Can we get promotion?

I am amazed how our small squad of players are performing this season.

Can we really do this?

If yes, can we afford to go up?

The new 4G pitch will help with revenue (ensuring prime games are on etc)....but being in the Conf North last time nearly killed the club off...can we afford to take the chance again?

I would suggest the infrastructure at the club is completely different than before....but the average attendances are stagnant...I suppose there are some really well supported clubs in the Conf north with maybe Kidderminster joining in...?

Thoughts?

Can we go up? yes, can we afford it? no reason why not considering what's being achieved on the pitch with the budget we have now, yes the budget will need to go up but by how much is up to the Chairman. will the 4g bring the revenue needed? I'm not convinced it will bring in what is projected and will only guarantee games if the maintenance is top form, it's different to grass but no less challenging. Attendance wise, we did have/start building a good youth following but due to a couple of minor incidents that could have been nipped in the bud by the club they have all gone. instead a knee jerk reaction is implemented regards ticket price, made to feel unwanted in the clubhouse, pool table removed, and a bit of double standards to boot! the atmos died and led to more older fans not bothering to attend home or away. this to me was a mistake and the fans are trying to coax them all back, the youth price needs dropping and more direct engagement from the club to the fans ( of all ages ) needs to be implemented. this is our anniversary year, our best team in over ten years, our best chance of promotion.....we should be screaming from the roof tops and doing everything to get fans in or back in. UTR's

Anything less than a play-off position will be hugely disappointing. I think we are probably one of the favourites to finish in the top five. It's so close at the top that it's difficult to predict who the champions will be. It's going to be tough to secure promotion but we have as good a chance as anyone else around us.

Can we afford it? I don't know. I can only guess at the figures involved. But it's beyond doubt that we are in a better position than we were last time. Promotion this year may coincide with the new 3G investment that will bring in much needed additional revenues. Time will tell how profitable the a new 3G pitch will be.

Our crowds would improve. Home support might only see a modest increase, but there would be a significant increase in the number of away fans compared to what we see now. And think about the potential away days!!! I'm assuming promotion would be to the Conference North.

One final thought, I'm pretty sure that we'd fail the ground grading requirements. Last time, the club had to install the temporary stand behind the goal. That stand has now gone.

I have seen many 3G/4G pitches over here..most colleges have them now for all sports....they are fantastic.

Low maintenance, high quality...it really is like playing on the best grass pitches you can find.

I was talking to the maintenance guy at Norfolk College the other day...their 3G pitch is 6 years old...played on everyday and has had zero maintenance in that time...and it still looks like new now...amazing!

With all of the youth teams training outside of the club in the winter months, that in itself will keep funds inside of the organization.

I am not convinced that the 3/4G pitch being installed is going to make the club the money it thinks it will, how many of these are not available in the immediate area? Redditch Hockey/cricket/Rugby Club, Woodfield school installing one, Studley, etc etc.

Proof is in the pudding and how they will make this pay, in essence the yoof section will use it heavily but that won't make money for the club will it?

Promotion? Yes it is needed, the team on the pitch can do a job next season with a few additions, does the club really want it? Hopefully but what I see is that it is all about the Youth Section and this is the priority rather than this being a feed to make the 1st team the success if needs to be, that has to be the priority with the foundations of the youth section to feed it players/supporters for years to come, if that is the case then great.

It will Leethal....instead of the Yoof's paying all the other vendors..they will pay the club instead..which will in-turn be directed to the 1st team.

Even though our budget will be one of the lowest in the league, I think Mr Swan has proven that the funds will be available to make the team competitive...good coaching will make them contenders.

3G are not zero maintenance, weekly jobs include - Drag matting or brushing to redistribute infill,
Brushing to lift the pile. Flattened pile results in a faster surface, fibrillation and matting and a consequential reduction in performance.
Localised topping up of infill levels (penalty spot, centre spot, corner kick areas etc) to support the pile and maintain maximum dynamic response from the carpet.
The removal of debris from the surface.
quarterly - Ride-on brushing system with oscillating brushes, Relieving compaction of the infill to ensure consistent ball and foot response.
Removing moss or weeds within the surface, particularly around the edges of the pitch.
Rejuvenation
As the carpet pile wears, dirt and debris inevitably become trapped in the infill. Contaminated infill can compact, which will give a harder playing surface and problems with drainage leading to flooding. Contaminated infill should therefore be replaced before such problems occur.
The more it's used the more the above needs doing, may be less work than now but no less important for longevity and peak performance. essential in drawing custom away from other alternatives and providing all our teams with a quality consistent pitch.

RedJeff wrote:3G are not zero maintenance, weekly jobs include - Drag matting or brushing to redistribute infill,
Brushing to lift the pile. Flattened pile results in a faster surface, fibrillation and matting and a consequential reduction in performance.
Localised topping up of infill levels (penalty spot, centre spot, corner kick areas etc) to support the pile and maintain maximum dynamic response from the carpet.
The removal of debris from the surface.
quarterly - Ride-on brushing system with oscillating brushes, Relieving compaction of the infill to ensure consistent ball and foot response.
Removing moss or weeds within the surface, particularly around the edges of the pitch.
Rejuvenation
As the carpet pile wears, dirt and debris inevitably become trapped in the infill. Contaminated infill can compact, which will give a harder playing surface and problems with drainage leading to flooding. Contaminated infill should therefore be replaced before such problems occur.
The more it's used the more the above needs doing, may be less work than now but no less important for longevity and peak performance. essential in drawing custom away from other alternatives and providing all our teams with a quality consistent pitch.

Lazy quote from t'internet Red Jeff....very poor journalism that.
Of course the pitch will need work...just like grass...but no more than keeping a turf pitch in order (based on my face to face research with the local College ground-staff)

With climate change etc....3G pitches will be the future at most levels outside the FL.

Bob Marley wrote:

With climate change etc....3G pitches will be the future at most levels outside the FL.

There are a lot of Football League clubs in favour.



"The Football League has failed to approve use of 3G pitches after yesterday's vote was tied - with thirty-four votes for, thirty-four against, and four abstentions.
Football League CEO Shaun Harvey said: "This vote is reflective of the fact that this issue divides opinion amongst clubs as much as it does across the football public.
The closeness of the vote demonstrates there is still a desire amongst clubs to find out more about artificial surfaces before taking such a significant step" http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/headlines/football-league-vote-against-3g-pitch-return.html

It may not happen anytime soon but I think that it is inevitable that, at the least, League 1 and League 2 clubs will introduce them at some point in the future.

cheap bullying tactics from Bob Marley, very poor discrimination that.
Of course it's a copy & paste, I suffer from severe Dupytrens in both hands and sometimes can't type at all let alone throw out a 500 word essay explaining why I am right and you are not, hence your back track from "zero maintenance" to " of course the pitch will need work". I assume the bloke you spoke to is of the same ilk as the bloke who done zero maintenance on Stratfords 3G! hence its a crap pitch!! I also know that using 3ton rollers on a grass pitch is both wrong and a sure fire way of losing games, that fell on deaf ears as well!

RedJeff wrote:cheap bullying tactics from Bob Marley, very poor discrimination that.
Of course it's a copy & paste, I suffer from severe Dupytrens in both hands and sometimes can't type at all let alone throw out a 500 word essay explaining why I am right and you are not, hence your back track from "zero maintenance" to " of course the pitch will need work". I assume the bloke you spoke to is of the same ilk as the bloke who done zero maintenance on Stratfords 3G! hence its a crap pitch!! I also know that using 3ton rollers on a grass pitch is both wrong and a sure fire way of losing games, that fell on deaf ears as well!

Low maintenance, high quality...it really is like playing on the best grass pitches you can find.

so the yanky zero maintenance crap was for the benefit of whom? your ego maybe? At the end of the day it will need a lot of important maintenance work to remain peak condition, having spoke to some real grass/3/4g qualified grounds people over the last few years and visiting manufacturers in both capacity for the council and the club and visiting pitches at different life stages I stand by what I said.......on a side note this is why fans don't use this forum, constantly having their opinions rubbished and belittled. calling people lazy or using silly emoji's is not debating but bating, just because our opinions might differ from yours does not make them any less wrong or that we don't love the club as much.its the same on Facebook pages, but at least there the fans (sorry customers) just get their opinions deleted.

This is where I play RedJeff....this is who I have been speaking to with regard to maintenance of the pitches.

http://www.norfolkcollegiate.org/turffields

My meaning was that the 3G pitches take no extra maintenance than a standard grass pitches...of course, the treatment is different, but the direct face-to-face feedback I have is that it is a revolution in terms of care and attention.

I have no ego...just a positive attitude!

Football should be played on grass, the FA/FIFA should mandate it and get artificial surfaces banned

The table is looking good tonight, good luck to Marcus.

Loads of Redditch old boy's having great seasons, Simon Redhead at Moors and Paul Smith at Bromsgrove all challenging for honours.

Bob's mate Graham Hyde is also doing his bit training kids for a small Black Country side

Mrs Moor you may as well have wrote your real name with that post but your secret is safe as too cryptic for some. now back on to subject, Bob.....with my own eyes. Merthyr pitch was bobbling like the deep blue sea!, 2 years old and not used as much as we project. this to me enforces what I say (and I say for the benefit of the club and not for points or personal gratitude) if we don't put in place top grade maintenance then we will have not only have a crap pitch in 12 months but will have wasted this investment. let's get it right and learn from others, speaking of which today a pint and chips £3:30 and sold on the stand! best chips so far this season, we need to do this.

Leethall, football should be played on grass.....in a perfect world.

Football should be played on high quality, grass pitches. The reality is that this option is only consistently available to wealthy clubs and worldwide only to a very limited number of players.

In my Sunday League days, most matches were played on terrible pitches. They were uneven, sloping, had bobbles and divots, they were often waterlogged, ankle deep in mud, puddles everywhere, no line markings....I could go on! Are condition any better for all of our junior teams? I doubt it. The Terry's Playing Fields are horrendously uneven.

And that's just thinking about football in the UK. Financial and practical reasons aside, there are climate issues in play. In Northern Europe, pitches are often frozen. In warmer climates, games are played on sand and rock hard pitches. Both of which are dangerous.

3G pitches aren't perfect, but they are are an attractive solution to many clubs and the quality and technology is only going to get better from here on forward. Many Premier League clubs no longer play on grass pitches, but a hybrid of grass and artificial strands.

Financially, a 3G pitch is a huge boost to our club that will mean that through pitch hire and use of the clubhouse, the club is making money 6-7 days a week rather than maybe 1-2 times a week. This will be a crucial revenue stream for the club.

Personally, I'd like to thank our chairman, Chris Swan, for this evenings good news. After he saved this club from extinction, this is the next best news we have had in as long as I can remember!

COYR!

del boy wrote:Leethall, football should be played on grass.....in a perfect world.

Football should be played on high quality, grass pitches. The reality is that this option is only consistently available to wealthy clubs and worldwide only to a very limited number of players.

In my Sunday League days, most matches were played on terrible pitches. They were uneven, sloping, had bobbles and divots, they were often waterlogged, ankle deep in mud, puddles everywhere, no line markings....I could go on! Are condition any better for all of our junior teams? I doubt it. The Terry's Playing Fields are horrendously uneven.

And that's just thinking about football in the UK. Financial and practical reasons aside, there are climate issues in play. In Northern Europe, pitches are often frozen. In warmer climates, games are played on sand and rock hard pitches. Both of which are dangerous.

3G pitches aren't perfect, but they are are an attractive solution to many clubs and the quality and technology is only going to get better from here on forward. Many Premier League clubs no longer play on grass pitches, but a hybrid of grass and artificial strands.

Financially, a 3G pitch is a huge boost to our club that will mean that through pitch hire and use of the clubhouse, the club is making money 6-7 days a week rather than maybe 1-2 times a week. This will be a crucial revenue stream for the club.

Personally, I'd like to thank our chairman, Chris Swan, for this evenings good news. After he saved this club from extinction, this is the next best news we have had in as long as I can remember!

COYR!

What he said !

I think promotion is still achievable, but for the last couple of games, we haven't looked like a side who are top of the league. I think we have enough in us to win the playoffs though.

nice to see reds still second now the three points have been taken off us..i feel with the forwards we have got at moment we will need some luck to stay there has i dont think our forwards can score enouth goals to keep us there

The CN could be a hell of a Division next season (pending all the what-if's)...Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Tanworth, Stockport County, FC United, Worcester, Gloucester, Telford....some big games.

Could we survive at that level with our current squad?

Me thinks it would be a disaster..with a quick-fire relegation...

Bob Marley wrote:The CN could be a hell of a Division next season (pending all the what-if's)...Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Tanworth, Stockport County, FC United, Worcester, Gloucester, Telford....some big games.

Could we survive at that level with our current squad?

Me thinks it would be a disaster..with a quick-fire relegation...

It could be a disaster. Promotion is always scary. But, Mr Swann is talking a good game. Full time manager, extra staff. If we can add some quality players and keep hold of some of the better ones we have now, we could possibly hold our own and stay in that division.

I'm more concerned that we cant afford the wage increases, and wont get that many extra people turning up at the valley.

I think we would get much better attendances than in the Southern Prem which generally seems p*** poor in terms of away support. Look at some of the teams we would be up against in the North; Worcester, Kiddy, FCUM, Stockport, Chorley, Telford. Apart from creating more local interest than playing the likes of Biggleswade and Hungerford we would be seeing a big increase in away support. That combined with (hopefully)extra revenue from our new facilities could and should significantly boost the club's revenue.

I am nervous...that level nearly killed the club before.

You are right...the infrastructure now is in place which was sorely missing in the last escapade.

I still think another year of success at this level would be better.