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Post by Keithsson on Jan 16, 2021 16:54:17 GMT
This was the week the pitch was supposed to be done and dusted. And this week's pilgrimage to Woodside Road does indeed show signs that the hallowed plastic is indeed finished.
There are no more bags of surface treatment waiting to be spread, they're all empty and stuffed into a lonely skip awaiting removal.
Looking through where the turnstiles used to be the pitch looks dressed and ready for action (sigh) π
A few cosmetic site clearance tasks await, plus of course the reinstatement of the turnstiles. But it looks like the pitch was delivered bang on schedule.
It needs to be signed off to finally end this sorry saga officially and I'm sure the club will send up the white smoke soon as that moment arrives π₯³
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Post by Keithsson on Jan 24, 2021 14:46:29 GMT
This week's Woodside wander shows the site has been totally cleaned up and the ground looks good to go.
The skip has gone, the site fences have gone, the protective 'floor boards' have gone and the turnstiles have been reinstated.
Buried in one of the Herald interview articles with Barry Hunter was the fact the FA were coming to inspect and hopefully approve the new surface during last week.
...with nothing heard since hopefully no news is good news π€
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Post by Keithsson on Feb 5, 2021 18:51:58 GMT
...another week and still no formal confirmation that we passed the inspection a fortnight ago and the pitch has finally got a clean bill of health.
Sure we're not playing any games on it any time soon but neither is the manager going to be managing anyone any time soon... yet his contract signing can be announced and celebrated.
Given all the problems we've had with the pitch you'd think they'd be shouting from the rooftops for getting that monkey off our shoulders π€
Edit - this was embedded in the subsequent article on Hinsh's contract extension...
..."Thereβs been a some unbelievable work off the pitch; obviously getting the pitch done and sorted is massive for the club to be able to push on"
Hmmm, seemingly not so massive that it merited any formal confirmation though eh.
Maybe its actually gone so uncomfortably long since the inspection that confirming it now becomes a bit embarrassingly late to mention. So do we just 'assume' it passed?
I hope so, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about π¬
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Post by Keithsson on Mar 9, 2021 19:25:56 GMT
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Post by Kenty in Weardale on Mar 9, 2021 23:39:10 GMT
Are the bricks in place yet?
If so I wonder if photos could be sent to the donors as it may be quite some time until we can have access to see for ourselves
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Post by virgs1 on Mar 10, 2021 10:33:46 GMT
The bricks are on site all engraved and will be installed before the first game back with spectators. I'll have a hunt for yous and send a few pics once up if not on socials
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Post by Keithsson on Apr 10, 2021 9:51:45 GMT
The work continues. On my 'constitutional' this morning I spotted that the old/new turnstile entrance gate in the north east corner has been replaced with a nice new wooden door.
The rickety old door had always left a question mark as to whether that entrance was actually going to be used now... as opposed to just forward planning for segregated entrances in the Natonal league.
Now its sorted it can come into regular use. It remains to be seen what Covid protocols the club will adopt when crowds return but with toilets and catering now on two sides of the ground we could split the ground. Lewes did this to reduce the 'mingling', maybe we'll follow suit.
Something in the back of my mind recalls Ange Tanner mentioning this option on one of the podcasts last year.
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Post by Keithsson on Jul 4, 2022 16:18:22 GMT
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Post by Bally on Jul 4, 2022 16:47:59 GMT
Trying to work out where it is from the picture... behind the old toilet block next to the grass?
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Post by Keithsson on Jul 4, 2022 17:23:05 GMT
Trying to work out where it is from the picture... behind the old toilet block next to the grass? Can't tell exactly where from the image but yes, that looks like the back of the east stand. Logically, for access, it'd have to face north to where the shop marquee is (or maybe used to be?). I guess the little kids who usually kick a ball about there will have to 'do one' π€£ [Nerd alert]... going on the shadows it was spun 180Β° between the images and the image was taken at about 9-10am π€ I guess we find out tomorrow π
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Post by wwrebel on Jul 4, 2022 18:40:24 GMT
Think the new bar / fanzone will be on the left as you enter the ground via the turnstiles. Good addition for those that like a beer but may do little to ease congestion at half term me with all the food and drink outlets down one end of the ground.
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Post by worthingwire on Jul 4, 2022 19:08:27 GMT
Think the new bar / fanzone will be on the left as you enter the ground via the turnstiles. Good addition for those that like a beer but may do little to ease congestion at half term me with all the food and drink outlets down one end of the ground. There's not really anywhere to put anything like this at the other end of the ground though.
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Post by Keithsson on Jul 4, 2022 20:44:49 GMT
I thought the 'beer trolley' they had at Hop Oast could work down that end. It could certainly be rolled down the front of the main stand to the corner (before the stepped concrete kicks in).
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Post by wwrebel on Jul 5, 2022 6:57:18 GMT
Think the new bar / fanzone will be on the left as you enter the ground via the turnstiles. Good addition for those that like a beer but may do little to ease congestion at half term me with all the food and drink outlets down one end of the ground. There's not really anywhere to put anything like this at the other end of the ground though.Β There has been talk about constructing a tea/food hut in the South East corner which would add another outlet. Another option would be a 'horsebox' type servery similar to the one at Horsham which could be situated in the Eastern half of the ground. Depends on finances I suppose and what sort of attendances we get this season as to whether any more outlets are deemed necessary.
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Post by Keithsson on Jul 5, 2022 10:10:21 GMT
And that's a very good point WW.
There's a danger of catering (literally) for the 'riding high with several local derbies' ILPD crowds as opposed to the 'finding our feet' NLS crowds. Its not unreasonable to see crowd numbers dropping slightly this season.
A new servery to reduce the queues is still a good idea. Maybe wait and see is a sensible policy before adding a fourth/fifth location for refreshments.
Then again there could've been lots of punters who wanted a beer/food last season but simply gave up queueing or didn't bother at all. If so its not impossible that demand might actually increase, even with increased supply, as the "ah, just forget it" fans start going for it.
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