Club has to unite in face of adversity, says Tim Harris (From South Wales Argus)

This man leaves me breathless. The complaints were about nothing being announced and people wasting time and money travelling.

Still there cant be much better way to blame others for the inevitable which we will soon have to accept,

I think that what worries some supporters is that the club has been very vociferous in attacking the Conference over the Gateshead affair and yet this is the third postponement at our own ground. The previous postponement (Kidderminster) was almost unique in the whole of England and Wales (with other matches being played in Newport on at day) and the latest unique within the Conference Premier, so making us look a bit tinpot I'm afraid. One answer could be to return to Newport Stadium for the remainder of the season and go back to Rodney Parade after the planned work on the pitch has been finished.

much as i dislike it , it seems the logical answer to the problem.

Tim if you thought that the pitch was unplayable a 7-00am and was in all probability going to be subject to an inspection did you not think that we the long distance travelling fans might like to know that there and then?? It is called customer care and is something that is lacking from you at the moment. After all you have at least two websites at your disposal.
I only criticise people where it is due. Enough said. You must learn to COMMUNICATE more effectively!!! Bleating about criticism is only pouring petrol on the flames as far as I am concerned. A word of apology from you would not go amiss now. We know it is tough for the club now but keep us loyal fans on board and talk to us in good time. You need us.

Tim if you thought that the pitch was unplayable a 7-00am and was in all probability going to be subject to an inspection did you not think that we the long distance travelling fans might like to know that there and then?? It is called customer care and is something that is lacking from you at the moment. After all you have at least two websites at your disposal.
I only criticise people where it is due. Enough said. You must learn to COMMUNICATE more effectively!!! Bleating about criticism is only pouring petrol on the flames as far as I am concerned. A word of apology from you would not go amiss now. We know it is tough for the club now but keep us loyal fans on board and talk to us in good time. You need us.

Rodney Parade has a history of games being called off through waterlogging. At least one Rugby game a year is called off when everyone else plays. I've always thought it was because its so low lying.

Maybe the sort of turf they put in at Sophia gardens might help but I'm not an expert.

The complaint about Gateshead isn't about postponements its the fact that they haven't got a ground for which they have primacy of tenure (as County were told they had to have). I still don't understand why Gateshead's relegation rivals haven't complained about it.

Really worrying thing is that with the weather at it is Thurday's match must be doubtful.

Surely they will have to extend the season if games are off this week. The Simple solution is don't play the play-off final at Wembley!

D Taylor There's nothing wrong with the RP pitch it's just that becuase of its proximity to the river it's liable to flooding. Doesn't affect Rugby so much (but there is a history of matches being off).

And even if the Spytty Pitch was playable we wouldn't be allowed to move there. Only Gateshead are allowed to do that! (sic)

Someone on this site said County have to pay £100,000. to help fix the pitch. Did'nt I read last season that the council said it would cost £100,000 to fix spytty park pitch? If we can find it for R,P. why could'nt we have found it for spytty?

Missing Somerton wrote:
D Taylor There's nothing wrong with the RP pitch it's just that becuase of its proximity to the river it's liable to flooding. Doesn't affect Rugby so much (but there is a history of matches being off).

And even if the Spytty Pitch was playable we wouldn't be allowed to move there. Only Gateshead are allowed to do that! (sic)

I take your point about the Conference not letting us move. But I think we would get a different reaction this time for two reasons. Gateshead and the song and dance we've made about them and the precedent that Gateshead have set. Also the fact that RP is obviously causing significant problems which Newport Stadium never did. Not in terms of postponed matches at any rate.
I disagree that there's nothing wrong with the pitch at RP. Certainly the number of games being played on it nowadays is too much for the playing surface to withstand. I'm sceptical about the river. I'm not convinced that the river has anything to do with it. Hopefully the work scheduled for the summer will sort it out for us.

larneman wrote:
Someone on this site said County have to pay £100,000. to help fix the pitch. Did'nt I read last season that the council said it would cost £100,000 to fix spytty park pitch? If we can find it for R,P. why could'nt we have found it for spytty?

The problems with stayng at Newport Stadium weren't just to do with the pitch, which ironically is in very good condition at the moment. County must have a stadium with a capacity of 5,000 including so many seats (2,000 if I remember correctly) to qualify for the Football League. This could only be achieved by the use of the demountable stands because the running track had to be clear of obstacles for the athletics season. Even then the 5,000 was only just being achieved. RP offers County a ready made stadium that can take the club to the 3rd Division if the team can achieve that. The capacity for football can be raised to 8,000, including about 5,000 seats. This is something that would never be possible at NS while it remained an athletics stadium. Also fans seem to prefer the city centre location and turn up in greater numbers to RP.

D Taylor wrote:

larneman wrote:
Someone on this site said County have to pay £100,000. to help fix the pitch. Did'nt I read last season that the council said it would cost £100,000 to fix spytty park pitch? If we can find it for R,P. why could'nt we have found it for spytty?

The problems with stayng at Newport Stadium weren't just to do with the pitch, which ironically is in very good condition at the moment. County must have a stadium with a capacity of 5,000 including so many seats (2,000 if I remember correctly) to qualify for the Football League. This could only be achieved by the use of the demountable stands because the running track had to be clear of obstacles for the athletics season. Even then the 5,000 was only just being achieved. RP offers County a ready made stadium that can take the club to the 3rd Division if the team can achieve that. The capacity for football can be raised to 8,000, including about 5,000 seats. This is something that would never be possible at NS while it remained an athletics stadium. Also fans seem to prefer the city centre location and turn up in greater numbers to RP.

Thanks for explaining that D Talyor I understand the position better now. So would I be right in thinking that we could have used NS on saturday ?.

Well it's been bucketing down here in Hampshire all day. What's it like in Newport ?

jetspotter wrote:
Well it's been bucketing down here in Hampshire all day. What's it like in Newport ?

Very little rain here. Just a few spots.

I watched the Swansea game on Saturday and it rained cats and dogs --but the surface looked as if it was a pre season day in August . No bare patches and lush playing surface .
Why dont we ask for some advice and maybe send some of the groundstaff down there for a couple of days each week and see what goes on .Surely they would be prepared to help ?

larneman wrote:

D Taylor wrote:

larneman wrote:
Someone on this site said County have to pay £100,000. to help fix the pitch. Did'nt I read last season that the council said it would cost £100,000 to fix spytty park pitch? If we can find it for R,P. why could'nt we have found it for spytty?

The problems with stayng at Newport Stadium weren't just to do with the pitch, which ironically is in very good condition at the moment. County must have a stadium with a capacity of 5,000 including so many seats (2,000 if I remember correctly) to qualify for the Football League. This could only be achieved by the use of the demountable stands because the running track had to be clear of obstacles for the athletics season. Even then the 5,000 was only just being achieved. RP offers County a ready made stadium that can take the club to the 3rd Division if the team can achieve that. The capacity for football can be raised to 8,000, including about 5,000 seats. This is something that would never be possible at NS while it remained an athletics stadium. Also fans seem to prefer the city centre location and turn up in greater numbers to RP.

Thanks for explaining that D Talyor I understand the position better now. So would I be right in thinking that we could have used NS on saturday ?.

Not without the permission of the Football Conference and, of course, Newport Council. There was no time to do that on Saturday. There may have been time to rearrange tomorrow's game if the club had acted straight away after Saturday, but with tickets having been sold to away fans etc. it would have been difficult to do. It's probably best to go ahead at RP and chance it. But after tomorrow here's a break in home fixtures until 30th March, I think. So the club could try to make arrangements to transfer the remaining 4 home games to NS if there's a will so to do. Much will surely depend on how the RP pitch pays tomorrow.

cambridge4x4 wrote:
I watched the Swansea game on Saturday and it rained cats and dogs --but the surface looked as if it was a pre season day in August . No bare patches and lush playing surface .
Why dont we ask for some advice and maybe send some of the groundstaff down there for a couple of days each week and see what goes on .Surely they would be prepared to help ?

Liberty Stadium, Cardiff City Stadium and many others (Wembley, Old Trafford etc) use the Desso GrassMaster system which is 3% plastic fibres over the area of the natural grass surface. The plastic fibres are injected 8 inches into the surface hence the natural grass roots intertwine with the plastic fibres to give a reinforced surface.

have that roof over rodney parade that JERRY SHERMAN was always on about.
:-)

i always thought that newport stadium was a back up in case rodney parade didnt work out so i presume they is some sort of agreement in place to use it in emergency.

Thanks D. Taylor.Well let's hope the rain continues to stay away although heavy showers appear to be forecast for tomorrow. If this game gets called off it will be interesting to see what happens ! Also I'm not convinced County are nearly as effective on heavy going-bit like the horses I backed at Cheltenham !!

D Taylor wrote:

larneman wrote:

D Taylor wrote:

larneman wrote:
Someone on this site said County have to pay £100,000. to help fix the pitch. Did'nt I read last season that the council said it would cost £100,000 to fix spytty park pitch? If we can find it for R,P. why could'nt we have found it for spytty?

The problems with stayng at Newport Stadium weren't just to do with the pitch, which ironically is in very good condition at the moment. County must have a stadium with a capacity of 5,000 including so many seats (2,000 if I remember correctly) to qualify for the Football League. This could only be achieved by the use of the demountable stands because the running track had to be clear of obstacles for the athletics season. Even then the 5,000 was only just being achieved. RP offers County a ready made stadium that can take the club to the 3rd Division if the team can achieve that. The capacity for football can be raised to 8,000, including about 5,000 seats. This is something that would never be possible at NS while it remained an athletics stadium. Also fans seem to prefer the city centre location and turn up in greater numbers to RP.

Thanks for explaining that D Talyor I understand the position better now. So would I be right in thinking that we could have used NS on saturday ?.

Not without the permission of the Football Conference and, of course, Newport Council. There was no time to do that on Saturday. There may have been time to rearrange tomorrow's game if the club had acted straight away after Saturday, but with tickets having been sold to away fans etc. it would have been difficult to do. It's probably best to go ahead at RP and chance it. But after tomorrow here's a break in home fixtures until 30th March, I think. So the club could try to make arrangements to transfer the remaining 4 home games to NS if there's a will so to do. Much will surely depend on how the RP pitch pays tomorrow.

Yes and after considering a similar pitch for RP, Newport Rugby/County have decided against one for the time being on grounds of cost. But would be wonderful if we could have one of those pitches in Newport. We are always the poor relations in our fair city.

Sorry, th above is in response to Naked Dancer's post about the semi-artificial pitch of course.

Damned if they do damned if they dont, if the game had been called off earlier and then the pitch became playable, the club would have been slated. Given the circumstance we find ourselves in we needed to give ourselves absolutely every opportunity to play. Annoying yes, but I dont blame the club or doing everything it could to get the game on.

Fair point Colinj but I think Llandaff and his fellow travellers are complaining that 'no' information was given out. Had they known that it was touch and go whether the match was on they might well have made the decision to err on the safe side and not travelled.

Communication is the key. Not a case of its on or off. Heard of website updates, twitter/Facebook etc!