View from the touchline 21 Jan 23

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   Here’s my one eyed biased view on todays visit to Bury St Edmunds
Well to be honest it was pretty farcical. There is no way the pitch was ever fit for play. If we look at this week there has been heavy frost and most nights the temperatures have been around -4 or less overnight. On Thursday when the ground was visited by one of our coaching staff there was a difference of opinion between 2 Bury staff, 1 it’s not playable another perfectly fine. In fact it was so fine that BSE couldn’t train on Thursday night (or only for 10 mins). It’s difficult to see how it passed a pitch inspection of Friday afternoon unless it was only done on the clubhouse side. On Saturday morning at 6am it was -4 in BSE at 9am the pitch was still covered in White frost and the pitch at that time was unplayable but could be by kick off according to the visiting official (?) Arriving at 11:30 I walked the pitch with a person from BSE and both thought it was certainly not playable. In fact our game that was called of v 7oaks had a better pitch. Around 12 the groundstaff started spraying water on the worst area then running a big spiked machine over it but the machine was bouncing on top of the solid ground. Players from both sides voiced their concerns(although listening to the guy on the speaker after the postponement it was all one sided) when they arrived and walked round but in an effort to get it on players got changed and left it as late as possible but the main areas of concern were going into shade and only going to get worse. The pitch was exactly the same as it was on Thursday(When BSE couldn’t train)
Surprised to see the BSE coach in the local paper saying he was confused but we have all this about tackle height but was willing to risk players safety on a dangerous surface obviously didn’t speak to his players.

Still at least our journey wasn’t as long as Leeds to Chinnor (funnily Our club XV played Chinnor at Well Hall today after reversing the fixture due to the uncertainty of Chinnor pitch)

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Rabbie Burns Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List World Cup Winner Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3351	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rabbie Burns Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: View from the touchline 21 Jan 23 Posted: 21 Jan 2023 at 20:05
	Here’s my one eyed biased view on todays visit to Bury St Edmunds Well to be honest it was pretty farcical. There is no way the pitch was ever fit for play. If we look at this week there has been heavy frost and most nights the temperatures have been around -4 or less overnight. On Thursday when the ground was visited by one of our coaching staff there was a difference of opinion between 2 Bury staff, 1 it’s not playable another perfectly fine. In fact it was so fine that BSE couldn’t train on Thursday night (or only for 10 mins). It’s difficult to see how it passed a pitch inspection of Friday afternoon unless it was only done on the clubhouse side. On Saturday morning at 6am it was -4 in BSE at 9am the pitch was still covered in White frost and the pitch at that time was unplayable but could be by kick off according to the visiting official (?) Arriving at 11:30 I walked the pitch with a person from BSE and both thought it was certainly not playable. In fact our game that was called of v 7oaks had a better pitch. Around 12 the groundstaff started spraying water on the worst area then running a big spiked machine over it but the machine was bouncing on top of the solid ground. Players from both sides voiced their concerns(although listening to the guy on the speaker after the postponement it was all one sided) when they arrived and walked round but in an effort to get it on players got changed and left it as late as possible but the main areas of concern were going into shade and only going to get worse. The pitch was exactly the same as it was on Thursday(When BSE couldn’t train) Surprised to see the BSE coach in the local paper saying he was confused but we have all this about tackle height but was willing to risk players safety on a dangerous surface obviously didn’t speak to his players. Still at least our journey wasn’t as long as Leeds to Chinnor (funnily Our club XV played Chinnor at Well Hall today after reversing the fixture due to the uncertainty of Chinnor pitch)
	So many Christians not enough Lions

Golden Jackal Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List British and Irish Lion Joined: 18 Apr 2020 Location: E Anglia Status: Offline Points: 160	Post Options Post Reply Quote Golden Jackal Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2023 at 20:53
	I am sorry R but I cant let what you have just said go...there are so many inaccuracies its incredible.... from training on thurs night, were you there? We have a 3G pitch so why train at 8pm on a hard surface? to what it was like at 6.00am etc etc....Suffice to say the pitch was more than playable other than an area shaded by the sponsors boards.... No problem if Blackheath felt it was unsafe, that is fine... but why wait untill 2.35 to decide NO you wouldnt play.... by that time many people had paid and entered the ground....If you guys had got off the coach, inspected and then said NO, then fair dues....but that was poor...but as Shanners said "were playing for promotion, your playing for f** all".

Wigwam Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List World Cup Winner Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: The sunny south Status: Offline Points: 1167	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wigwam Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2023 at 21:13
	Hmmm……..the word bombastic springs to mind
	Pace Power Perfection

Redted Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List World Cup Winner Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1083	Post Options Post Reply Quote Redted Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2023 at 21:19
	Why wasn’t the game played on the 3G?

Golden Jackal Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List British and Irish Lion Joined: 18 Apr 2020 Location: E Anglia Status: Offline Points: 160	Post Options Post Reply Quote Golden Jackal Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2023 at 21:52
	sadly its not full size.... It didnt happen, we move on, good luck to Blackheath, nothing has changed my mind to say they are still the best team in this league.

Rabbie Burns Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List World Cup Winner Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3351	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rabbie Burns Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 2023 at 21:56
	It was your players that told me about Thursday and this morning GJ, 3G was never offered as alternative didn’t even know there was one. Did you walk the pitch GJ as I did several times
	So many Christians not enough Lions

ThamesEstuaryMan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Mini and Juniors Joined: 01 Sep 2022 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote ThamesEstuaryMan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jan 2023 at 15:37
	Shanners said "were playing for promotion, your playing for f** all". Classy as usual !!!

Rabbie Burns Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List World Cup Winner Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3351	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rabbie Burns Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jan 2023 at 16:02
	That’s not actually what was said but why let a good story be spoiled. The pitch was unplayable when Blackheath arrived and it was said at that point but the match officials were not present but were informed on their arrival. It was not only the part on the far touchline that was affected (and if this was unplayable then the whole pitch is off). The coaches and captains and officials agreed to leave it as late as possible which was decided at the start of warm ups (2:25) a final decision would be made allowing another hour+ for further thaw which unfortunately didn’t make any difference. The more observant of you would have noticed none of the officials got changed so it was pretty obvious what they thought.
	So many Christians not enough Lions