Spring News

Both statements are true ND. A couple of weeks ago the pitch was back to its best insofar that the bald patches had been reseeded and the grass had grown. However, one of the negatives with this sort of fibre elastic pitch is that a black 'crust' forms on it over a season which you can only see from very close up. If you don't remove it, the pitch doesn't drain properly and the pitch becomes very slippery as algae type material can grow. The only way to get rid is to skim off the top layer, replace it and reseed and this is what we are doing. We do it every year, but have advanced it to take advantage of the current uncertainty and have timed it to make sure that it will be playable for the first week in June, the earliest possible date for a resumption, however unlikely that is. It is a 'nothing to see here' story.

 

Thanks Lyndy...interesting to know that fact....did PAFC do it themselves or bring in the company that originally laid the pitch ?

 

Thanks Lyndy...interesting to know that fact....did PAFC do it themselves or bring in the company that originally laid the pitch ?

 

Certainly requires specialist equipment Plym: the pic on the website shows what looks like a machine stripping the old "turf" off.

Some EPL teams have restarted individual fitness training with a view to a 6 June resumption.

 

Will June 30th be a problem if the season isn't finished by then.

Does anyone know how many Argyle players are out of contract on that date ?

What we do know is our on loan players will probably be out of contract on that date....and they are.....

Alex Palmer.....West Brom.
George Cooper.....Peterborough.
Josh Grant.....Chelsea.
Tyreeq Bakinson.....Bristol C.
Ryan Hardie.....Blackpool.

These players are regularly in the team.....so after June 30th how many players are still on contract to play.

Every club in the league will have similar problems......with most clubs having at least 27 pts still to play for....would it be unfair to finish the season now ?

I think that the season could be made null and void....the National League has already done that.....and hasn't that already happened in Holland.......the EFL could go down the same route......the PL could do the same and give Liverpool the title....surely no premier club could make a case against that decision.

 

Money Plym, remember the money. EPL clubs will be out of pocket for something to the tune of £1 billion if they don't fulfil their fixtures. It cascades down from there.

 

In no particular order,

We used the same company as usual to do the renovation (and I think this is the same company that laid the original pitch) - they rented a house for the week and worked with social distancing.
June 30th is an important date but it might just be possible to go to 31st July. In keeping with a lot of L2 clubs we don't have very many players contracted beyond 30th June. In order to preserve the sporting integrity of the competition we would need to have the same players available as when the season was suspended. This means global extensions to contracts and I think that this is the biggest stumbling block to playing all the remaining matches.
Null and Void is the least preferred option I think- there would be more litigation than if a way could be found to decide the table on 'sporting merit'.

 

Thanks Lyndy....whatever transpires will be a difficult result and will not go well with all clubs....being in a promotion spot at present makes my decision very hard....that's cobblers really....end the season NOW is the best result for Argyle.....and average points per game would put Cheltenham (game in hand I believe ?) above Exeter I believe.....I could live with that.

 

I definitely agree that null and void is the worst option. Teams and fans up and down the leagues have put too much into it for that. Plus of course it suits us!

There are some really daft ideas out there: restarting with a mini tournament of the current Top 8 for example. I assume that would be a mini league: given we're 3rd now, a knock-out arrangement is totally unacceptable. But that would mean we'd play 7 games: we only have 9 to play to complete the thing properly. Bonkers.

 

Things are obviously coming to a head: here are two interesting articles:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52456304

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52457574

 

French football have announced that the season is finished for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2......France is in lock-down until 11th of May and no sport will be played before September.
But they have not announced how things will be decided regarding promotion, relegation or cup competitions /.

BBC Sport.

 

IS THE SEASON OVER ?

FIFA's chief doctor has warned against restarting the interrupted 2019/20 campaign and suggested governing bodies prepare for action next season instead.

So null & void or results as they now stand ?

 

Also some idiot who used to work for the WHO has said that instead of restarting professional football under controlled and monitored conditions, we should instead restart "grass roots" football.

Can you imagine the effect on social distancing of allowing gangs of thugs out to kick a ball about in a park?

Before you complain about me using the word thugs I warn you that if you do I'll make you watch the clip I saw yesterday of a bunch of thugs jumping up and down on the roofs of parked cars and taunting the police until tasers were drawn. Pond life.

 

Also an article in yesterdays paper of mindless motorbike yobs performing stunts and ......riding all over the putting greens at Walton Heath golf course in Surrey.....Justin Rose has expressed his dismay at such vandalism......a video was taken by a member of the public showed four motorcyclists performing stunts and damaging the surface.

Bring back National Service I say.....some of today's youth could do with a touch of discipline....there would be lots of jobs to do for them in the next few years to get this country back up and running after Covid-19 is eventually under control.

Didn't do me any harm.....went abroad for the first time......Tripoli, Kano, Nairobi, Mombasa, Malta and of course dear old Aden and 114 Maintenance Unit, RAF Steamer Point.......plus twelve months of the year beach life....tough....but someone had to do it.

 

Billionaire Chris Dawson had a mention on the BBC News last night.....his Range group of stores got mentioned regarding the lack of social distancing possible.....or not possible......he must screw every penny out of the punters.....no change there then.

 

When you were a lad Plym the Sergeant Major could kick your ass from morning till night literally and nothing would be said in complaint. You can no longer do that no matter how much somebody might deserve it or even need it. An absolute NO from me regarding National Service. The Armed Forces have enough to worry about without sorting out the drags of society. They simply wouldn't want to be there and would act up accordingly causing no end of disruption. I would not want to have to rely on some feckless git if my life depended on it and nor should they.

I will never ever shop in The Range again. Didn't like the bloke before all this but anyone who can sell masks and stuff in their shop when the NHS and Care Homes are desperate for it and make profit from it is the pits for me. Same reason I may well never buy a meal or drink in Weatherspoons either. The man who lays off all of his staff and tells them to go to Tesco who are taking people on. Very rich people who have no idea about what it means to be civic minded. You can imagine both saying "Let them eat cake" can't you.

 

I don't know much about Dawson apart from the fact he's got no class. A soft-top Roller with a personalised number plate is really not that stylish. Tim Martin is without doubt a complete prat. Not only is he wrong in everything he says, he dresses like a scruff at all times, even when appearing on TV. Now I'm no Beau Brummell myself but I wouldn't appear in front of the nation in jeans and a 5 year old polo shirt, It's just disrespectful and if you don't give a toss in that situation, then you don't give a toss about anyone or anything.

But please don't think everyone in business is like that. I've come across a few for sure but the majority do care about their employees, their neighbours and their customers and suppliers, subject or course to squeezing the pips out of the last two. They also rake seriously little details like complying with the law whether they agree with it or not. You have to remember though that their primary responsibility is to their shareholders.

 

CSKA Sofia are having a mass clear out....up to nineteen players I think....because of the financial cost of Covid-19 so they say.

Graham Carey being one of the more expensive players in on the list.....would he take a pay cut or come back to blighty.....whatever he does it would be far beyond our budget limits to even think of being interested.....but he would be very welcome personally.

 

Man U will be installing 1500 barrier seats/standing with rails for a trial period.....this will be in their north/east quadrant for league season 2020/ after Trafford Council's approval.....United have had standing problems for many years.

It would be interesting to see how it goes and surely PAFC will be interested like many other clubs would be.

 

It would be great if that could be done at Home Park, not least as it would remove a bone of contention between some fans and the club's stewarding policy. However, it has to be in the right place: the middle part of the Devonport End.

 

The seating option of this style would be a waste of time....seeing that people are standing mostly all the time in at present a limited space....with the standing sitting option it will be easier to stand and the seat part will never get used....but if it is required to get around the present laws on sitting/standing then so be it.