Our pitch

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Pittodrie pitch has cost Aberdeen top-six SPL place, laments Jimmy Calderwood

 

JIMMY CALDERWOOD reckons the Pittodrie pitch has wrecked Aberdeen's bid for a top-six place in the SPL.

 

And the Dons boss reckons his players are being made to look stupid on the worst surface in Scotland.

 

Aberdeen flopped again at home on Saturday - dropping two points against St Mirren - and must now rely on rivals Falkirk or Hearts slipping up to salvage their stuttering league campaign.

 

Calderwood said: "The pitch is an absolute joke. It's virtually impossible for the players to do their jobs properly on it.

 

"Players are waiting for the ball to bounce instead of attacking it and are frightened to try anything in case they're made to look foolish.

 

"Scott Severin got stick from some fans for hitting a shot well off target on Saturday. But I felt for him because the ball bobbled up off the surface.

 

"It's very difficult to judge what's going to happen to the ball when it is on the ground. We like to think of ourselves as a passing team but you can't do that on a pitch that awful.

 

"When we're at Pittodrie we have to try to dictate the game and set the pace but it has become harder to do that with each passing week.

 

"I'm not laying all the blame on the pitch for the fact our chances of making the top six are now in doubt but it is a factor in our poor home form. Not having a decent surface to work on in our home games has made life difficult.

 

"The players are put under more pressure because it's tougher to play crisp, first-time passes when the ball is bouncing all over the place.

 

"This has resulted in them resorting to lumping a lot of high balls forward and that doesn't suit the squad or our style of play.

 

"Our training pitches have been unplayable so we were left with no choice but to train at Pittodrie. I feel sorry for the groundstaff people but we have to prepare properly for games.

 

"However, the club have said they are confident the surface will get back to its best by next season and I hope that is the case."

 

Aberdeen re-laid the pitch and drainage three years ago at a cost of £350,000 but will now be forced to spend more cash on repairs.

 

Football director Willie Miller said: "Jimmy has good reason to criticise the state of the pitch. It is a problem we will address at the end of the season as it's crucial to give the players the best surface possible to perform on.

 

"I'm not a horticulturist so I'm not in a position to explain why the pitch is in such poor condition. However, we've played a lot of games on it this season and the bad weather meant the first team had to train on it several times too.

 

"We have to come up with ways to ensure the pitch can cope better than it has in the years ahead because we hope to be involved in Europe and the latter stages of cup competitions on a regular basis.

 

"But we're not alone in this respect in the SPL. Rangers were forced into major rebuilding at Ibrox recently and the problems at Fir Park have been well-documented.

 

"Our desire to see our pitch become at least as good as some of the top English ones will mean a considerable outlay in the summer."

 

Wasnt there on Saturday but it did look a bit cut-up on the highlights, but it cant be worse than Firr Park? Is it?

[tafkat]

Strange that pitch was not a problem when we beat united and copenhagen and drew

with munich and celtic.

It's the same for both teams and seems to be another excuse for the shambles of league form.

 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

I don't think it's an excuse, the pitch doesn't help us at all.

[TheChimp]

Surely Jimmy trying to get someone to stump up for decent training facilities too.

 

When's this training bit with the university getting done?

[Sharpie]

I don't think it's an excuse, the pitch doesn't help us at all.

 

I agree. The pitch will be a hindrance when trying to break down stuffy defensive sides like St. Mirren. In all the other games Tommy mentions, bar United, we were underdogs.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Surely Jimmy trying to get someone to stump up for decent training facilities too.

 

When's this training bit with the university getting done?

 

Very true Chimp, if Miller is making statements about having a EPL standard surface then training on the Pittodrie pitch is an absolute no-no.

 

Hence the need for decent training facilities, as if the number of training injuries hasn't already made a good enough case for that as it is.

[tafkat]

This is when Milller should be shouting at Milne about splashing out

on a decent training facility.

[Superstar Tradesman]

Not being able to find a decent bit of 'grun' to train on is a joke.  But then if you're not allowed to build a golf course in Aberdeen because it might upset some birds then I'm not altogether surprised.

 

I started out reading that press clipping shaking my head at JC then ended up agreeing with him and Miller.

 

How long have we been crying out for training facilities now? 

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Not being able to find a decent bit of 'grun' to train on is a joke.  But then if you're not allowed to build a golf course in Aberdeen because it might upset some birds then I'm not altogether surprised.

 

I started out reading that press clipping shaking my head at JC then ended up agreeing with him and Miller.

 

How long have we been crying out for training facilities now? 

 

As you say, no golf course, nightmair trying to arrange land for a stadium, what the fuck are the odds of the shites of the round table at the cooncil allowing more grun for a decent training facility?

 

No chance.

[stonefish100]

Most of the pitches in the SPL are a joke. Surely for a Northern European country such as ours with the harsh climate, the case for synthetic pitches has got to be made. They are used very successfully in the Norwegian top flight and the year round good surface would definitely contribute to a better style of football. The archaic SFA/SPL needs to take a good look at this.

[Kowalski]

I can't see a training facility being built until the new stadium gets the go-ahead.

[rednek]

Have the uni's no got an indoor training area we could use?

Our pitch is poor but in better nick than ICT or wells. Best pitch is probably gretnas.

 

[Superstar Tradesman]

Most of the pitches in the SPL are a joke. Surely for a Northern European country such as ours with the harsh climate, the case for synthetic pitches has got to be made. They are used very successfully in the Norwegian top flight and the year round good surface would definitely contribute to a better style of football. The archaic SFA/SPL needs to take a good look at this.

 

Wasn't aware of this being the case.  You've also got to remember that the Norwegian league is played during the summer months which must help the groundskeepers do their jobs.

 

Having spent £350k on a new pitch, the question needs to be asked why it's in such a state already?

 

As for asking the Uni for help - that just highlights the shambles the SPL is in.  Surely a big tin building with an artificial pitch, showers, lighting and a couple heaters can't cost much?  Yet none of the teams can afford it and the SFA have a handful of O.F. players to pick from.

[stonefish100]

Norwegian season continues until November and there's no way the Northern clubs can keep grass going until then. The newn generation stuff is no different to grass. I agree our pitch should be better considering the recent money spent on it, but these new pitches could do away with the cost of upkeep and relaying all together, AFC should be looking at it for the community stadium if it ever gets green lighted.

[Superstar Tradesman]

I'd prefer if the new stadium just had a roof or some type of intelligent material sheeting stretched over it.

 

Hey, you started! 

[Guest BTR]

I can't see a training facility being built even if the new stadium gets the go-ahead

 

Never say never.....................

 

[Reekie_Red]

Absolute load of shite from JC. Our home form has been bloody good this season. Very few teams have come to Pittodrie this season and actually walked away with all points on offer. Of all the league, CIS Cup, Scottish Cup and UEFA matches Pittodrie has seen this season, Celtic have managed two victories, Motherwell and Hearts one apiece. Every other match has seen us either draw or win at home.

 

Jimmy, it's not the home pitch that's the problem, it's the away form that your squad needs to sort out for next season. I count four away victories all season in all competitions. That's the reason why we're in the bottom six. No home pitch can be to blame for four away wins all season!!!!

 

[Drewsome]

Our Pitch is horrid! 

 

I was in the 2nd row of the RDS Right behiond Soutar for the Gretna Game,  Poor Derek was chopping divets and making mounds out of the 6 yard box turf on every groud kick.