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Astro parks - top flight


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Here's a list of all teams currently using an artificial turf within the pyramid (colts/reserves excluded)

SPFL

Livingston
Kilmarnock
Hamilton
Raith Rovers
Queen Of The South
Airdrie
Alloa
Clyde
Cove Rangers
East Fife
Falkirk
Montrose
Queens Park (upon moving to Lesser Hampden)
Annan
Edinburgh City (groundshare at Spartans. Will continue on artificial upon return to Meadowbank)
Forfar
Kelty
Stenhousemuir

Highland League

None

Lowland League

Bo'ness United
Broomhill (groundshare with Alloa)
Caledonian Braves
Cumbernauld Colts (groundshare with Clyde)
East Kilbride
East Stirling (groundshare with Falkirk)
Gala Fairydean
Gretna (upon completion of work at Raydale Park)
Spartans

NRJFA

Banks O'Dee
Deveronside
Montrose Roselea (groundshare with Montrose. Long term agreement iirc)

Midlands League

Broughty Athletic
Letham
Lochee Harp

North Caledonian League

Alness United
Loch Ness

East of Scotland

Blackburn United
Bo'ness Athletic (groundshare with Bo'ness)
Broxburn Athletic
Dunipace
Edinburgh College (groundshare with Herriot Watt University)
Herriot Watt University
Hillfield Swifts
Leith Athletic
Lothian Thistle HV (groundshare with Spartans)
Rosyth
Syngenta (groundshare with Stenhousemuir)

West of Scotland

Benburb
Bonnyton Thistle
BSC Glasgow (same ground as Finnart)
Carluke Rovers
Clydebank (permanent co-tenancy with Yoker)
Carluke Rovers
Cumnock
Drumchapel United
Finnart (same ground as BSC Glasgow)
Gartcairn
Glenvale
Glasgow University (groundshare with Airdrie)
Harmony Row (groundshare with Benburb)
Kirkintilloch (upon completion of their new ground in Kirkinitilloch whenever the saga comes to an end.)
Largs Thistle
Petershill
Port Glasgow
Renfrew
Rossvale (groundshare with Petershill)
St. Peters (groundshare with Renfrew)
Yoker (permanent co-tenancy with Clydebank)

South of Scotland

Heston Rovers (groundshare with Queen of The South. Currently in abeyance)
Lochar Thistle
Mid-Annandale
Newton Stewart
St Cuthbert Wanderers





 

Edited by GNU_Linux
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4 minutes ago, Dee Man said:

Let me guess how this thread will go - fans of clubs with artificial turf will defend their pitches and vice versa. 

Pretty much, though there are sensible, and non sensical posts from both sides, the dislike of them is understandable, but there really isn't a valid argument to get rid of them.

Doubt anyone prefers them over grass, but needs must for some clubs, and they're allowed in European comps too, so the tinpot argument doesn't even stand up when the Champions League allows them. Also in this country where winter football sees grass pitches looking like tattie fields, all arguments citing how grass makes for a better spectacle kinda flies right out the window.

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5 minutes ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Doubt anyone prefers them over grass, but needs must for some clubs, and they're allowed in European comps too, so the tinpot argument doesn't even stand up when the Champions League allows them. Also in this country where winter football sees grass pitches looking like tattie fields, all arguments citing how grass makes for a better spectacle kinda flies right out the window.

Do Livingston rent the pitch out for additional income? I know the likes of Sutton United in England did this, but have had to remove it now that they are in League 2. 

Artificial pitches have come a long way from the likes of Luton in the 80's

 

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Personally think they are shite, at least the ones I've played on. Would much prefer a grass pitch every time. 

However, I think a requirement to remove them is a step too far. Obviously a valuable source of income for some clubs. I wouldn't be delighted if Saints ever installed one at McDiarmid but I would understand it, from a business point of view. 

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10 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Here's a list of all teams currently using an artificial turf within the pyramid (colts/reserves excluded)

Yep, just ~80 clubs and counting 😃.

Btw is Forthbank not still grass?

 

15 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Highland League
None

NRJFA
Banks O'Dee
Deveronside
Montrose Roselea (groundshare with Montrose. Long term agreement iirc)

Midlands League
Broughty Athletic
Letham
Lochee Harp

North Caledonian League
Alness United
Loch Ness

However this is interiguing given weather up north.

Highland remaining plastic-free especially.

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33 minutes ago, Theyellowbox said:

I always think that too. Firhill for example would look better with the camera in the main stand. Some places, the opposite would be true. Starks park would be better on the main stand side, so you don't see the street and St Johnstone and Dundee United would have a better atmosphere on TV if the camera was the side where most fans are. 

Why would you point the camera at the only empty stand at Starks? Similarly with Firhill, the main stand has been the fullest when I've been.

Also do you realise that it's microphones and not cameras that pick up sound?

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17 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

I'm in the minority but I quite like astro pitches and I certainly prefer playing on them. Granted, as a person that's never played above Sunday League (and being a goalkeeper), I'm used to shite grass pitches. Most grass pitches at that level tend to have a giant fucking rock embedded into the 6 yard box just waiting all pointedly for you to land on it.

I've played at Tannadice & Station Park several times. There's definitely a different bounce on astro pitches but the quality was higher than United's bumpy mess.

Dens (until last season) used to be considered one of the best pitches in the country and always looks immaculate, but I remember running onto the pitch after we won the league in 2014 and being shocked at how bad a state it was in that close up.

If we could have completely immaculate pitches all year round then grass wins every day of the week, but in Scotland I don't think that's really feasible. Don't get the furore people have over plastic pitches. Perhaps the hybrid set ups are the way forward?

I think you have hit the nail on the head here. Given how bad some grass pitches are, bar the early months if the season, artificial pitches are a better option. Had the same ad you re going in the pitch. From the stand, Mcdiarmid looked alright when I was on it a couple of years ago, but up close it was shocking.

On the artificial pitches, I think the players who have grown up using them won't mind playing on them, but the current/older players will always be unsure. Anyone over say 30 will remember the old sandpaper like solid astro pitches. 

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For this however , Clubs can still invest in synthetic pitches for revenue it just wont be their main pitch. 


What's your big plan here, a rotating pitch like the Bullseye stage, or a grass pitch that you roll up during the week and store in one of the stands, only to put it down in a Saturday?
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2 minutes ago, RawB93 said:

Why would you point the camera at the only empty stand at Starks? Similarly with Firhill, the main stand has been the fullest when I've been.

Also do you realise that it's microphones and not cameras that pick up sound?

Of course, not all stands are used all the time or necessarily full, more mean the optics. 

As for the sounds, appreciate they use side of pitch microphones etc, but equally, like pitodrie for example, you get the background noise through the commentators mic. Just always think it sounds better when the fans are under the camera position. 

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36 minutes ago, Dee Man said:

Let me guess how this thread will go - fans of clubs with artificial turf will defend their pitches and vice versa. 

Nope. I will defend artificial pitches as a case of “needs must” for pretty much every team that’s installed them, but at Bo’ness I 100% preferred to watch football on a grass pitch and wish they’d kept it. Might’ve kept the parasites away too. 

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1 minute ago, craigkillie said:


 

 


What's your big plan here, a rotating pitch like the Bullseye stage, or a grass pitch that you roll up during the week and store in one of the stands, only to put it down in a Saturday?

Not that any Scottish club including the OF have money for that sort of thing, but Tottenham have implemented the Bullseye stage idea and it looks absolute class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmeljNpIV1k

Tottenham have a ban on embedding videos it seems so just the link will have to do.

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51 minutes ago, gannonball said:

I think aesthetics plays a decent part though tbh, especially when we struggle to market the scottish game. Going off point a fair bit but its the same when you see the main camera gantry being in the largest stand  at places. Most of the game is focussed on a smaller stand with less people in it, just doesn't sell our game well at all. 

So is Livi's darker looking pitch with black pellets any worse than the tattie fields many of the pitches in Scotland become in the winter months

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58 minutes ago, Theyellowbox said:

I always think that too. Firhill for example would look better with the camera in the main stand. Some places, the opposite would be true. Starks park would be better on the main stand side, so you don't see the street and St Johnstone and Dundee United would have a better atmosphere on TV if the camera was the side where most fans are. 

This would be awful as the sun shines directly onto the main stand all year round, see ICT's Pixellot feed from the main stand.

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15 minutes ago, craigkillie said:


 

 


What's your big plan here, a rotating pitch like the Bullseye stage, or a grass pitch that you roll up during the week and store in one of the stands, only to put it down in a Saturday?

 

As much as the bullseye stage intrigues me it’s probably cost averse imo. My point is that the material could be used elsewhere on land they own/rent. I do appreciate this wont have the same pull as playing in a stadium for hiring out.

5 minutes ago, Cptn Hooch said:

So is Livi's darker looking pitch with black pellets any worse than the tattie fields many of the pitches in Scotland become in the winter months

Like I said earlier the standard has got much better for grass pitches the past few years imo in the top level, there will still be bare areas around the goal mouth at times but generally I think it has improved.

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I'm a fan of a nice grass pitch - that would be my choice if every team could have one like St Mirren or Motherwell have. But - I think the "plastic pitch" debate is becoming increasingly outdated because the current generation of late teens/early 20 players in first teams around the country will probably have played as much if not more time on plastic than they have on grass during their development and  simply won't have the same problems adjusting to it. 

Hearing 35 year old pro's moaning about astroturf reminds me of the first generation of goalkeepers that had to deal with the passback law change in the early 90's. Now if you're a keeper that can't play with his feet, you won't make it into a first team at a decent level - and similarly, young players that can't handle plastic pitches won't be getting through any academies.

Also - the argument about plastic pitches was "lost" years ago - they aren't going anywhere. 

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Clubs should do whatevers best for them.

I'd rather see fans pushing for a larger TV deal/fairer money distribution than crying every year because, twice a season, they've to watch their side lose on plastic.

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2 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

A lot of people still act like a plastic pitch means the old ash pitches from the West Coast.

Petition · NLL Council Learning and Leisure Department: Ash football pitches  lying unused in the Cumbernauld Area · Change.org

Do many of these still exist? Horrible, horrible things.

The classsic combo of red blaes and mitre mouldmasters almost put me off football for life.

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I play fives on an ‘Astro’ pod at Forthbank.  I don’t have any issues with how the ball plays on it.  I have watched professional games on the plastic and it has not looked great.  Perhaps the difference is that we don’t hump it up the park at the fives and the ‘bounce’ doesn’t come into play.

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If there was an "official partner" or "official supplier" for astros agreed by the SPFL and some guidelines as to what's acceptable at what level that would be fine. But every artificial surface seems to play completely differently which doesn't make sense given its an engineered surface.

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