Rovers v MK Dons

NY have you mis read my posting?

I haven't slagged off the groundstaff OR the condition of the pitch

I haven't suggested only football should be played in a community stadium

What I have said is

"what do we expect the pitch to be like when Rugby League is played on it? It is not going to be pristine from Feb onwards due to its other uses. We have to accept that & accept that the groundstaff will do all they can to accomodate both sports"

If somehow that reads that we should be the only ones using it, football is the only sport worth playing and other paying supporters are lowely, then I speak a totally different language to you.

Not short sighted in the slightest, unless my posting reads something in to it that I can simply not see!!

You also miss my point DRE4ever, Rugby League DOES NOT damage a pitch as much as football does. Look at the divots that come up from a sliding tackle. Rugby League is played on top of the ground and does not have rucks, mauls etc that Union has.

The pitch is like it is because of the weather, NOT because of what is played on it. In fact in the last couple of years we should have had a great pitch due to all the c**p played on it.

No ny didn't misunderstand you at all, you said I'm talking absolute rubbish. Now if you really believe any form of rugby is easier on turf than football, the you are clearly talking .............
The simple task of tackling in any form of rugby involves physical contact and grounding of the player, repeatedly (apart from tag rugby, but they stop playing that at 9)!
I never mentioned football being played on it cos that's bleeding obvious, that is after all what we're talking about! Although in Rovers case clearly not at present!
The fact that the pitch is cut up is because SPORT is being played on it during very wet weather, you could play badminton on it and it would turn in to a sh it tip. I

You have never seen a game of Rugby League, let's leave it at that, and yes you are talking rubbish, full stop.

Obviously NY whatever you say, we'll just all agree & and accept your bull as gospel!

Played a lot of rugby union, I can confirm it does make a rather nice mess of the pitch. Only played a few games of league and can agree it doesn't damage the pitch. But, having played loads of football, in our glorious winter, slide tackling from 5yrds away it does make the pitch look crap. And the players look crap also due to looking like they cant play because the pitch in cut up.

I think most of the problem is because we dont have a real pitch, its that garbage stuff thats half grass n half fake woven into it.

Right DR4ever, I was waiting for a reply from Andy Thompson on VSC before I replied. He as you know, is the Rovers groundsman and he says, regardless of the game, in a bad winter ( and you have ha d a few lately), grass does not grow. All he can do is try his best to produce something decent, but he is fighting a losing battle.

I knew this from my days as a club secretary in Rugby League at Elland Road, South Leeds Stadium and the old Leeds Road Ground at Huddersfield. All those groundsmen would echo what Andy said, John Reynolds at Elland Road, Brian Cartwright at South Leeds and Raymond at Leds Road.

What they didn't want was Rugby Union and, wait for it American Football, because thay do do bad things to pitches. However, as someone else said there does not seem to be a problem at the Liberty in Swansea where they and the Ospreys share the facilities.

I wasn't trying to be clever, but I do get riled up when people automatically blame Rugby League. Whether true RL supporters like it or not, it is not the game it was 40 years ago, it has changed beyond all recognition. Scrums are not to win the ball as in Union, they are just a way of restarting play when a ball goes into touch or there is a forward pass.

I am sorry if I sounded harsh, but it does annoy me as you can tell. Hopefully no hard feelings, we all want the best for the Rovers, but we do have to share the fac ilities to make things work.

I don't bear grudges NY, it's not worth it!
All I was getting at was, the more sport played on any form of natural pitch, will damage it, especially in february!
I'm not suggesting it shouldnt be used for other sports, I was simply pointing out to the idiots who were slating the groundstaff should take account of what is going on with the weather and the facility.
Don't worry, no hard feelings whatsoever!

Having followed the thread I thought you were both very close with your comments.
It boils down to the pitch:
1. being over used at a period there is no grass growth.
2. and Andy not having the equipment that Arsenal have to maintain some growth of grass in winter.

The main point I was making was that Andy Thompson, the groundsman, has been abused on Twitter for the state of the pitch. Now that makes me very angry.

I think that as things are all round, me included. We should close this site