Time to switch games to Home Park?

[Chris B]

Home games at Home Park?! Crazy idea, total non-starter! I think away fans will be wary of visiting, and most of the population of Torbay will need time to remember we have a football club after a series of postponements, so attendances will struggle to exceed 2000 for a while. Playing at Argyle would see three figure crowds and Argyle would demand expenses greater than gate receipts.

I understand why people look at Exeter's record of games being on, but think comparisons are far too simplistic. Ignoring the 20+ miles separating us (contrary to suggestions, weather conditions will not have been identical for both clubs) Plainmoor and SJP differ greatly. SJP is far more open to wind flow with bigger gaps between stands, and it virtually being a three-stand ground. I'm no expert, but more wind and sun surely aid their efforts.

We're all frustrated by the postponements, and Bristow's Bench has no doubt compounded issues with the pitch on that side, but I don't think answers will be found by looking at either of our neighbours. That said, it is fair to question our ground staff and particularly whether the club has invested well in the pitch and equipment, but we have to accept this has been an unprecedentedly atrocious couple of months weather wise.

[usagullmichigan]

No idiots roaring? Strange that.

PlainmoorRoar is an idiot. End of!

[ferrarilover]

Dave, you're the one making claims you can't verify about Exeter having the same weather as us. I had hail falling on my house a few hours ago, just spoken to a chap not 8 miles away and he didn't get it.
Watched a GP last year where it was wet at the top end and dry at the bottom. Drove home from Plymouth a couple of days ago through rain, sleet and fog all at different points along the route only to arrive home to clear skies. Tell me again how the weather in Torquay is always identical to the weather 25 miles away.

Exeter have had one game on where we've not. That's not proof, it's irrelevant. Stevenage, Crawley, Newport, and some Conference sides, none of which plays at Plainmoor, have all had at least as many games postponed as we have. Their records over the last few years show that they are not clubs who regularly lose matches to waterlogged pitches. So, either we've all managed to bugger up our perfectly good pitches over the summer for no apparent reason, or there is an alternative common cause. My suggestion would be that the UK is suffering with the wettest weather in history.

I struggle to understand what's complicated to understand about this. We're told by people who know that this is the most water ever to fall from the sky in a winter. We then hear that a particular place has too much water in it and, for some reason, we don't join those two pieces together. Occam's razor.

Matt.

[Scott Brehaut]

You're all forgetting one very important thing here.

Matt (in his own mind) is never wrong (and won't admit it if he is)

[ROADRUNNER]

Thing is boys and girls we aint alone, 11 games called off today, bickering wont help, we aint going to home park, st james park, ladysmead, or easterfield lane, we will have too make it up like newport, colchester and the aldershots off this world, we all want to see us play but for christ sake lets get a grip here, its a pain in the ass but hey ho thats life. Blaming people aint helping. Its football, we will make the games up at some stage.

[Dave]

Dave, you're the one making claims you can't verify about Exeter having the same weather as us. I had hail falling on my house a few hours ago, just spoken to a chap not 8 miles away and he didn't get it.
Watched a GP last year where it was wet at the top end and dry at the bottom. Drove home from Plymouth a couple of days ago through rain, sleet and fog all at different points along the route only to arrive home to clear skies. Tell me again how the weather in Torquay is always identical to the weather 25 miles away.

Exeter have had one game on where we've not. That's not proof, it's irrelevant. Stevenage, Crawley, Newport, and some Conference sides, none of which plays at Plainmoor, have all had at least as many games postponed as we have. Their records over the last few years show that they are not clubs who regularly lose matches to waterlogged pitches. So, either we've all managed to bugger up our perfectly good pitches over the summer for no apparent reason, or there is an alternative common cause. My suggestion would be that the UK is suffering with the wettest weather in history.

I struggle to understand what's complicated to understand about this. We're told by people who know that this is the most water ever to fall from the sky in a winter. We then hear that a particular place has too much water in it and, for some reason, we don't join those two pieces together. Occam's razor.

Matt.

Changing facts again to suit your own argument, it's 2 games now. I am fully well aware that weather can change from 1mile to the next, I don't not have the facts to hand on exactly how much rain has fallen on Plainmoor compared SJP, no, I would like to know, it would interesting, but I can guarantee you now they would have had record rainfall up there as everyone else has virtually across the entire South of the country. Both Plainmoor and SJP are equally exposed to the wind, the difference is, SJP drains better, and they have access to better equipment enabling to deal with standing water, that's not a criticism of our club, everything costs money

But there is one thing none of us can get away from, and why your constantly trying to argue this is beyond me, our pitch has a massive drainage problem. There is nothing that could have been done to save the Northampton game I, we all accept that, but if the drainage problems had been fixed, or we owned a set a full pitch covers, which Chris Hargreaves said himself on T.V would pay for themselves in 3 games ( a no brainer) both the burton and more than likely today's game would have gone ahead, saving our club for a start a heap load of money, and maybe who knows helped us build on the last away wins, in turn saving our League status, which would be priceless right now. Why can you not see what I am actually saying.

[tomogull]

We could have virtually paid for the pitch covers with the money we have had to pay Northampton, Burton and Bury for wasted journeys! However, even though we've had three postponed games, we have played just one game less, or the same, as most of the other Div 2 teams. If this weather continues for many more weeks, the FA will have to think about extending the season. It's been done before ........

[ROADRUNNER]

if this was 20 years ago this game would have been played, we are now in a fanny state or is it nanny state, dread the thought that someone may get there shorts dirty or the linemans cant run properly, some on here may remember the old days such as watford away around 1978, we lost one nil to a ross jenkins goal, the pitch was like a swimming pool but they played, arygle at home 1970, snow covered pitch, game went ahead, im sorry if some of you are of the age that health safety rules then im sorry, its a case nowadays that if the pitch aint like a snooker table then its game off, namby pambys come to mind.

[ferrarilover]

The pitch was 95% playable and took three inspections to finally call off. All that on the face of, and I'm as bored of typing it as you are of reading it, the worst weather ever. Doesn't sound like a "massive drainage problem" to me.

Two games, you're right, I'd not added today's on (because I'm stupid).

Matt.

[Gullscorer]

if this was 20 years ago this game would have been played, we are now in a fanny state or is it nanny state, dread the thought that someone may get there shorts dirty or the linemans cant run properly, some on here may remember the old days such as watford away around 1978, we lost one nil to a ross jenkins goal, the pitch was like a swimming pool but they played, arygle at home 1970, snow covered pitch, game went ahead, im sorry if some of you are of the age that health safety rules then im sorry, its a case nowadays that if the pitch aint like a snooker table then its game off, namby pambys come to mind.

Yes. Both, I'm afraid. We are ruled by pudendum politics these days, and we must consider the poor female linesmen - sorry, assistant referees - who might have been called upon to officiate due to unforeseen circumstances. Not forgetting any short light-weight players who might have been stuck in the mud (no names..); not fair to have them miss a game because of the weather.. The 'namby pambies' are in control and even referees must abide by their rules..

By the way Matt, you're certainly not stupid. At least, not normally: there have been odd occasions when you've disagreed with me.. :~D

[Alpine Joe]

Gullscorer

we must consider the poor female linesmen - sorry, assistant referees - who might have been called upon to officiate

[Mickey Mouse]

The only reason the pitch is unplayable is because of the area in front of the dugouts, which is because the nuggets that built the bench drove all over that area with machines which have killed the drainage.

I've looked through the gates a few times this week and the covers were on the goals and that area only and speaking with the ground staff the 1st team even trained on the middle of the pitch as that is fine.

Repairs needed to drainage at end of season to avoid same situation again in the future.

[Dave]

The pitch was 95% playable and took three inspections to finally call off. All that on the face of, and I'm as bored of typing it as you are of reading it, the worst weather ever. Doesn't sound like a "massive drainage problem" to me.

Two games, you're right, I'd not added today's on (because I'm stupid).

Matt.

Matt, you claim our postponed games are fully down the worst weather, ever, then you say it doesn't sound like a "massive drainage problem" to me. But yet also in the same post fully admit that 95% of the pitch was playable, Matt my friend, you're a very funny guy, you've also screwed your own argument by admitting that 95 % pitch playable, because if, as you say it's all down to the worst weather, ever, then none of the pitch should be playable.

Forever, shoots and scores..

[lucy6lucy]

Would rather lose league status than have to play at home park. We have a dignity to preserve and playing at that criminal/ground bears believe .

[Gullscorer]

Would rather lose league status than have to play at home park. We have a dignity to preserve and playing at that criminal/ground bears believe .

I know what you mean..