[theo_luddite]

State of the pitch is nowt to do with the egg chasers - give it a rest will ya? They've played League matches on it twice, 12th and 28th of Feb and maybe a warm up match, we've played on it at least twice a month, sometimes 3 or 4 times since August. It always looks like this in February. It's winter - grass don't grow too well in winter, fact of life, never does. Just an observation I've made over the last 50 odd years. Leeds Road were never as good as this pitch at this time of year and for many a year it had no grass by the end of October. I give my lawn mower 3 months off for good behaviour, 4 if I can at this time of year waiting for the first cuckoo of spring to fire up his mower.

My lawns also get a bit boggy and soggy in Jan-Feb, just like the pitch does, funny how that works isn't it? Sum'at to do with the weather, though there were nowt wrong with the way the ball bounced up and over Coleman's head for their third on Saturday. There's a reason why Deano bought those big lamps, to try and warm the soil up and get the grass growning again. They should run up a nice big fat leccy bill and the soil will quickly return to ambient temperature once they move them onto the next bit of turf. Our ground staff insist on cutting it after every match so there's barely a blade of grass on it, real or plastic, just so it looks nice and stripey for the tellybox camera's. A very light roller would create the same effect. It'll be fine by April, like it always is and they can start throwing some seed down to keep it lush.

No I don't support Fartown if you are asking, the lads in Blue & White hoops north of The Ainley's get my support if anyone does.