrace.

Depending on what you mean by pronto, demoted may be a bit strong, although I'd vote for it (and make sure my vote arrived on time)! 

 

Realistically, there's probably nothing much they can do before the end of this season, other than keep using the covers if it rains, but the league should be making absolutely clear that if they don't do a full, comprehensive solution to the issues the pitch has during the close season, they'll be facing hefty (and escalating) financial penalties, and possibly eventual points deductions, for every postponed game next season (and every season after) until they fix it properly. 

[Deevers]

4 hours ago, Nookie Bear said:

How can the SFA put a gun to their head when no rule exists?

 

We have pitches deemed acceptable for the top league that players with known knee issues cannot play on. Much more of an issue imo

There’s your problem in one. The SFA have bordered on negligence by their refusal to set clear guide lines for clubs with regards to playing surfaces.  Some of the artificial surfaces have bordered on the ridiculous and have undoubtedly led to serious injuries. High time this whole issue was sorted out. As for Dens Park, the playing surface and drainage there have been little short of a disgrace for years. 

Edited April 8 by Deevers

[Thomaso]

8 hours ago, Nookie Bear said:

How much does it cost? Can’t remember what we paid. 

Around £1m

[Thomaso]

6 hours ago, Nookie Bear said:

That’s what I thought. Can we really expect clubs to be forking out that kind of money for the sake of one or two games potentially being postponed?

Hybrid pitches are not just about a couple of games being potentially postponed. It’s about having quality playing surfaces right through the season which can only be good for improving the quality of our top league and our young players.

[Nookie Bear]

2 hours ago, Thomaso said:

Hybrid pitches are not just about a couple of games being potentially postponed. It’s about having quality playing surfaces right through the season which can only be good for improving the quality of our top league and our young players.

Would be great to have that throughout the league but I think it’s a luxury few clubs can afford right now. 

[RobNox]

6 hours ago, Deevers said:

There’s your problem in one. The SFA have bordered on negligence by their refusal to set clear guide lines for clubs with regards to playing surfaces.  Some of the artificial surfaces have bordered on the ridiculous and have undoubtedly led to serious injuries. High time this whole issue was sorted out. As for Dens Park, the playing surface and drainage there have been little short of a disgrace for years. 

Spot on, yet we played at Airdrie in the cup and their artificial pitch looked miles better than Killie's or Livi's.

 

As for Dundee's pitch, I think it's perfectly fair to make allowances for any club when weather conditions are generally bad, but the number of times they've had call-offs, or had to wait for very late pitch inspections to confirm that the game can go ahead, is just unacceptable. 

[Bainy]

Hammering down just now hope they have those covers on. 

 

I see sky are showing this live on main event. I thought the Derby wasn't shown a few years ago due to it clashing with uefa champions league which is the same for Wednesdays game yet somehow sky are still showing it. 

[rory78]

12 minutes ago, Bainy said:

Hammering down just now hope they have those covers on. 

 

I see sky are showing this live on main event. I thought the Derby wasn't shown a few years ago due to it clashing with uefa champions league which is the same for Wednesdays game yet somehow sky are still showing it. 

Rule was changed a few years ago there are regularly games on TV now when CL is playing,pretty sure most Championship games in England tonight will be on Sky and also the red button 

[Deevers]

6 hours ago, RobNox said:

Spot on, yet we played at Airdrie in the cup and their artificial pitch looked miles better than Killie's or Livi's.

 

As for Dundee's pitch, I think it's perfectly fair to make allowances for any club when weather conditions are generally bad, but the number of times they've had call-offs, or had to wait for very late pitch inspections to confirm that the game can go ahead, is just unacceptable. 

 

Dundee have ignored the state of the Dens Park pitch for decades. I remember going to a cup tie there in the late sixties (we won 1-2) and the playing surface was almost devoid of grass and a quagmire. They’ve had a history of postponements because of the pitch and bad weather going back years. 
As for artificial surfaces, you get what you pay for. The cheap ones are horrendous and a danger. 
The SFA need to get off their butts with all of this and produce strict guidelines about playing surfaces. Any team seeking to play in the top Division should have to have a playing surface if the highest standard be it grass or whatever.

Edited April 9 by Deevers

[davemclaren]

6 minutes ago, Deevers said:

 

Dundee have ignored the state of the Dens Park pitch for decades. I remember going to a cup tie there in the late sixties (we won 1-2) and the playing surface was almost devoid of grass and a quagmire. They’ve had a history of postponements because of the pitch and bad weather going back years. 
As for artificial surfaces, you get what you pay for. The cheap ones are horrendous and a danger. 
The SFA need to get off their butts with all of this and produce strict guidelines about playing surfaces. Any team seeking to play in the top Division should have to have a playing surface if the highest standard be it grass or whatever.

Quagmires were pretty common everywhere in the 60s and 70s. 

[Deevers]

12 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

Quagmires were pretty common everywhere in the 60s and 70s. 

They were indeed. Things have moved on though and Dundee need to as well. It’s a completely unacceptable  situation where clubs spend money on improving their playing surfaces so that they are of an excellent standard and others flash the cash on players while totally ignoring the woeful state of their pitch. The advent of artificial playing surfaces really means that there has to be a minimum standard that's acceptable.  Just now it appears that any surface from a tattie field to Lino is fine.

Edited April 9 by Deevers

[John Findlay]

2 hours ago, rory78 said:

Rule was changed a few years ago there are regularly games on TV now when CL is playing,pretty sure most Championship games in England tonight will be on Sky and also the red button 

All the championship games are indeed on Sky this evening.

Edited April 9 by John Findlay

[David McCaig]

1 hour ago, Deevers said:

 

Dundee have ignored the state of the Dens Park pitch for decades. I remember going to a cup tie there in the late sixties (we won 1-2) and the playing surface was almost devoid of grass and a quagmire. They’ve had a history of postponements because of the pitch and bad weather going back years. 
As for artificial surfaces, you get what you pay for. The cheap ones are horrendous and a danger. 
The SFA need to get off their butts with all of this and produce strict guidelines about playing surfaces. Any team seeking to play in the top Division should have to have a playing surface if the highest standard be it grass or whatever.

 

Arguably the astro at Airdrie is the best surface of any type we've played on all season, it looked top notch and played superbly as well.

[Deevers]

2 minutes ago, David McCaig said:

 

Arguably the astro at Airdrie is the best surface of any type we've played on all season, it looked top notch and played superbly as well.

I’d agree with that. It was certainly a surface that you could play on. Obviously top of the range stuff and well laid on a proper well drained  base. Compare that to the stuff at Livingston or Kilmarnock. Both of them dreadful. 

[FarmerTweedy]

8 hours ago, RobNox said:

Spot on, yet we played at Airdrie in the cup and their artificial pitch looked miles better than Killie's or Livi's.

 

As for Dundee's pitch, I think it's perfectly fair to make allowances for any club when weather conditions are generally bad, but the number of times they've had call-offs, or had to wait for very late pitch inspections to confirm that the game can go ahead, is just unacceptable. 

I actually forgot at times that Airdrie's pitch was artificial while watching that game. If they were all of that standard, I'd be inclined to reconsider my view that artificial pitches should be banned from professional football! 

 

As for Dundee, you're right that allowances should be made for bad weather conditions, but Dundee's postponements have been at times where pretty much every other club, at least in the higher divisions, have been able to get their games on without any problems.

[John Findlay]

4 hours ago, FarmerTweedy said:

where pretty much every other club, at least in the higher divisions, have been able to get their games on without any problems.

Except Livingston, who have had a couple postponed to inclement weather, unless it was a game being televised by Sky, then they pulled out all the stops to make sure it was played.

[karipidis]

Chat the game will be moved to next midweek if the game is postponed. May give us a slight advantage for the semi final. 

[soonbe110]

1 hour ago, karipidis said:

Chat the game will be moved to next midweek if the game is postponed. May give us a slight advantage for the semi final. 

I read it was going to be Thursday or tomorrow at a neutral venue behind closed doors if Dens fails a test tomorrow morning.  Assume the neutral venue must be just along the road to avoid any extra hassle for Rangers. 

[Percival King]

1 hour ago, karipidis said:

Chat the game will be moved to next midweek if the game is postponed. May give us a slight advantage for the semi final. 

That would be good but after The Rangers played 120 minutes in the Seville heat, experienced the disappointment of losing the biggest game of the players' lives, had to travel home, all whilst our players were sitting relaxing but they then managed to beat us over another 120 minutes less than 72 hours later, I'm not holding out much hope that they'd affected by playing Dundee next midweek.

[The Real Maroonblood]

Dens Park.

[meister]

Can’t see the pitch being invested in any time soon……..

[kila]

28 minutes ago, meister said:

Can’t see the pitch being invested in any time soon……..

 

Having to pay back that top flight COVID loan must've burned them a bit, unlike us lot in the Championship getting it as a freebie. Maybe Strachan can see if Lawwell is able to give a rousing speech to their pitch.

 

[The Real Maroonblood]

59 minutes ago, meister said:

Can’t see the pitch being invested in any time soon……..

What a shame.

[jamboinglasgow]

54 minutes ago, kila said:

 

Having to pay back that top flight COVID loan must've burned them a bit, unlike us lot in the Championship getting it as a freebie. Maybe Strachan can see if Lawwell is able to give a rousing speech to their pitch.

 

 

They were in the same division as us when the Covid lane was offered. So they got a grant like us.

[kila]

1 minute ago, jamboinglasgow said:

They were in the same division as us when the Covid lane was offered. So they got a grant like us.

 

Whoops. My memory is a blur from that period

 

[jr ewing]

1 hour ago, The Real Maroonblood said:

Dens Park.

A few puddles. Will get played Thursday no problem. 

[been here before]

2 hours ago, soonbe110 said:

I read it was going to be Thursday or tomorrow at a neutral venue behind closed doors if Dens fails a test tomorrow morning.  Assume the neutral venue must be just along the road to avoid any extra hassle for Rangers. 

 

Itll be at the neutral Hampden behind closed doors except for 50k The Rangers fans who'll be let in.

[Mikey1874]

[grumpyespana]

Heard from my son in law who is a Dundee supporter that it was the ground staff who pierced the undersoil heating pipes which were not put in deep enough.

[The Real Maroonblood]

30 minutes ago, grumpyespana said:

Heard from my son in law who is a Dundee supporter that it was the ground staff who pierced the undersoil heating pipes which were not put in deep enough.

[Rockwell]

10 hours ago, FarmerTweedy said:

I actually forgot at times that Airdrie's pitch was artificial while watching that game. If they were all of that standard, I'd be inclined to reconsider my view that artificial pitches should be banned from professional football! 

 

As for Dundee, you're right that allowances should be made for bad weather conditions, but Dundee's postponements have been at times where pretty much every other club, at least in the higher divisions, have been able to get their games on without any problems.

On a couple of occasions .Dundee north end a fecking junior club whose ground is about 800 yards from dens have had games on

[heartsfc_fan]

1 hour ago, Mikey1874 said:

Have all the sandy muddy bits been fixed?

[PortyBeach]

On 04/04/2024 at 21:46, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

Groundsman turfed out, poor sod

 

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dundee-raid-united-groundsman-amid-32458687

 

“Poor sod”! I see what you did there 🤣

[2205ian]

38 minutes ago, heartsfc_fan said:

Have all the sandy muddy bits been fixed?

It’s an old photo, Kilmac no longer main sponsors is the clue

[heartsfc_fan]

2 minutes ago, 2205ian said:

It’s an old photo, Kilmac no longer main sponsors is the clue

Ah 😂

[FarmerTweedy]

4 hours ago, Percival King said:

That would be good but after The Rangers played 120 minutes in the Seville heat, experienced the disappointment of losing the biggest game of the players' lives, had to travel home, all whilst our players were sitting relaxing but they then managed to beat us over another 120 minutes less than 72 hours later, I'm not holding out much hope that they'd affected by playing Dundee next midweek.

Most of our players spent the week in the treatment rooms, trying to recover enough from a variety of injuries to be able to take the field at all, and the team that started largely consisted of the 11 least injured players we had at the time. Meanwhile rangers, who had hardly any injuries, if any at all, changed half of their starting lineup from the midweek game to the Saturday. 

[Saint Jambo]

1 hour ago, grumpyespana said:

Heard from my son in law who is a Dundee supporter that it was the ground staff who pierced the undersoil heating pipes which were not put in deep enough.

 

Why would that effect the drainage?

[I.T.K]

13 hours ago, meister said:

Can’t see the pitch being invested in any time soon……..

 

 

 

 

They might be foreced to sell some players to keep the wolves away from the door. 

 

 

 

 

[Phil D. Corners]

On 08/04/2024 at 14:54, Nookie Bear said:

That’s what I thought. Can we really expect clubs to be forking out that kind of money for the sake of one or two games potentially being postponed?

Im not saying they need pay for a full hybrid pitch. But they should spend the money to maintain a pitch to be playable during the season. 
 

If one club gets away with under investing others will follow. Then we will potentially have postponements all through the season. 
 

 

[alicante jambo]

19 minutes ago, I.T.K said:

 

 

 

 

They might be foreced to sell some players to keep the wolves away from the door. 

 

 

 

 

What does the shareholders deficit mean buddy? That loss is fecking amazing.