The UAFC

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:So .... wot yer saying is that Darren Cave didn't put the straw down on the pitch last week?

Even though Rooster asked him to?

The penny drops

No wonder he has been dropped.

Dave wrote:Here is an idea. Weather gives frost put the covers on. Then take them off.

genius at work

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: I'm no expert. Then again I suspect that few on this forum are ..... on this particular issue.

Rooster wrote:.... just my humble thoughts on the situation as a former instructor with The Irish Institute of Sport Surfaces.

There's always one.

You should have known, Rooster is a man of many talents, I've long suspected he's the head of our security services, he knows everything.

Cockatrice wrote:rooster... do you ever remember the use of straw as an insulating layer I believe it was quite common back in the day...

Unless I am mistaken it is not that long ago that they used straw at Ravenhill on top of covers.

BaggyTrousers wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: I'm no expert. Then again I suspect that few on this forum are ..... on this particular issue.

Rooster wrote:.... just my humble thoughts on the situation as a former instructor with The Irish Institute of Sport Surfaces.

There's always one.

You should have known, Rooster is a man of many talents, I've long suspected he's the head of our security services, he knows everything.

Our security services are in a poor way then ...

Okay, feathered on, if ya know everything, why is Cave out in the cold .... no let me rephrase that, why is he dropped?

damianmcr wrote:Bowe out

FOTB

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:

BaggyTrousers wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: I'm no expert. Then again I suspect that few on this forum are ..... on this particular issue.

Rooster wrote:.... just my humble thoughts on the situation as a former instructor with The Irish Institute of Sport Surfaces.

There's always one.

You should have known, Rooster is a man of many talents, I've long suspected he's the head of our security services, he knows everything.

Our security services are in a poor way then ...

Okay, feathered on, if ya know everything, why is Cave out in the cold .... no let me rephrase that, why is he dropped?

Les thinks his coffee and doughnuts are not up to standard, Darren thought otherwise and said so.

Rooster wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:

BaggyTrousers wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote:

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: I'm no expert. Then again I suspect that few on this forum are ..... on this particular issue.

Rooster wrote:.... just my humble thoughts on the situation as a former instructor with The Irish Institute of Sport Surfaces.

There's always one.

You should have known, Rooster is a man of many talents, I've long suspected he's the head of our security services, he knows everything.

Our security services are in a poor way then ...

Okay, feathered on, if ya know everything, why is Cave out in the cold .... no let me rephrase that, why is he dropped?

Les thinks his coffee and doughnuts are not up to standard, Darren thought otherwise and said so.

rooster.. it seems my missus likes Darren's doughnuts

The fuss about the pitch being covered is irrelevant , the micro climate is so unpredictable why should anyone bother.
I note captains post about the lack of light effecting growth etc, I recall spending sometime at another club, were the simple solution was to put the covers on late in the afternoon and then to remove them during the daylight hours so the sunlight could get at the grass to stimulate the growth. Night time covering will retain heat and help prevent soil temperatures dropping below zero.however all that would not matter if we had got the lights to help winter growth management . What ever happened to those lights I recall being told by someone at UR that's what we were getting, I can't recall who it was but I am sure he was telling the truth.
Captain, you seem to be knowledgable about pitch management, quick question for you as my sons mini team have a game on Saturday and I have been tasked as a parent to be grounds conveyor :If you cover your turf up before the moisture in the air condenses onto the surface of the grass will I avoid these problems and is it possible to alter the content of salt in the soils to help slow down the process, without losing the quality of turf, oh and what's the best grass to use in the future when seeding. Thanks in advance

To make things more simple here is a flow chart:

Is temp in minus?
Yes: covers on
No: covers off

Gerald the Mole wrote:The fuss about the pitch being covered is irrelevant , the micro climate is so unpredictable why should anyone bother.
I note captains post about the lack of light effecting growth etc, I recall spending sometime at another club, were the simple solution was to put the covers on late in the afternoon and then to remove them during the daylight hours so the sunlight could get at the grass to stimulate the growth. Night time covering will retain heat and help prevent soil temperatures dropping below zero.however all that would not matter if we had got the lights to help winter growth management . What ever happened to those lights I recall being told by someone at UR that's what we were getting, I can't recall who it was but I am sure he was telling the truth.
Captain, you seem to be knowledgable about pitch management, quick question for you as my sons mini team have a game on Saturday and I have been tasked as a parent to be grounds conveyor :If you cover your turf up before the moisture in the air condenses onto the surface of the grass will I avoid these problems and is it possible to alter the content of salt in the soils to help slow down the process, without losing the quality of turf, oh and what's the best grass to use in the future when seeding. Thanks in advance

Sorry Gerry, no idea. As stated, not overly knowledgeable at all. All my guff was based on my granda's Boys Book of Knowledge, circa 1923. Etiolation was big in 1923 - along with Vitamin D deficiency and rickets. Seems we haven't been getting enough sunlight for a while now. And yet there are still some who are surprised when it rains in East Belfast.

I note that all the talk now is about why weren't the covers taken on an off, night and day, but I seem to recall with my fading memory that the issue last week wasn't so much to do with frost, but with snow. A different ball game* entirely taking covers off and on when they're covered in a decent layer of snow.

I also vaguely recall a suggestion that Ravers should buy moving lights that trundle up and down the pitch all week, like most of the premiership footy teams have, but never heard anymore about that - presumably too dear. Now if only we could get ones that run on sunlight .... nah, on second thoughts,maybe not.

Anyway, it's all irrelevant now - hope your minis goes ahead.


*Maybe that ball game is Gaelic, and we will once again/for the first time (delete as appropriate) witness that at ravers?

It was -5 over the weekend

Dave wrote:It was -5 over the weekend

Colder than the birds at Ollies

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Russ wrote:

Dave wrote:It was -5 over the weekend

Colder than the birds at Ollies

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They need covers on

Munters

The snow is irrelevant now. Any ideas on Deysel's chances of playing and who is likely to play 13?

I would play Ludik at 13. I would also keep Timoney in and move Henderson to the second row if Deysel is available.


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