The Ibrox Pitch

I wouldn't be expecting anything but the usual renovations this year again unless something changes between now and May. I can't say anymore than that and I'm not intentionally being cryptic.

Things can change though and sometimes it can be an overnight decision!

The issues have been mentioned in previous threads. We could really have done without the rain on Saturday but believe it or not, the pitch is holding together well. It just doesnt look great.

For the record, the management understand the issues... Just need some help getting to what's required...

The pitch had a lot of sand applied during the last few weeks and some of the discolouring is ffrom that. It's normal and nothing overly concerning.
I know you are not saying anything for definite either way, but it is disappointing to think we may just do the usual renovations again this year.

That doesn't solve anything and just means we will be looking at a poor pitch again from November onwards.

Sorry, but the club need to get their finger out on this and actually prioritise the necessary investment. A playing surface fit for proper purpose is massively important. We are neglecting something which is fundamental to how we play and how we want to achieve success.

If we are a CL club, proper, next season it will be embarrassing to have that pitch on display. And it's just not fair on the players. They deserve better.
 
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Theres a guy on here who seemed to know his stuff about the pitch. He said that it's well past its expiry date and has become too soft underfoot. I think a good investment in to a proper premiership quality pitch would make a world of difference to our style of play.
 
Theres a guy on here who seemed to know his stuff about the pitch. He said that it's well past its expiry date and has become too soft underfoot. I think a good investment in to a proper premiership quality pitch would make a world of difference to our style of play.
Yes mate. The poster is in post #53 above.
 
I wouldn't be expecting anything but the usual renovations this year again unless something changes between now and May. I can't say anymore than that and I'm not intentionally being cryptic.

Things can change though and sometimes it can be an overnight decision!

The issues have been mentioned in previous threads. We could really have done without the rain on Saturday but believe it or not, the pitch is holding together well. It just doesnt look great.

For the record, the management understand the issues... Just need some help getting to what's required...

The pitch had a lot of sand applied during the last few weeks and some of the discolouring is ffrom that. It's normal and nothing overly concerning.
Can I ask where there is so much secrecy over the pitch? Just seems a tad weird.
 
If you want to set up to play the way Gerrard wants to play and to rely on the sort of players Gerrard prefers in his teams, then not to invest in getting a perfect surface to play on, doesn't make any sense.
This side and this manager need as perfect a surface as we can afford.
Once the support are back inside the stadium, they will deserve the same.
 
There is a good video of the Liverpool pitch install on the web. They have installed a sub air system like a lot of exclusive golf courses have under greens. Means they can control moisture to an extent. Must have cost well over a million quid. As Humpz says everyone can see the issue but a question of priorities. The west of Scotland rainfall is always going to be an issue but it could be better I am sure with the correct investment.
 
I think the pitch state over winter has had a huge effect on our performance level. Our fast one touch stuff is affected disproportionately compared to the hammer throw style of other teams. Also encourages teams to high press us because it takes longer to control the ball on a poor pitch levelling things with players of less ability. If we can spend money on our pitch to sort out this winter effect it would help us significantly. Of course nothing alas we can do about away fixtures.
Maybe. But at the weekend there we played some great stuff on a tattie field.
 
I'm sure someone said the plans are to put a new pitch in this summer and I hope it is true because we absolutely can't go into another season with the same one. It is shocking at the minute.
Leeds have just relaid Elland Road and apparently it’s worst than before ,never heard of a club relaying their pitch mid season before
 
Be interesting to find out what the ‘ one of a kind masterplan’ is going to be if this is still going ahead, hopefully in tandem with an increase in capacity.


@HumpZ or is this pie in the sky mate?

Or has it been shelved due to financial restrictions due to covid?
 
As I think someone posted earlier, the dilemma is whether we spend a fortune on it this Summer knowing we might be ripping it up again next Summer to lower the pitch for additional seating. I suspect we will ‘muddle through’ for another year until a definite decision is taken on the latter and I can understand why given our finances.
 
It didn't look great yesterday, but the ball appeared to be running better and the players didn't seem as bogged down in it compared to the last couple of games.

Pitches appear to be a problem for a lot of teams just now, even some of the EPL ones aren't great.
It was peeing down from the heavens on Saturday, yet our groundsman had the sprinklers going full bent Sunday, surely we‘re making matters worse.
 
I'm not an expert, but I do know that grass needs sunlight and Ibrox is a very dark stadium. Our drainage clearly isn't great either. Bad weather and games in the pissing rain means no recovery. It definitely affects out style of play. I'd say it is a top priority. I was impressed with Arsenal's pitch the other day. We'd really benefit from a good pitch.
 
I'm not an expert, but I do know that grass needs sunlight and Ibrox is a very dark stadium. Our drainage clearly isn't great either. Bad weather and games in the pissing rain means no recovery. It definitely affects out style of play. I'd say it is a top priority. I was impressed with Arsenal's pitch the other day. We'd really benefit from a good pitch.

Was just going to mention the Emirates. Its been that good for so long, their fans call it The Carpet. Don't think I've ever seen it anything other than near perfect.
 
If the sprinklers aren't used, the sides of the park become very slow for the movement of the ball when it's not raining. It's a huge difference between the surface being damp and the under lying rootzone being saturated.

Before a game, the hardness levels, moisture content are all recorded and adjustments are made to ensure the levels the management require are reached. You'll be surprised the amount of work that's involved for one game.

The club need to make a decision on the stadium expansion before anything will be done that will improve it to the lvel we require.

Leeds for the record spent 300k to relay the pitch last month. Insane amount of money for what is only a temporary fix and even at that, It was a huge risk.

The turf cost them a premium as it was being held for another club down south.
Knew it was linked to the expansion of the stadium but I’m guessing Covid may have changed those plans. Would I be barking up the right the tree there?
Here’s hoping some CL cash allows it all to go ahead next year.
A 56k capacity with a state of the art pitch, safe standing area and the seating renewed would be a dream.
 
I'm not an expert, but I do know that grass needs sunlight and Ibrox is a very dark stadium. Our drainage clearly isn't great either. Bad weather and games in the pissing rain means no recovery. It definitely affects out style of play. I'd say it is a top priority. I was impressed with Arsenal's pitch the other day. We'd really benefit from a good pitch.
Arsenal and Liverpool both hybrid pitches
 
If we do replace the pitch during the close season they should sell off the old pitch as they done during the 90's. It would be a money spinner after the season we've just had.
 
Some of the pitches in the English Prem look considerably better, granted they will have far superior budgets over the last however many years.

I have noticed that we seemed to have acquired these heat lamp machines which get pulled out at the end of a game, not sure how much of a difference they make though
We've had the heat lamps for years. But it's the underneath that really requires the investment. Example here for Liverpool

19 miles of pipeline and other facts

 
I thought the chat was it would be done for 2022?

Tbh, I think it would be silly spending £1m+ on a pitch if we’re then going to tear it up

With automatic CL qualification for the league winners next season we need the pitch to be in tip top condition. Can’t imagine the scum being quite as bad again.
 
The pitches in the premiership by and large look miles ahead of ours and the rest of Scottish football. I wouldn’t have thought the climate was making all the difference.
 
It's winter. Even Subbuteo pitches are struggling with the weather:
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Someone tell James Bisgrove that he could sell our pitch, it is the pitch that we will secure 55 on, to the fans as an eternal souvenir of an amazing season = there is a few million quid straight away plus thousands of happy bears.

Get a surveyor in to measure the pitch accurately and we can auction specific parts of the pitch where Tav passes, Alfie scored etc.

Rangers take my money!
 
I suspect the decision on what to do with the pitch depends on what we are proposing to do with regard to stadium expansion. If we are going to lower the pitch and put new seats in then any work to put a new pitch in will have to tie in with that. If we are not going ahead with increasing capacity by lowering the pitch then I suspect the club would invest in a top class playing surface in the summer.
 
I suspect the decision on what to do with the pitch depends on what we are proposing to do with regard to stadium expansion. If we are going to lower the pitch and put new seats in then any work to put a new pitch in will have to tie in with that. If we are not going ahead with increasing capacity by lowering the pitch then I suspect the club would invest in a top class playing surface in the summer.
Exactly this.
 
We can't leave it another season. The whole thing needs properly replaced, not just a new pitch laid over the top of the old soil.
 
If the sprinklers aren't used, the sides of the park become very slow for the movement of the ball when it's not raining. It's a huge difference between the surface being damp and the under lying rootzone being saturated.

Before a game, the hardness levels, moisture content are all recorded and adjustments are made to ensure the levels the management require are reached. You'll be surprised the amount of work that's involved for one game.

The club need to make a decision on the stadium expansion before anything will be done that will improve it to the lvel we require.

Leeds for the record spent 300k to relay the pitch last month. Insane amount of money for what is only a temporary fix and even at that, It was a huge risk.

The turf cost them a premium as it was being held for another club down south.
An area when what I’ll call new Ibrox was built (due to my age) is an area that a lot of new Stadia have discovered is, “Natural Light Incorporated“ to try to encourage better grass growth. Unfortunately the architecture of our Stadium at the time didn’t allow for this, hence the lamps, which is artificial. As for going down further, for capacity you’ve got the water table to put up with which would mean quite a bit of engineering drainage works.
 
Someone tell James Bisgrove that he could sell our pitch, it is the pitch that we will secure 55 on, to the fans as an eternal souvenir of an amazing season = there is a few million quid straight away plus thousands of happy bears.

Get a surveyor in to measure the pitch accurately and we can auction specific parts of the pitch where Tav passes, Alfie scored etc.

Rangers take my money!
Great idea.
 
We seem to be having to relay the pitch every summer at the moment and it has been poor from november to march for at least the last couple of years, the climate in glasgow isn't that much worse if any than northern england clubs so there must be a fundamental issue with the setup or maintenance through the season
 
An area when what I’ll call new Ibrox was built (due to my age) is an area that a lot of new Stadia have discovered is, “Natural Light Incorporated“ to try to encourage better grass growth. Unfortunately the architecture of our Stadium at the time didn’t allow for this, hence the lamps, which is artificial. As for going down further, for capacity you’ve got the water table to put up with which would mean quite a bit of engineering drainage works.

With regards to the water table.

Is it not a relatively straight forward fix with todays engineering technology to construct an water proofing/attenuation/drainage tank/area below ground level?
 
We seem to be having to relay the pitch every summer at the moment and it has been poor from november to march for at least the last couple of years, the climate in glasgow isn't that much worse if any than northern england clubs so there must be a fundamental issue with the setup or maintenance through the season
Proximity to the Clyde, probably below sea level, plus lack of natural sunlight in the winter months, [Club Deck effect]. All factors in posing problems which in truth goes back decades. As others have suggested I don't expect major investment until stadium expansion is either confirmed or ditched.
 
With regards to the water table.

Is it not a relatively straight forward fix with todays engineering technology to construct an water proofing/attenuation/drainage tank/area below ground level?
Yes but it’s the cost, for those of us old enough, back decades ago, you used to spit on the pitch and the game was rained off. Nowadays I believe drainage system is good, however I believe the problem is light and proper air flow.
 
With regards to the water table.

Is it not a relatively straight forward fix with todays engineering technology to construct an water proofing/attenuation/drainage tank/area below ground level?
I'm far from an expert, but wouldn't a drainage system require pipes all the way to the Clyde?
 
I'm far from an expert, but wouldn't a drainage system require pipes all the way to the Clyde?
Me neither mate but I thought that rather than running pipes all the way to the clyde we would need to just branch into a storm water drain which already runs to the clyde.
 
Yes but it’s the cost, for those of us old enough, back decades ago, you used to spit on the pitch and the game was rained off. Nowadays I believe drainage system is good, however I believe the problem is light and proper air flow.
I know a lot of stadiums have issues with light getting down to the grass/surface hence the use of lights/lamps.

Im sure liverpool spent a lot of money on their pitch/surface a couple of seasons ago and part of that was to maximise airflow, think another poster mentioned it further up the thread.

Again i wonder if we were planning on something similar, albeit probably on a slightly cheaper scale to what they have did at anfield.


But the financial impact of covid on our finances for this and for out potential plans for increase in capacity + lowering the Ibrox pitch may have kiboshed this or at least delayed a decision.
 
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