Viking Supporters Co-operative

Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: Thorney on February 28, 2026, 07:47:44 pm

Title: State of the pitch
Post by: Thorney on February 28, 2026, 07:47:44 pm
It is in an absolute mess.

And coming up.

Dons tomorrow
Rovers tuesday
Dons next sunday.

By next sunday night i will be suprised if it has a blade of grass left.

And then after that we play on it on the tuesday and saturday.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: 1-0 to the Doncaster on February 28, 2026, 08:07:36 pm
get rid of the rugby - surely they can play somewhere else
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Thorney on February 28, 2026, 08:15:23 pm
6 matches in 14 days in the weather we are having currently is gonna cut it up.
Get ready for some injuries
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: knockers on February 28, 2026, 08:33:23 pm
get rid of the rugby - surely they can play somewhere else

Why should they play somewhere else?

They’ve got as much right to play on the pitch as the Rovers do.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on February 28, 2026, 08:55:33 pm
The state of the pitch isn't going to change much. We might be forgiven for thinking we could use it to our advantage. Full marks to Cardiff who's players adapted and still played good joined up skilful football on it.  We didn't until we were 3-0 down.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: donnievic on February 28, 2026, 10:28:08 pm
Moaning about the pitch,Cardiff didn’t seem have a problem with it even if it doesn’t look that good of a state
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Move DRFC on March 01, 2026, 05:06:23 am
get rid of the rugby - surely they can play somewhere else

Why should they play somewhere else?

They’ve got as much right to play on the pitch as the Rovers do.

What is their average attendance?
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Padge_DRFC on March 01, 2026, 07:52:21 am
It's becoming one of the worst pitches in the league.

It's clearly down to overuse. Rotherham pitch was nowhere near as bad
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on March 01, 2026, 08:42:18 am
There's other pitches across the country that are just as bad. I think alot of the damage was done when the covers were used alot on the run up to the Southampton Cup game.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Chris Black come back on March 01, 2026, 09:18:46 am
Since our season started, the Dons have played at the Eco-Power a total of five times. That’s less than once a month. It’s rained for two months solidly and there has been no sun since late August. Grass isn’t likely to prosper in those conditions.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Filo on March 01, 2026, 09:34:25 am
Since our season started, the Dons have played at the Eco-Power a total of five times. That’s less than once a month. It’s rained for two months solidly and there has been no sun since late August. Grass isn’t likely to prosper in those conditions.
Don’t we have heat lamps to encourage growth
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: GazLaz on March 01, 2026, 09:37:43 am
Since our season started, the Dons have played at the Eco-Power a total of five times. That’s less than once a month. It’s rained for two months solidly and there has been no sun since late August. Grass isn’t likely to prosper in those conditions.
Don’t we have heat lamps to encourage growth

Dead grass can’t grow. The Saints game in the frost killed it. There’s no growing back from that.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Donnywolf on March 01, 2026, 09:40:09 am
get rid of the rugby - surely they can play somewhere else

Why should they play somewhere else?

They’ve got as much right to play on the pitch as the Rovers do.

Yes Club Doncaster reasons.
 
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: roversdude on March 01, 2026, 10:00:27 am
It's becoming one of the worst pitches in the league.

It's clearly down to overuse. Rotherham pitch was nowhere near as bad
It’s not been played on since the Huddersfield game has it
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: sf9944 on March 01, 2026, 10:14:01 am
No it hasn’t been played on since Huddersfield.

The pitch has stood up pretty well in previous seasons. I don’t think over-use is the primary reason. The covering of the pitch after the new year to try and get games on seems to have done for it. As I recall the pitch was covered for days on end and this didn’t even prevent one game being called off. I

I wonder if the ground crew are moving against pitch coverage- it seems to be counter-productive. As with many aspects of modern life we should probably just let nature take its course!
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: roversdude on March 01, 2026, 10:18:13 am
Plus we have had an insane amount of rain and very little sunshine
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Barmby Rover on March 01, 2026, 11:19:46 am
It is not in a good shape, but isn't that what home advantage is about? Both teams have to play on it, and at least our team should be better used to playing on it. After all, there is nothing we can do about it unless we get dry warm weather and we can grow some new seed.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DearneValleyRover on March 01, 2026, 05:54:01 pm
If you want a bad pitch look at Port Vale’s, Mansfield’s isn’t much better either. The weather has been atrocious  and it has nothing to do with the Rugby but more with how the pitch was laid. It’s a real shame we couldn’t dig up the Belle Vue pitch
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Ldr on March 01, 2026, 06:16:05 pm
Last time we won this division there was barely any grass post winter
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Barmby Rover on March 01, 2026, 07:13:57 pm
If you want a bad pitch look at Port Vale’s, Mansfield’s isn’t much better either. The weather has been atrocious  and it has nothing to do with the Rugby but more with how the pitch was laid. It’s a real shame we couldn’t dig up the Belle Vue pitch

Not just the pitch but the 15 feet of sinter that was underneath the grass, that's what made it so good, and why it is so expensive to do nowadays.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DearneValleyRover on March 01, 2026, 07:25:44 pm
If you want a bad pitch look at Port Vale’s, Mansfield’s isn’t much better either. The weather has been atrocious  and it has nothing to do with the Rugby but more with how the pitch was laid. It’s a real shame we couldn’t dig up the Belle Vue pitch

Not just the pitch but the 15 feet of sinter that was underneath the grass, that's what made it so good, and why it is so expensive to do nowadays.

That’s what I meant, just couldn’t remember what I’d was called, cheers
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Move DRFC on March 01, 2026, 11:39:53 pm
Can the Dons not play on the other pitch at the stadium? It was such a great idea to have a mini stadium next to the main one but we never use it. Why? I don't live in the UK but last time I was there I'm pretty sure the grass on that pitch was overgrown. It's a 500 capacity isn't it so couldn't that host Belles, Dons and reserve games?
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: sf9944 on March 02, 2026, 07:56:55 am
The Dons had nearly 1900 people at their game yesterday which incidentally they won 78-8. Nineteen hundred people wouldn't fit the athletics stadium which is wholly unsuitable anyway.

Crowds at the Dons have been slowly growing for a few seasons now.  The club has ambitions to get to Super League and probably the best squad it has had in its history.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DearneValleyRover on March 02, 2026, 07:58:13 am
Can the Dons not play on the other pitch at the stadium? It was such a great idea to have a mini stadium next to the main one but we never use it. Why? I don't live in the UK but last time I was there I'm pretty sure the grass on that pitch was overgrown. It's a 500 capacity isn't it so couldn't that host Belles, Dons and reserve games?

It doesn’t have its own changing rooms so it can’t be used for league or cup games
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on March 02, 2026, 09:15:16 am
Can the Dons not play on the other pitch at the stadium? It was such a great idea to have a mini stadium next to the main one but we never use it. Why? I don't live in the UK but last time I was there I'm pretty sure the grass on that pitch was overgrown. It's a 500 capacity isn't it so couldn't that host Belles, Dons and reserve games?

The Rugby has as much right to play in the main stadium with all the facilities including hospitality which all brings in vital income.

Maybe it won't be too long before the Super League Rugby team complain about the football team making a mess of their pitch???
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Move DRFC on March 02, 2026, 09:27:17 am
Fair points all round.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Janso on March 02, 2026, 01:58:24 pm
An old groundsman posted on here saying the rugby actually did less damage than the football did, I seem to recall.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: In the box on March 02, 2026, 06:47:41 pm
An old groundsman posted on here saying the rugby actually did less damage than the football did, I seem to recall.
Do we use lamps to help generate  growth. It’s not a good excuse to blame the surface if we loose as it’s the same for both teams but I would be very concerned if it leading to injuries or pulled muscles to the players ..
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: BVB on March 03, 2026, 12:05:26 am
Can the Dons not play on the other pitch at the stadium? It was such a great idea to have a mini stadium next to the main one but we never use it. Why? I don't live in the UK but last time I was there I'm pretty sure the grass on that pitch was overgrown. It's a 500 capacity isn't it so couldn't that host Belles, Dons and reserve games?

Think you’ll find it’s the Athletics’ Club ground and not Club Doncaster’s to use.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Bentley Bullet on March 03, 2026, 08:32:33 am
Can the Dons not play on the other pitch at the stadium? It was such a great idea to have a mini stadium next to the main one but we never use it. Why? I don't live in the UK but last time I was there I'm pretty sure the grass on that pitch was overgrown. It's a 500 capacity isn't it so couldn't that host Belles, Dons and reserve games?

It doesn’t have its own changing rooms so it can’t be used for league or cup games
Also, it's not enclosed, so it'd be difficult to charge an entrance fee.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: sf9944 on March 03, 2026, 11:53:48 am
The Dons did actually play a few games on the athletics stadium a few years ago. I think during renovations to the stadium pitch.

However they are a much better supported team now and to be honest it wasn’t suitable even then.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DRFCSouth on March 04, 2026, 07:58:50 pm
Any player with an ounce of ability on the ball is struggling to get going on the pitch. It's shocking.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Nudga on March 04, 2026, 08:13:56 pm
Putting the sprinklers on around the bald patches was a fantastic idea.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DonnyBazR0ver on March 04, 2026, 08:29:05 pm
Any player with an ounce of ability on the ball is struggling to get going on the pitch. It's shocking.

Cardiff players seemed to cope quite well.

Unfortunately it's nature which is the main cause plus man's intervention which has aggrevated things. Unless we want to spend a huge pot of money which we don't have, then we can only give mother nature a little helping hand before the annual pitch refurbishment in the summer.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Chris Black come back on March 05, 2026, 05:00:19 am
Not trying to get rid of them but surely Castle Park is the obvious venue if not the Eco-Power.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: drfchound on March 05, 2026, 07:56:20 am
Not trying to get rid of them but surely Castle Park is the obvious venue if not the Eco-Power.

Maybe the people at Castle Park wouldn’t want too many games on their pitch though.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Barmby Rover on March 05, 2026, 11:30:05 am
Any player with an ounce of ability on the ball is struggling to get going on the pitch. It's shocking.

Did you see Cardiff's second? Our players might not be able to control a ball for 3/4 of the pitch, but he seemed to manage it ok!
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: DRFCSouth on March 06, 2026, 03:34:41 pm
Any player with an ounce of ability on the ball is struggling to get going on the pitch. It's shocking.

Did you see Cardiff's second? Our players might not be able to control a ball for 3/4 of the pitch, but he seemed to manage it ok!
That was the failing of our team not defending in a proper manner. Not some stroke of genius.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Juddy on March 07, 2026, 12:27:21 pm
Wow Huddersfield pitch looking in very good condition today V the Millers ⚽️
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: RyRovers on March 07, 2026, 01:32:47 pm
Mansfield pitch v Arsenal not looking great, I’d say worse than ours.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: grayx on March 07, 2026, 06:21:30 pm
Have Plymouth had a different climate to us? Their pitch looked like a snooker table compared to ours.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Padge_DRFC on March 08, 2026, 04:29:34 pm
South West England. I bet it's not had a quarter of the frosts we've had.
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: i_ateallthepies on March 08, 2026, 05:45:46 pm
'The English Riviera'
Title: Re: State of the pitch
Post by: Ho on March 08, 2026, 08:46:44 pm
South West England. I bet it's not had a quarter of the frosts we've had.

I coach grassroots youth football in Somerset. We haven’t lost any games this season to frost.  Lost plenty to waterlogged pitches mind.