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Debate on Investment in Artificial Turfs

68 replies · 3,348 views
over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
el grapadura wrote:
steelo wrote:
Just a thought (and it may be stupid) but if there were more artifical turfs you could use them to take the load from the lower grades, leaving some of the grass pitches for the higher grades.
 

I think that it would lead to the fields being in better condition for longer, ensure that the lower grades dont get shafted by cancellations as often, and keep the higher teams at their home grounds. I dont know what the affect would be on bar takings but at Uni the teams down the grades still come back to the bar, and they play at KP once a season if that


The other option is to use the artificials during the week (6/8pm kickoffs) for the more social grades that don't have training, etc. You could probably knock off a couple of rounds of games in this way and ease the pressure on grass grounds and the artificials on the weekend.

Evidence from this season alone has shown that teams are willing to play at night during the week - sure most people would rather actually play on a nice surface at a somewhat inconvenient time, rather than be stuck in mud on a weekend or not play at all.
 
Definately (maybe in the grades you dont have issues with teams being stacked though).
 
Would have the spinoff of keeping the gorunds the higher teams train on in better nick as they dont get thrashed on the weekends. We have only been able to train once at our outdoor venue (Wilton) in the last couple of months.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
steelo wrote:
el grapadura wrote:
steelo wrote:
Just a thought (and it may be stupid) but if there were more artifical turfs you could use them to take the load from the lower grades, leaving some of the grass�pitches for the higher grades.
�

I think that it would lead to the fields being in better condition for longer, ensure that the lower grades dont get shafted by cancellations as often, and keep the higher teams at their home grounds. I dont know what the affect would be on bar takings but at Uni the teams down the grades still come back to the bar, and they play at KP once a season if that
The other option is to use the artificials during the week (6/8pm kickoffs) for the more social grades that don't have training, etc. You could probably knock off a couple of rounds of games in this way and ease the pressure on grass grounds and the artificials on the weekend. Evidence from this season alone has shown that teams are willing to play at night during the week - sure most people would rather actually play on a nice surface at a somewhat inconvenient time, rather than be stuck in mud on a weekend or not play at all.

�

Definately (maybe in the grades you dont have issues with teams being stacked though).

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Would have the spinoff of keeping the gorunds the higher teams train on in better nick as they dont get thrashed on the weekends. We have only been able to train once at our outdoor venue (Wilton) in the last couple of months.


Yeah, was thinking probably Cap 6 and down.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Justin Lester here - I'm running for Council in the Northern Ward and am all in favour of bringing funding forward for artificial pitches.

 

I�ve got a bit of a football background, I started playing when I was 8 or 9 and am still playing in Cap 4 for Island Bay's HHH United. I�m also a Board Member on Capital Football. 
 

My own team traipsed around in the mud at Wakefield III two weeks ago - it's always good to get a game but the pitch was a swamp. Unfortunately it's the same story at Alex Moore, Kilbirnie, Karori and most of the other pitches around town. Therefore it�s easy to get excited about artificial turfs when you compare the mud swamp grass pitches with the nimble footwork on display at the sublime Te Whaea and Nairnville Park turfs.

 

We've got literally thousands of kids, adults and supporters across Wellington and for most Saturday sport is the highlight of the week. By increasing the number of artificials we can lessen the burden on the grass pitches and increase the standard of play across the board.

 

Regardless of where you live, use your vote wisely and we could end up with a whole lot more artificial turfs within the next three years.

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Lester, welcome to the debate.
Anyone whose had the pleasure of Wakefield No3 in July has to be an authority on this subject.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
You would have enjoyed playing at Prouse than Lester.
 
Ive never had a problem parking at Petone. The problem is that most people would rather park on the footpath than use the empty car park

A dog with a bone :)

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
What about one of those back fields at Rongotai College?

Normo's coming home

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Hard News, certainly looks like Brendan Gage. But Brendan Gage has speed, flair and indomitable spirit, all this guy's got is a couple of ear-rings.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
John Bishop is launching a radio advertising campaign tomorrow calling for more aritificals. Apparently you can listen to them via his website - http://issues.co.nz/johnbishopforcouncil/
I understand Marcus Ganley (also a Lambton Ward candidate) is going to be around town at games tomorrow handing out fliers with a similar message.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
George Costanza wrote:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/4053711/Teams-suffer-from-muddy-fields
What exactly do they(the council) mean by not being able to find suitable sites?
Is it an enginerring issue ie the land isn't suitable for the turf to be laid on?otherwise I'm not really sure where the council are coming from on this one as there are loads of pitches already in place that could be transformed not least the dreaded Island Bay 4 , Happy Valley swamp ,or the Macallister aligator park both  in Berhampore and at the bottom of Vogeltown ,if its new sites they are on about then what about that large vacant piece  of land above happy valley off Murchison street on the left as you head up to Frobisher st ?
Hopefully with the local elections loming  there will be some meet the candidate forums where YF members and any other interested parties can lobby for change ,maybe any public meetings could be publicised on this thread!
 

The answer to life's problems are rarely found at the bottom of a beer glass - but it's always worth a look.

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
From what ive heard,its the old "not in my backyard" attitude. Apparently the extra cars around their area all week is enough for them to say no. This is just one instance I remember reading about though.

Allegedly

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
No issues like that around the Development of Wakefield Park in IB (1 or 2)  ...or at least that I know off...
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
How much Cricket gets played there is the other problem.  That rules out Kilbirnie, Karori (ARf!) and MacAllister doesn't it ?

How's my driving? - Whine here

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Artificial Fields need plenty of parking. They ideally need to be away from residential zones due to the lights. Any current fields that they choose to convert should not be used by any summer sport that could be badly affected (e.g. cricket).

There are a few current fields that could be converted right now in Wellington. Most people have already stated them. One option I have not seen mentioned before is Crawford Green. It might lack parking and the residents might object to lights, but no other sport uses it.

What should really happen (but wont) is for all local body authorities (The Regional Council, Upper Hutt, Hutt City, Porirua and Wellington) to get together and fund a few (2 or 3) in different parts of the region, or one large field containing 4 or more pitches say out the Hutt somewhere.

spandex2010-08-27 14:47:06
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Da Boss wrote:
No issues like that around the Development of Wakefield Park in IB (1 or 2)  ...or at least that I know off...
no off street parking?

Founder

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Hard News wrote:
Fraser and Grenada North are two obvious potential spots for your scheme Spandex.
Agree with boh fraser would be best for multiple pitch's in one place.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
All sounds good but "voting" for someone who says "they'll do it" is far away from actually doing it. And don't forget the local Iwi's!
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
DOm Post editorial today all about artificials - decent playing fields are a "birthright"!!
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Crawford Green - Think of the dogs - where would they got to sh*t then!!

Petone? - Why not turn the abandoned tennis courts and playground of the closed school into additional parking

When Hibs, went up, to win the Scottish Cup - I wisnae there - furfuxake!

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Anyone any ideas on the cost to use them for football? Hockey players had to pay extra when the turf at Newtown opened up.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
CF held an artificial turf forum a couple of years ago regarding potential impacts of artificial turfs.  Hockey was the main sport that was referenced from a local perspective.

Key issues.  The cost of upkeep...  Senior Hockey subs were roughly $400 per season, juniors i think were about $150.  For training.. hiring the turf was about $100 per hour which obviously includes the cost of lights, etc.

The bigger issue was the effect of clubs.  As teams were playing any day or time during the week, there was less & less link or between teams and their clubs.  Many hockey clubs simply walked away from their clubrooms because they weren't being utilised sufficiently cover the cost.

Things may have evolved now, but at the time, the forum agreed that the key cultural aspect of footy is the ability for local club rivalry & affiliation to a club identity. 
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
quite a big difference between the hockey model and what would happen with football. ALL hockey now played in one place, whereas football turfs would be spread around (to some extent) and lots of footy would still be played on grass. clubs are hurt by cancellations and transfers as it is.
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I don't necessarily agree that the possibility of clubs sharing facilities based around an artificial turf hub (or hubs) has to mean the death of club rivalry/identity.
 
Quite a few clubs are already struggling to survive in their own clubrooms and sharing facilities might even provide a boost to the social side of things.
 
At the end of the day players need to be playing. The rest of club life is important but it is still secondary and some compromises might need to be made.
 
Of course you could always start a tiddlywinks club and then you'll never need to go outside.
 

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Marius Lacatus wrote:
quite a big difference between the hockey model and what would happen with football. ALL hockey now played in one place, whereas football turfs would be spread around (to some extent) and lots of footy would still be played on grass. clubs are hurt by cancellations and transfers as it is.

Not so and player numbers are nowhere near the Football numbers so hockey would be able to accomodate most teams on the turfs they do have.
  • National Hockey Stadium, 9 Mt Albert Road, Berhampore, Wellington
  • Elsdon Turf, Elsdon Park, Titahi Bay Road, Porirua
  • Fraser Park Turf, Fraser Park, Percy Cameron Drive, Lower Hutt
  • 4-a-side - Wellington Indoor Sports Centre, Hall Street, Newtown
  • 5-a-side - Wellington Indian Sports Centre, Kemp Street, Kilbirnie and Newlands Turf, Black Rock Road (Paparangi Tennis Club), Newlands
  • 6-a-side - Wellington College Turf, 15 Dufferin St, Mt Victoria

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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
stand corrected.
 
but the impact on hockey clubs still much more radical in my view (bc we would still use existing grass fields, not be moved entirely to artificial hubs)
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over 15 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
WATCH THIS SPACE for tomomorrow's launch of our TURF4WELLINGTON website.
 
Wellington City Council candidates tell us what they are going to do about artificials.
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