Guest Posted March 15, 2016 Report Share Posted March 15, 2016 Bearing in mind the slopes at Newquay, Bodmin, Godolphin to name but a few, I'm guessing St Austell is the biggest. The reason for asking is that Chard Town could be kicked out of the Western League because of the size of their slope. I don't know if goal to goal or side to side makes a difference but Chard's slope is legendary but having not been it's hard to compare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 15, 2016 Report Share Posted March 15, 2016 No idea about the size of slope at either ground. Has this punishment happened to any teams in the past? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2016 Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 Chard Town plan all-weather pitch at Holyrood Academy By WGSweet | Posted: March 03, 2015 By Stephen D'Albiac Zembard Lane Comments (0) CHARD Town Football Club has announced plans for the club’s relocation from their current ground at Zembard Lane. The club have plied their trade in the Toolstation Western League since 1976, but due to the sloping pitch failing to comply with FA guidelines they faced the threat of expulsion from the First Division. However, having gained the support of their fellow Western League clubs, an extension has been granted to the club which will allow them to remain at Zembard Lane until March 31 of next year. This afternoon, the club have announced plans for a new 3G pitch that will be located at Holyrood Academy, which if approved will allow them to retain their Western League status and keep them in the town. Read more: http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/Chard-Town-plan-weather-pitch-Holyrood-Academy/story-26112907-detail/story.html#ixzz433OHGjbU Follow us: @thewesterngaz on Twitter | theWesternGazette on Facebook CHARD Town are sweating over a decision by the Football Association which could lead to their expulsion from the Toolstation Western League. The club have been warned they may lose their place in next season’s first division campaign because of the extent of their infamous slope at Zembard Lane. The Robins received a visit from FA ground grading inspectors earlier in this season, which led to every member club in both Western League divisions being asked to vote on whether Chard should be allowed to continue at their current level or be kicked out. New chairman Richard Allen, just six months into the role, says he has been heartened by the “unanimous support” they received from rival clubs to maintain their status in the league, which they have held since 1976. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 16, 2016 Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 This is all so ridiculous. There's no other way to say it, but the Western League and all its clubs should tell the FA to stuff it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2016 Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 THE Toolstation Western League has rallied behind Chard Town’s bid to preserve its First Division status amid expulsion fears sparked by a FA pitch inspection. The Robins have been warned they may lose their place in next season’s league campaign because of the extent of their infamous slope at Zembard Lane. The club received a visit from FA ground grading inspectors earlier in this season, which led to every member club in both Western League divisions being asked to vote on whether Chard should be allowed to continue at their current level or be kicked out. Pitch slopes at all levels of FA competition have to be within a gradient of 1:41 – and Chard’s exceeds that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 16, 2016 Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 I read what you pasted before commenting and I'm meaning they should tell the FA to stuff it even beyond March 31 of next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruegel the Elder Posted March 16, 2016 Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 Pieces could we keep referring to the pitch gradient and avoid the s**** word. Remember what happened to Jeremy Clarkson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECPL Posted March 16, 2016 Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 Rules is rules. But hang on Newcastle United's pitch has quite a big slope. Oh I forgot, it is all about money. Silly me. Just a thought Millbay Park where Edgcumbe currently play has a drop from end to end of at least 8 feet maybe more. Do the FA not realise that as long as there is a pitch clubs should be able to play. Just thinking allowed, what about the pitches at Callington Town, Liskeard Athletic, Pensilva, St Dominick, Lanreath, Polperro just to name a few who are by no means flat pitches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted March 18, 2016 Report Share Posted March 18, 2016 Chards slope is something else though. The club house is located on the half way line with little windows running along the top. When you look out the window to the left you see the bottom of the goal posts. When you look to the right you see the crossbar. It makes St Austell look flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Makes you wonder where Wadebridge would stand if they still had their awesome switchback ground. Now it's flat and looking good and they won't be there for much longer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlandlilywhite Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 I seem to remember a decent slope at Home Park when viewed from the away end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Rundle Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 The slope at Zembard Lane is way more than 1:41. It's been nicknamed the ski jump in the past. I'm not surprised it is being talked about but it would be a real shame to see this classic old Western League ground go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 So you can all make some sort of comparison, St Austell's slope is just within the 1:41 permitted by the FA. My understanding is that Chard is considerably above that limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 What is the problem though John? Or is this just the FA once again not really caring about the ordinary football club that has been around for years and never really hurt anyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Support for grassroots football “embarrassing” – Waddle Ex-England star Chris Waddle says grassroots football needs more funding and better facilities Former England international Chris Waddle has labelled the financial support given to grassroots football as “embarrassing”. The ex-Sheffield Wednesday winger now manages a Sunday League team in the city – Hallam FC – and has seen first hand the problems faced by grassroots clubs across the country and the escalating costs of getting a team together. “It’s very difficult,” Waddle told BBC Radio Five Live. “The pitches we were looking for, we couldn’t get one. We ended up looking for a 3G pitch because of the weather and found one that was charging over £160 a game. “Junior football is suffering badly. There are new teams folding every week. The majority of teams are finding it very, very hard to run. A Sunday morning team like us, if you’re starting off, you’re talking about £2,500 to £3,000 a season and that’s with players paying subs. “It’s ridiculous. With the amount of money flying around in the game today, it is absolutely embarrassing that a country like England cannot keeping funding football at grassroots level. “I just want to know, where does all the money go?” The Football Association points to £260m of investment in the grassroots game over the next four years, including the creation of new football “hubs” in 30 English cities. The first of these – a £6.8m pilot project in Sheffield, one of three hubs in the city – is due to open this summer, but BBC and ESPN pundit Waddle thinks more should be done to get existing facilities up to scratch. “They are opening a centre in Sheffield, which is not far from where I am, but you’re talking about so many people who want to play football. “If you’ve got so many football teams, from six onwards, who want to play [at the new hub], then they’ll have to join the queue. “Instead of investing £7m on just one thing, where it looks great for the FA, go and do the park pitches up. “Park pitches are shutting down. They cannot look after themselves if nobody cuts the grass and nobody looks after them. “There are so many football pitches in England – use them! Get quality into them. Get people to play and invest money in them. We don’t!” There are around 33,000 grass football pitches in England. 83% of which are publicly-owned – many of which have fallen into an increasing state of disrepair as local authority budgets are squeezed and councils are forced to cut pitch maintenance services. Pete Ackerley, head of participation at the FA, joined the debate on Five Live Daily and argued this case, as he asked people to consider what needs doing with some perspective about the scale of the task in hand. “I totally get where Chris is coming from and many others,” said Ackerley. “We’re part of that as well and we’re doing everything we can. We’ve announced an £8m investment in grass pitch upgrades, which will take some time to do and will upgrade around 2,000 pitches, which gives an idea of the perspective we have to put on this. “I’d love everyone to be able to play on a pitch like Wembley or a great 3G pitch, and we’re investing £36m over the next three years into those pitches. “We have to put some perspective on this. We’ve had another 5,000 new teams in the last two years and we’re trying our absolute utmost to support them, with help from Sport England and the Premier League, to get as many of these pitches as we possibly can.” The radio programme also paid a visit to Fletcher Moss Rangers in Manchester, who have been in the news recently after former protégé Marcus Rashford made a huge impact after breaking into the Manchester United first team. Dave Horrocks, coach at Fletcher Moss, who also helped bring through England international Danny Wellbeck, said their current changing room building “serves a purpose, but it’s not fit for purpose” and called on more to be done to support clubs at grassroots level, but not just those whose players go on to play for professional clubs. “There should be more support for [grassroots] clubs full stop,” said Horrocks. “If you improve the standard of grassroots facilities, you will improve the standard of player that comes out of those grassroots facilities.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 On 23/03/2016 at 15:25, Dave Deacon said: What is the problem though John? Or is this just the FA once again not really caring about the ordinary football club that has been around for years and never really hurt anyone! I suppose they have to set a limit somewhere or pitches would be on the side of mountains but how the FA decided on 1:41 as the maximum is anyone's guess. As in Chard's case, if the rest of the league are happy to play there, then why not let them continue playing there but with the proviso that they cannot be promoted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECPL Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 Look guys. There has to be some place for these invisible jobsworths to earn their coin. Remember Cottage Filed just outside Argyle. A huge great slope and then go behind that pitch and you had Lane End No One and Lane End No 2. Talk about a ski slope. Ok Lane End has gone now but for goodness sake, people just want to play football. What about the thousands of village teams who have to play on whatever is available. How on earth are they going to find something to play on. If you want to know where all the millions are going - just look at all the hangers on at the FA and the different county associations. They are there for the perks not the game of football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now