Top Field Crucible

[KEITH]

Who needs a plastic pitch. Certainly not us. The Top Field pitch looked immaculate yesterday, almost as smooth as the tables at the Crucible & it was the last game of a busy season. Baring a very small patch in each goal mouth it could've been the 1st game of the season so huge congratulations to the ground staff who've worked their nuts off to provide a playing surface that I hear the players have really appreciated. Absolutely marvellous

[Stuart]

Who needs a plastic pitch. Certainly not us. The Top Field pitch looked immaculate yesterday, almost as smooth as the tables at the Crucible & it was the last game of a busy season. Baring a very small patch in each goal mouth it could've been the 1st game of the season so huge congratulations to the ground staff who've worked their nuts off to provide a playing surface that I hear the players have really appreciated. Absolutely marvellous

[Kate Deller]

Totally agree, huge amounts of work goes in and it shows! Well done to Steve and his team.

[Neil]

I agree the pitch looked superb, but I feel artificial pitches are theway ahead for nonleague clubs of Hitchin's size. The pitch is a commercial asset.

[Kate Deller]

Sadly Neil, you are right, I had a long conversation with the secretary of Ilkeston on Saturday when he was admiring our pitch. They have someone using their pitch every evening and most days! Its a huge part of their income.

[Steve]

I agree the pitch looked superb, but I feel artificial pitches are theway ahead for nonleague clubs of Hitchin's size. The pitch is a commercial asset.

Think this could be a game changer to 3G pitches and rightly so!

[Chris_N]

I agree the pitch looked superb, but I feel artificial pitches are the way ahead for nonleague clubs of Hitchin's size. The pitch is a commercial asset.

Yep sadly I have to agree on this one. But it is a whole different ball game. From what I have seen and heard, and experienced, clubs in our league that have had artificial pitches installed have had to:
a) Put a sinking fund in operation right at the start of installation to ensure the money is there to renew/replace it at the end of its natural life expiry.
b) Have person or persons in place to manage the bookings and day-to-day operation of the pitch usage if you are seeking to maximise revenue from its use.
c) Clubs I have seen such as Redditch and Needham Market (whose main pitch is grass but pitch complex for reserve/junior teams are artificial) go big on secondary revenue, especially bar and food (Needham have a separate cafe, and I'm pretty sure others do too). Others like St.Ives and Ilkeston are going down that line as well.

Having an artificial pitch, and making it profitable to the max, would mean significant change outside just having the pitch installed. But it still needs dedicated people on a day-to-day basis for maintenance. Steve will probably know a whole lot more than I do on this front.....I only see the spin-offs.