The Anfield pitch.

[Anubis]

FSG  Christmas present to Rodgers is revealed

 

 

Former toe-sucking guru David Mellor is now the Fenway Park groundskeeper? That's some comedown from a Government Minister.

[sir roger]

Could be considered a step up the evolutional chain from Thatcher's bitch.

[magicrat]

Former toe-sucking guru David Mellor is now the Fenway Park groundskeeper? That's some comedown from a Government Minister.

Oh I don't know. He will also be in charge of of our transfer policy, His experience of soccerball gained from his radio phone in show and being a Chelsea fan would have clinched the deal,

[Trumo]

Maybe they changed the grass to something different on account of Balotelli's grass allergy.

[VladimirIlyich]

Maybe they changed the grass to something different on account of Balotelli's grass allergy.

Is that the same allergy he has to putting the ball between that metal rectangular thing?

[Paco]

 

Liverpool FC's hopes of relaying the Anfield pitch this summer look set to be dashed due to building work on the redevelopment of the Main Stand.

 

Manager Brendan Rodgers has frequently bemoaned the state of the playing surface which has deteriorated badly over the course of the season.

 

The Reds’ hierarchy acknowledge the problem which hampers and slows down Liverpool’s passing game but plans to address the issue during the off-season are now in serious jeopardy.

 

Cranes are scheduled to be on the pitch during June as contractors Carillion step up work on the £100million Main Stand project to add 8,500 extra seats to Anfield’s capacity.

 

Even if Liverpool were able to put in new drainage prior to the cranes moving in there are fears the weight of the machinery would burst the piping. As a result the Reds may have to continue playing on the same surface in 2015/16 before it can be ripped up and replaced when the stand is completed in the summer of 2016.

 

Previously, Anfield was renowned as one of the best pitches in the Premier League but opposition players and managers have regularly commented on its shabbiness this term. There are numerous bare patches and the ball bobbles across it.

 

VIEW GALLERY

 

The ECHO understands there is no blame attached to the club’s ground staff who work tirelessly to ensure it’s in the best possible condition.

 

It’s simply a case of Liverpool having failed to sufficiently invest in the infrastructure. Industry experts says a pitch which was given a 10-year life span is now 14-years-old.

 

The current pitch is a ‘Desso GrassMaster’ – a combination of natural grass and artificial fibres. Some 20 million artificial grass fibres are injected 20cm deep and cover about 3% of the surface.

 

The natural grass roots intertwine with the artificial turf fibres and the result is a pitch that can take three times as much football as a normal, natural grass pitch. You don’t get clumps of turf being dislodged. The company’s list of clients also includes Wembley, Manchester City and Arsenal.

 

Liverpool are getting two new ‘Desso’ pitches installed at their Melwood training ground this summer but sorting out Anfield is proving more problematic.

 

The current drainage and irrigation system dates back to 1998. There is no state of the art sprinkler system with a hose currently used to water the pitch before matches. There is also a shortage of grow lights which are used to warm the surface and artificially grow the grass.

 

Issues with Anfield’s previous natural grass pitch during Gerard Houllier’s reign back in the 1999/2000 season led to the club teaming up with ‘Desso’ in 2001. Each summer since then extensive work has been carried out, with the natural grass removed and the surface re-seeded, but window dressing is no longer sufficient.

 

For such an iconic stadium, the current state of the pitch is a disgrace. It’s to the current crop’s immense credit that they haven’t allowed that historical neglect to hamper the Reds’ revival.

[niallers]

Son of a pitch. Surely they can work somethin out. Why wasn't it done last summer?

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Mown mown mown.

[boomer39]

Son of a pitch. Surely they can work somethin out. Why wasn't it done last summer?

someone lawndered the cash for it.....

[JermainePennant]

The pitch has been noticeably shit the last few weeks and if it's not getting sorted until after next season that's a disappointment.

 

Our record away from home has been better then at home lately and we seemed to retain possession better at places away like palace.

 

I don't put all the blame on our pitch but it certainly isn't helping us to play the kind of game we want to and the state of it shows that clearly Rodgers was just not looking for excuses as made out by some at the time.

[Paul]

It was bobbly as fuck (relatively speaking) on Wednesday night. Certainly the worst I can remember at Anfield.

[lebron]

Yep. Biggest comfort is that it makes our pressing game even more effective. I can see us murdering the Mancs and their casual sideways passing when they vist us. We'll clearly get more opportunities closer to the opposition goal when the pitch is in its current state, the obvious disadvantage being us having issues with our own building of attacks from the back. I won't be shocked to see us become a bit more direct in the last few weeks of the season.

[stringvest]

It is a disgrace that we've allowed to let it get this bad - but did you see the pitch Bradford were playing on today?  Fucking hell.  Quagmire.

[Brownie]

So it wasn't an excuse after all...

[an tha]

It looks bare and really slippy because it's so bare. It's a disgrace by modern top flight standards.

[Guest LFD]

Get used to it.

 

Blood Red: EXCLUSIVE - Liverpool FC's hopes of relaying Anfield pitch set to be dashed by building work

08:00, 7 March 2015 By James Pearce
Cranes are due to be placed on the playing surface this summer

Liverpool FC's hopes of relaying the Anfield pitch this summer look set to be dashed due to building work on the redevelopment of the Main Stand.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has frequently bemoaned the state of the playing surface which has deteriorated badly over the course of the season.

The Reds’ hierarchy acknowledge the problem which hampers and slows down Liverpool’s passing game but plans to address the issue during the off-season are now in serious jeopardy.

Cranes are scheduled to be on the pitch during June as contractors Carillion step up work on the £100million Main Stand project to add 8,500 extra seats to Anfield’s capacity.

Even if Liverpool were able to put in new drainage prior to the cranes moving in there are fears the weight of the machinery would burst the piping. As a result the Reds may have to continue playing on the same surface in 2015/16 before it can be ripped up and replaced when the stand is completed in the summer of 2016.

Previously, Anfield was renowned as one of the best pitches in the Premier League but opposition players and managers have regularly commented on its shabbiness this term. There are numerous bare patches and the ball bobbles across it.

The ECHO understands there is no blame attached to the club’s ground staff who work tirelessly to ensure it’s in the best possible condition.

It’s simply a case of Liverpool having failed to sufficiently invest in the infrastructure. Industry experts says a pitch which was given a 10-year life span is now 14-years-old.

The current pitch is a ‘Desso GrassMaster’ – a combination of natural grass and artificial fibres. Some 20 million artificial grass fibres are injected 20cm deep and cover about 3% of the surface.

The natural grass roots intertwine with the artificial turf fibres and the result is a pitch that can take three times as much football as a normal, natural grass pitch. You don’t get clumps of turf being dislodged. The company’s list of clients also includes Wembley, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Liverpool are getting two new ‘Desso’ pitches installed at their Melwood training ground this summer but sorting out Anfield is proving more problematic.

The current drainage and irrigation system dates back to 1998. There is no state of the art sprinkler system with a hose currently used to water the pitch before matches. There is also a shortage of grow lights which are used to warm the surface and artificially grow the grass.

Issues with Anfield’s previous natural grass pitch during Gerard Houllier’s reign back in the 1999/2000 season led to the club teaming up with ‘Desso’ in 2001. Each summer since then extensive work has been carried out, with the natural grass removed and the surface re-seeded, but window dressing is no longer sufficient.

For such an iconic stadium, the current state of the pitch is a disgrace. It’s to the current crop’s immense credit that they haven’t allowed that historical neglect to hamper the Reds’ revival.

 

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/blood-red-liverpool-fcs-hopes-8792133

[Mook]

See when you watch our games under Shankly & Paisley, the pitch was murder, I reckon we're better on a shit pitch.

 

Not that it excuses the current situation but it is a theory I've had for a while.

[Anubis]

Bowyer busy telling the press yesterday that Blackburn's pitch is much worse and they'll be lucky if they see any grass on it.

[TheHowieLama]

Cunt pitch.

[JohnnyH]

Sticks some daffodils around the outside of it and a water feature in the centre circle and it'll look lovely.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Adapt and survive. Hire Pulis.