New training pitch

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Downgrading to cat 2 doesn't normally affect facilities (once you have them you may aswell keep them) - but it can save you £millions per year in reduced staffing costs. There's a huge staff requirement difference between cat 1 & cat 2.
Seeing as Financially Reading are on borrowed time
I’ll take our small steps approach to being solvent and financially sound
 
if we do not go up this season we have a significant reduction in income stream due to no
Longer receiving parachute payments.
Could we not be saving money to see us through that drop in income ?
 
Seeing as Financially Reading are on borrowed time
I’ll take our small steps approach to being solvent and financially sound
I'm not even that fussed about being a 'Cat 1' academy, what I think is criminal is that the legacy of our 2 PL seasons will be:

  • Updated media facilites - a positive
  • A lick of paint on Cherry Street - won't last forever
  • Oli McBurnie - Having finally found some form he's now had a hernia operation, is in court this month and out of contract in the summer.
  • Rhian Brewster - Is 99% nailed on to be our 'worst signing ever' and we've had some shit.
  • Sander Berge - Frequently injured and never consistently found the form that some fans are convinced he's capable of, we are at a point where if we don't accept a chunk of change for him soon he'll be in 'run my contract down' mode and we'll lose him for not a lot or nothing at all.
  • Some desso on the training ground - Looks nice on the videos!
 
if we do not go up this season we have a significant reduction in income stream due to no
Longer receiving parachute payments.
Could we not be saving money to see us through that drop in income ?
We still will be receiving parachute payment next season if we don't go up this season. It will be the third and last.
 
I'm not even that fussed about being a 'Cat 1' academy, what I think is criminal is that the legacy of our 2 PL seasons will be:

  • Updated media facilites - a positive
  • A lick of paint on Cherry Street - won't last forever
  • Oli McBurnie - Having finally found some form he's now had a hernia operation, is in court this month and out of contract in the summer.
  • Rhian Brewster - Is 99% nailed on to be our 'worst signing ever' and we've had some shit.
  • Sander Berge - Frequently injured and never consistently found the form that some fans are convinced he's capable of, we are at a point where if we don't accept a chunk of change for him soon he'll be in 'run my contract down' mode and we'll lose him for not a lot or nothing at all.
  • Some desso on the training ground - Looks nice on the videos!
I did say small steps , it did coat 5 million to upgrade ground to PL standards though
Agree about Brewster ( unfortunately )
But Berge , in my view was bought to be sold on at a profit
Same with Anel
Mcburnie, playing for a new contract
While I can understand Chris’s thinking when he bought these players
If went down , high end Champ players would see us right ( bit like Norwich)
But fuckme he spent some money on shite
 
"will the grass take sufficiently for the first team to train..." I could see problems here.

In the current cold spell there will be minimal growth, if any at all. If it has undersoil heating then the situation improves, especially if it can get a few hours sun daily and the ambient temperature is 7 degrees Celsius or above.

What often happens is that newly laid pitches are played on too soon, resulting in slippage of the pitch, and slips by players because of it, sometimes causing injuries.

What also often happens, is that too much water is given to the pitch so that the grass roots don`t have to grow down searching for water, and in the process anchoring the pitch properly.

Whether the club has been clever in undertaking the works in a quieter period for pitch contractors, may largely depend upon how it is treated until the Spring.
Is the UFH working yet would also be another good question....
 
How does a tent in Middlewood get a Cat 2 status? That and they haven't produced a player who plays much higher than league one for many a year. Even Vardy was fucked off to Stocksbridge Park Steel as a youngster.
 
I'm not even that fussed about being a 'Cat 1' academy, what I think is criminal is that the legacy of our 2 PL seasons will be:

  • Updated media facilites - a positive
  • A lick of paint on Cherry Street - won't last forever
  • Oli McBurnie - Having finally found some form he's now had a hernia operation, is in court this month and out of contract in the summer.
  • Rhian Brewster - Is 99% nailed on to be our 'worst signing ever' and we've had some shit.
  • Sander Berge - Frequently injured and never consistently found the form that some fans are convinced he's capable of, we are at a point where if we don't accept a chunk of change for him soon he'll be in 'run my contract down' mode and we'll lose him for not a lot or nothing at all.
  • Some desso on the training ground - Looks nice on the videos!
You would have a good point but…..covid. Perspective is needed!
No matchday revenue meant that a huge financial hole was created and needed to be plugged. And here we are, on the other side, still investing in infrastructure, still solvent, flying high in the championship and having kept hold of our best players. The reality is every single club would be in a better state If covid never happened. But it did, be grateful the club is being run responsibly and slowly growing.UTB
 
You would have a good point but…..covid. Perspective is needed!
No matchday revenue meant that a huge financial hole was created and needed to be plugged. And here we are, on the other side, still investing in infrastructure, still solvent, flying high in the championship and having kept hold of our best players. The reality is every single club would be in a better state If covid never happened. But it did, be grateful the club is being run responsibly and slowly growing.UTB
That's a fair point, but as you say Covid impacted everyone, so the fact that other teams didn't spunk all their money on Rhian Brewster, Sander Berge and Oli McBurnie still makes us look bad.

All might be capable players and have shown periods of capability (less so Brewster) but only the most Blades-tinted specs in the world would call any of them a success (to date).
 

Early training pitch issue​

While on the subject of the training pitch, it is not up and running fully due to the fact the undersoil heating is not yet operational. Heckingbottom and his players have only been on it twice so far, and are still using the academy pitches.

One of the biggest advantages of the new surface was that the undersoil heating would allow it to be used throughout the winter, unlike last season. And with temperatures dropping and the pitches covered in frost, now is the time when Heckingbottom and his players would really see the benefit.

Heckingbottom said: "We've only gone on it twice. We are waiting for the undersoil heating. That's what we want, on days like this with a good frost sheet, we are finding areas of the pitch to train on.

"The reason we need the heating is for days like this. To help the pitch get closer to that point and help the firmness and its playability, you need to have that constant heat beneath and allow the grass to grow into the fibres and mesh the pitch together and that's why it is a must to get that heating on.

"The majority of sessions are still on the top [academy pitches]."

Taken from Yorkshire Live. So when the team need it most the pitches still aren't available. Seems like this hasn't been managed effectively. Not yet operational can mean many things from its not yet installed to we haven't got enough cash in the budget to keep it turned on.
 

Early training pitch issue​

While on the subject of the training pitch, it is not up and running fully due to the fact the undersoil heating is not yet operational. Heckingbottom and his players have only been on it twice so far, and are still using the academy pitches.

One of the biggest advantages of the new surface was that the undersoil heating would allow it to be used throughout the winter, unlike last season. And with temperatures dropping and the pitches covered in frost, now is the time when Heckingbottom and his players would really see the benefit.

Heckingbottom said: "We've only gone on it twice. We are waiting for the undersoil heating. That's what we want, on days like this with a good frost sheet, we are finding areas of the pitch to train on.

"The reason we need the heating is for days like this. To help the pitch get closer to that point and help the firmness and its playability, you need to have that constant heat beneath and allow the grass to grow into the fibres and mesh the pitch together and that's why it is a must to get that heating on.

"The majority of sessions are still on the top [academy pitches]."

Taken from Yorkshire Live. So when the team need it most the pitches still aren't available. Seems like this hasn't been managed effectively. Not yet operational can mean many things from its not yet installed to we haven't got enough cash in the budget to keep it turned on.
Very strange scenario, obviously the under soil heating has been installed - this would go in before the pitch. So why has it not been switched on?
 
Very strange scenario, obviously the under soil heating has been installed - this would go in before the pitch. So why has it not been switched on?
Maybe the plant room install isn't finished? Maybe the electrics/gas systems need testing and signing off?

Maybe turning it on so soon after installing a desso pitch would cause issues with the plastic fibres weaving into the natural grass?

Maybe turning it on when the pitch has only recently been seeded causes issues with how the roots of the new grass grow?
 

Maybe the plant room install isn't finished? Maybe the electrics/gas systems need testing and signing off?

Maybe turning it on so soon after installing a desso pitch would cause issues with the plastic fibres weaving into the natural grass?

Maybe turning it on when the pitch has only recently been seeded causes issues with how the roots of the new grass grow?
matey no talking common sense on here ,you know it's because we can't afford the gas bill 🤣
 
Should be getting 67 quid towards the leccy bill start of next month from government, then it goes on
 
Saudi oil shipment arrives in the transfer window
 
Nowt to do with training pitch but saw at least three new pitch lighting/heating rigs being unloaded in bramall Lane car park today.
 
Nowt to do with training pitch but saw at least three new pitch lighting/heating rigs being unloaded in bramall Lane car park today.
We’re going to train in the car park. Gravel rash < hamstring.
 
Nowt to do with training pitch but saw at least three new pitch lighting/heating rigs being unloaded in bramall Lane car park today.

Maybe the old ones are headed to Shirecliffe? Or maybe we’ve branched out into hydroponics. 🌿

(“branched” 😬)
 
Maybe the plant room install isn't finished? Maybe the electrics/gas systems need testing and signing off?

Maybe turning it on so soon after installing a desso pitch would cause issues with the plastic fibres weaving into the natural grass?

Maybe turning it on when the pitch has only recently been seeded causes issues with how the roots of the new grass grow?
The heat is needed to help knit the fibres together.
 
Maybe the plant room install isn't finished? Maybe the electrics/gas systems need testing and signing off?

Maybe turning it on so soon after installing a desso pitch would cause issues with the plastic fibres weaving into the natural grass?

Maybe turning it on when the pitch has only recently been seeded causes issues with how the roots of the new grass grow?
Listening to Hecky post Stoke game, he's not happy with the situation with the new pitch. We are still training on the old pitches, which has caused Baldock and Stevens injuries. It sounds like we couldn't get sign off to turn the heating on and we are now 2 months behind schedule.
What a pathetic and amateur situation.
 

Listening to Hecky post Stoke game, he's not happy with the situation with the new pitch. We are still training on the old pitches, which has caused Baldock and Stevens injuries. It sounds like we couldn't get sign off to turn the heating on and we are now 2 months behind schedule.
What a pathetic and amateur situation.

Have to say, regardless of takeover situation, it would seem this is pretty woeful management from the Prince.
 

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