31 March 2023

With this incredibly wet weather and games being cancelled every week we are all gagging for some football. The topic of all weather pitches has come to the fore again.

Some players love the 4G surface whereas an equal number prefer the traditional grass surface. There is no doubt that the availability of a 4G pitch would have helped the club during the current deluge.

Stumbling blocks are not the inconsiderate financial issues with the 4G pitches often costing up to 3 times the cost of a grass pitch. This would impact on annual subs or match fees or both.

Another aspect is availability. Many pitches are fully booked often years in advance in the prime Saturday or Sunday time slots. Our respective leagues dictate when matches can be played and although there is some leeway, this is usually for one offs or in situations where there is a large build up of unplayed matches.

The committee has been looking at the situation and we were hopeful that the new 4G pitch to be built at Wimbledon College could be a solution. We put our names down. But the project has been delayed.

If anyone has any ideas then please share them with our chairman or club captain.