Blackpool away

[Epic Swindle]

Gerrard and Agger confirmed fit and available. Not sure it'll be on though.

[smithdown]

How will the pools panel play this one? Has he got any mates on it?

[Benzo-13]

Get Hodgson to talk to the pitch...

There's enough hot air there to get it on.

[Cheesecake]

I thought undersoil heating for teams in the premier league was a fundamental requirement?

[Epic Swindle]

They have two seasons to install it I think. I've read that the pitch is playable but they reckon it will freeze up again as soon as the covers are removed.

[Bigal]

I cant see it being on

[Billy Dane]

Hodgson expects it to go ahead:

 

"I'm not planning for it to be called off and I don't think it will be called off.

 

"I know Blackpool are working very hard and doing everything they can to get their pitch ready, and I believe they will succeed."

 

No doubt be cancelled later today, now he's said that.

[Big Red Machine]

I thought undersoil heating for teams in the premier league was a fundamental requirement?

 

I think its just a requirement to have some plan to deal with a frozen pitch. And a tent and hot air blowers counts.

[Sion]

Forecast Snow

[Davvo]

They have two seasons to install it I think. I've read that the pitch is playable but they reckon it will freeze up again as soon as the covers are removed.

 

That's right they were given 2 years to install it by the Premier League. I think the Chairman (notoriously tight, which is the main reason they're not burdened with debt like 95% of the rest of the clubs) wanted to wait and see if they stayed up. He's now said they'll install it regardless come the Summer, indeed they couldn't realistically have done it this last Summer with all the other stadium related stuff they needed to do.

 

Funnily enough, both games they've had postponed recently, the pitch has been playable at kick off time. For the Manc game the decision was made almost 36 hours ahead of the game by the ref, and the Spurs game was postponed more because of the difficulty of travel for spurs team/fans, and partly the roads around the ground.

 

They've done a load of work to get access to the ground for fans, and the pitch right now is playable. The only danger would be if the pitch freezes again once the covers are off like you say, so aslong as the temp isn't too low Sunday afternoon, there should be no threat to the game. They're desperate to get it played.

[Red Kent]

Forecast Snow

 

There was snow forecasted for us last night and it never came

[stressederic]

There was snow forecasted for us last night and it never came

 

When it was snowing here on Sunday the BBC Weather website refused to acknowledge it was happening. Steadfastly maintained it was clear outside.

[Gomez]

I think 'the pitch was unplayable' is the only excuse Hodgson yet to use this season.

[Maldini]

The pitch generally isn't the problem with games getting called off now, it's safe transport to and from the game and conditions under foot in the vicinity of the stadium.

[Gomez]

The pitch generally isn't the problem with games getting called off now, it's safe transport to and from the game and conditions under foot in the vicinity of the stadium.

 

Think Blackpool have had the two matches called off in the last few weeks because of a frozen pitch.

[Hus]

Think Blackpool have had the two matches called off in the last few weeks because of a frozen pitch.

 

Yep they dont have under soil heating, but as Maldini said its also due to transport and fan safety atm.

 

TBH I think its because the clubs are scared they will be sued by someone for slipping over on the way to the ground or something stupid like that

[Rimbeux]

Yep they dont have under soil heating, but as Maldini said its also due to transport and fan safety atm.

 

TBH I think its because the clubs are scared they will be sued by someone for slipping over on the way to the ground or something stupid like that

 

 

It's ridiculous. They dont close the shopping centres or town centres, they play Rugby matches, but football gets all daft.

[Lanus]

Well they cant keep calling off games, the fixture pile up will become a problem...

 

I'd say the game will go ahead myself.. they'll pull out all the stops to make it happen. salt and grit around the entire stadium. pity they cant go to a 30 minute half time break and throw the cover with air heaters over it for 15 of it.. stop the pitch freezing on them.

[Cunny]

could be another famous postponement

Edited December 23, 2010 by Cunny

[Rimbeux]

Didn't they switch their first two or three home fixtures around as well because the ground wasn't ready?

 

Just had a look, and even if our game goes ahead, they'll hit the turn with 7 home games played and 12 away. Some might say that gives them an advantage in the business end

[CarraLegend]

Charlie Adam is banned, should be able to contain them pretty well now and who knows? Bit of luck goes our way and we could go home with an outstanding point.

[Sion]

If clubs were to do the sensible thing and implement some sort of 'its your own fault if you fall' clause in the t&cs when you buy your ticket and half the ground can't get there, they'll lose out on revenue. They'd probably prefer to postpone.

[Davvo]

Didn't they switch their first two or three home fixtures around as well because the ground wasn't ready?

 

Just had a look, and even if our game goes ahead, they'll hit the turn with 7 home games played and 12 away. Some might say that gives them an advantage in the business end

 

 

Only one game, the ground was always going to be ready for the second weekend of the season, but the Premier League refused to schedule them an away game first up, so they had to switch that first game.

 

As for an advantage, their away form is a little better than their home form , and always has been really(only 3 teams scoring more pts per game away from home this year so far, whereas only 4 or 5 have worse pts per game at home ). They like to play football, and find other grounds far better for that than their own . Undersoil heating would make their pitch better for the 2nd half of the season, and actually help them, but it costs money and they just don't like to spend. It's great that they are sticking to their principles of not getting into debt like Hull, Portsmouth etc, and are taking a much more long term view of things, but I think they do need to loosen the purse strings a little more than they have done, to ensure they capitalise on the position they're in.

[CarraLegend]

Their away form is amazing really, especially considering theyve been to Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool *sigh* and Man Utd aswell, not so hard to win an away game is it Roy? Holloway in a few months with Blackpool has already doubled Roy's league away wins in the last 18 months and is one away from matching Roy's last 2 and a half years!

 

Blackpool look pretty dismal at home though so maybe we could even sneak a win but I wont be expecting it.

Edit : not been to Utd but still

Edited December 23, 2010 by CarraLegend

[Davvo]

Charlie Adam is banned, should be able to contain them pretty well now and who knows? Bit of luck goes our way and we could go home with an outstanding point.

 

Oddly, as good a player as he is, and obviously the biggest name they've got, he's been far from the best player for them this year. David Vaughan runs the midfield. Still, we should really be beating them, we have better players. Holloway gets far more out of his than this tool we have however.