decorator Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 i was back last week and popped in on fri 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star sail Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Pitch looks great. Is that Jim Gannon in picture 4? A team bus in the background and it would feel like deja vu! Good pictures. Cheers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewarkfanclub Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 I wondered why the pitch looked so much better this year. That explains it. A McGhee team would have a field day on that surface! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Ah, we're now using rigs of growing lamps. Does anyone know if we've used them before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del_Superwell Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 I believe this is the first team we have used these lamps, our groundsman regularly gets to borrow them off of Celtic I believe, he either used to work there or is good friends with their head groundsman I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decorator Posted October 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 we own them now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milo Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Remember when our pitch looked like a ploughed field, but that's all we really had to worry about!!! Memories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzie Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Where is the poke from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postiejim Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Where is the poke from?Aye whits in the bag ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decorator Posted October 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onthefringes Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 I believe this is the first team we have used these lamps, our groundsman regularly gets to borrow them off of Celtic I believe, he either used to work there or is good friends with their head groundsman I believe. That was the last green keeper. The investment over the years now paying off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingu Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaag Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 aye but the stairs in the East are a mess 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The African Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Great pics. Feeling homesick now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted October 18, 2015 Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 Thought the pitch looked outstanding yesterday. Early days though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wispy Flossy Posted October 18, 2015 Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 Thought the pitch looked outstanding yesterday. Early days though. Yeah me too. Will be judged again after a spell of wet weather or when the under soil hearing bakes it for a sustained period however Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that hat Posted October 18, 2015 Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 Saying the same about the pitch yesterday, looking very lush. But it seemed very greasy as several players were having difficulty stopping and turning without sliding, especially Kennedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted October 23, 2015 Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 Looks perfect , in tonights match under heavy rain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted June 2, 2016 Report Share Posted June 2, 2016 *Bump* Sowing the seeds of success: A Motherwell groundsman's vision for Scottish football Motherwell FC groundsman Paul Matthew at Fir Park, Motherwell..... (Photo by Kirsty Anderson/Herald & Times) - KA. 1 day ago / Scott Mullen, Group Sports Writer IT’S first thing on Monday morning and Paul Matthew is already hard at work. In fairness, he has been ever since he first walked through the front door at Fir Park little over a year ago. Standing in the shadow of the stadium’s giant South Stand, Matthew consults with a colleague about the day’s work as several pieces of heavy machinery snarl, grunt and crank into action. A short walk later and the Motherwell groundsman dashes around the vast expanse of bare ground in front of us before we walk down the stadium’s tunnel and into the comfort of a function suite before eventually settling at a table, all the time talking about the journey he and the Premiership club have travelled together during a radical 12 months. Before we go any further, it is worth putting into perspective the task Matthew had when he first took over as head groundsman at the end of last season. Punch the words ‘Motherwell’ and ‘pitch’ into Google and you are guaranteed to get a wide variety of responses spat back at you. The results may contain images and stories about pitch invasions, most notably the flood of people that rushed on to the park last May as Motherwell beat Rangers to secure their safety in the Scottish top flight. But this return is only a drop in the ocean compared to array of pictures of sodden surfaces, rutted turf, mud patches and reports of abandoned matches. For years the infamous pitch between Fir Park’s stands was synonymous with postponements, causing embarrassment and more importantly financial loss to a club living modestly following a spell in administration in 2002. It is therefore to Matthew’s credit that he has, quite literally, helped Motherwell outgrow this reputation by harvesting one of the best playing surfaces in the country. During an in-depth conversation underneath the Phil O’Donnell stand, he explains just how it has been achieved, and how he hopes to plant the metaphorical seed for Scottish football to follow suit. “The Motherwell job came up and I knew the hereditary problems involved,” he told HeraldSport with the gentle hum of a tractor purring away in the background. “A couple of people said to me that I could help, so it was a bit last minute from me. I was lucky enough to get the job and we started from there. “We are now on to the second renovation being done and it’s a process. It’s a difficult pitch and nobody really understands how difficult. Geographically it’s the second highest pitch in the country, something like 86 metres above sea level. We are extremely high up and get hit with all the weather patterns, particularly rain. What you want is a football pitch that drains and we didn’t have that, so in the last two renovations the club have supported me in my bid to get the stigma away from our surface. “We are trying to make Motherwell Football Club as the model for the rest of the teams in our league that don’t have the massive finance. I’m not a money man, I’m just a guy that sees what we do as a club and I look at my counterparts and wonder why they can’t.” Starting out as a greenkeeper at Windyhill Golf Club in Bearsden, Matthew went on to serve 10 years at Rangers looking after Murray Park and then Ibrox, before English club Wolverhampton Wanderers took him south. It was this time in England that has highlighted just where we are going wrong in Scotland. The main word that kept coming up for Matthew was that of respect. It is something he believes is badly lacking as groundsmen up and down the country are left exposed as they attempt to protect their beloved pitches. From slack protection rules to dismissive and abusive opposition staff, Matthew insists improvement must be needed. “It’s about respect. That’s the first thing. Why are the rules not governed and enforced by the SPFL delegate? He or she should be down pitch side. There is a certain amount of teams in our league that seem hell-bent on dismissing you as an individual for what you are trying to do, and I’m talking about dismissing you in an appalling manner. “I’m out there preparing that surface for their guys to play on. I don’t expect to get the abuse that I receive when I ask an individual to stick to a certain rule. I’m left hung out to dry out there. I need the delegate with me to enforce the rules and take that away from me. “The rules are loosely termed and they need tightened up. We are being filled with excuses game after game. “Down south it was seamless, the players were regimented. But that comes from the coaching staff. The players are just told what to do. “If we don’t protect our pitches, our football becomes a backwater. Players don’t want to come up and play on a poor pitch. When I first was at Rangers Dick Advocaat made David Murray build Murray Park because he knew they couldn’t attract the best players without it.” For Matthew, the respect must start at the very top, starting with our National Stadium. In recent months Hampden has come under criticism due to its patchy surface and it’s emergency returfs ahead of the League Cup final and the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-finals. “The surface is wrong,” said the Motherwell groundsman, alluding to the fact it is a full grass pitch and not hybrid like the turf at Murrayfield. “It’s short-termism and that’s what is killing our game. How can Murrayfield do it and that’s a minority sport? Football is our national game but our national stadium pitch is not up to scratch. It should be the focal point and kick-on point for all our other clubs, but it’s not. “It’s not ideal [bring in turf in winter] because it may not be what you need or want, but it’s all that’s available. The last-minute decision only comes from a pitch that wasn’t fit for purpose to play that amount of games on. “If it’s not a hybrid pitch with reinforcements in it, it’s not acceptable. Hampden gets a lot of natural light but I know and feel sorry for Stevie their head groundsman. He is a really conscientious guy with a great background but no matter how good a groundsman you are, if you don’t put the stepping stones in place you are beaten in our country.” Matthew is hopeful Motherwell, who now use high-tech TLS lighting rigs to help their pitch, can help inspire other clubs on a similar budget for the greater good. “At Motherwell, we are on a bit of a journey here. We want people to look at our pitch and say ‘That used to be one of the worst, now it’s one of the best. How have they done that?’ “We have to raise the profile of groundsmen in this country, and that will have a lovely knock on effect. Clubs may start to take surfaces more serious, and our governing bodies may start to try and get rid of the stigma attached. “That may filter through to the clubs, the players, the physios, the coaches. Until that point, we’re struggling. Really struggling.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted June 2, 2016 Report Share Posted June 2, 2016 Interesting post Iain. I know we've had a series of mild winters recently but there's little doubt our pitch has improved no end and its now a decent playing surface. I believe this close season, some additional drains are being laid and of course it has been reseeded. Credit to our groundsman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ONeils40yarder Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 I noticed at the Celtic game before the end of the season, one of the groundsmen having a bit of a ding-dong with a group of their players and John Collins about 10mins before kick-off. He was trying to work on the goalmouth at the South Stand while they were firing shots into the goal...it looked like he asked them to move, but they kept firing shots in and actually looked like they were aiming for him. Wonder if thats the type of shite that he is talking about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmfc Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 It's quite clear that the transformation in our pitch since this guy has taken over has been remarkable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevens Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Him and McGhee got into a massive argument with McInnes just before the second half kicked off as he was trying to fix the wing and Aberdeen were making their guys do sprints to cut it up. He was ragin with them and the 4th official had to pull him away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepper Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Guy seems to be raging every week. Where else are the players ment to warm up? Hes not happy for Celtic using goals, nor Does using wings. Pretty sure 15 mins isn't going to make or break the park Was about to say the same thing. With the sprinklers being on at half time that reduces the usable part of the pitch even more. I always used to laugh at the guys pretending to fork the pitch at half time when in reality they were doing fook all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbcmfc Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Guy seems to be raging every week. Where else are the players ment to warm up? Hes not happy for Celtic using goals, nor Does using wings. Pretty sure 15 mins isn't going to make or break the park Is he not saying they were deliberately trying to cut it up (as opposed to doing a genuine warm up)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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