Ieuan Gregory

Yes Dave 3G does flood however if the underground drainage has been put in OK, then like any normal grass pitch it will drain well. After a heavy and constant downpour it takes ours about 20-30 minutes to return to good playing condition,but as said rubber will float to the surface and needs brushing back in ASAP, preferably in dry conditions. Also 3G tends to flood when compaction of the infill occurs through heavy use and poor maintenance. We have a unit with spring tines that can be used carefully to decompact the infill. So yes it can mean an extra brush and also postponing use, if prevailing conditions warrant it. So far so good, we managed well through last winter.

Just to expand on the topic of fees for a 3G. It is not a no maintenance facility. We have had ours for 12 months now and costs have just about sorted themselves. 3G needs a mechanical brush for every 10 hours use, at this time of year it needs leaf removal at least twice a week. Petrol costs are about £5-£6 per week . Time is about 6 - 10 hours per week depending on usage. Then twice a month testing the surface can take up to 4 hours That for Hayle is all free through voluntary labour. Then the biggy with good maintenance the carpet can last up to 20 years, but the average seems to be between 12 and 15 years . At today's prices a replacement would cost anything up to £150,000. so over a 15 year period a 3G provider would have to save about £10,000 a year over and above the maintenance costs.That is a tall order. Then there is a cost every 3 years of getting the pitch certified for competition use, another £1800. On top of this depending on the usage and maintenance of the facility the pitch has to be deep cleaned at regular intervals (2/3 years) about £2500 a time . So taking all this into account without voluntary labour the cost can be quite considerable,hence the price of hire. Unfortuneatley nothing comes cheap any more. Having spent my formative years playing on Tottenham and Hackney marshes (aptly named) we would have given our eye teeth for something like this. I am not a fan of artificial pitches , but having had one for 12 months, over last winter, I can see the advantages.LONG LIVE GRASS

The lad who broke his leg at Hayle., Dan Northall, we believe it is a double fracture of the bottom of the leg and possibly a dislocated ankle. He is having an operation today,Sunday, we will probably know more tomorrow

Hayle saw it on the trelawney forum page and registered to attend soon after

There is a defib at Hayle FC but not on the national network as yet. Available in clubhouse

For those of you that may be interested, the Hayle pitch only slopes a maximum of 4 feet from end to end ( roughly 1:80) and slightly more from corner to corner. It was designed this way to maximise the land drainage. Over the years before we took it on the field was in Broccoli for much of its life. Hence tons of sand was spread over giving good drainage. The wind we can do nothing about, as the prevailing wind is South West it tends more often than not to blow across rather than up and down. The pitch laid as per FA preference North to South. All of the previous is why over the past 17 years we have had to call off 12 games two of which were for ice or snow.