Perfect Pitch

One of the delights of playing football for me was sliding across a few yards of a muddy pitch and timing it just right so that the ball and the tricky winger got booted over the touchline at the same instant. What joy. And how about Ronnie Radford’s goal for Hereford against Newcastle United in 1972. All those Match of the Days in black and white with players ankle deep in mud.

Ronnie Radford's famous FA Cup goal for Hereford

I suppose it had to change to try and get the perfect pitch and change it did starting with AstroTurf which was patented in America in 1965. I think it was more suited to the American form of football but be that as it may Queen’s Park Rangers converted its Loftus Road ground pitch to Omniturf in 1981. This was a second generation form of artificial turf and it caused some controversy when the club laid it ready for the match against Luton Town (which they lost). The main problems being the unpredictable bounce of the ball and the hardness of the surface.

That didn’t stop Luton Town (1985–1991), Oldham Athletic (1986–1991), and Preston North End (1986–1994) following suit. And from what I hear from Prestonians who used that pitch during the week e.g. from their schools, it was a treat to be able to play where their heroes played on a Saturday.

I did play on those type of pitches but never felt comfortable, partly because of that bounce but mainly due to it damn well hurt when you went over. Mind you, it never seemed to bother the group of hospital workers when we use to play on a local artificial pitch and the most bonkers of all was an Orthopaedic Consultant who would happily slide along the artificial turf.

Preston North End playing on an artificial pitch

3G pitches came next and rubber pellets help to keep the synthetic blades of grass upright and make the surface less abrasive and likely to burn or scratch players. Despite their approval by FIFA and UEFA, some professional football managers have voiced concerns over the risk of player injury compared to games played on traditional real grass surfaces. However, scientific studies have concluded that 3G pitches may actually reduce the incidence of injuries.

4G football pitches are made from synthetic turf laid onto a dense, shock-absorbing base-layer and are said to replicate the look and feel of a real grass pitch more closely than 3G. A major issue with 4G pitches is that they have not been officially recognised or defined by Football’s governing bodies.

Hybrid football pitches are 95% natural grass, this type of football pitch is used at Wembley and is said to make the grass significantly more robust – meaning no bare or muddy patches, even when the pitch is used frequently.

composite layers of a modern hybrid pitch

I would say that all professional and semi-professional pitches are now well drained and looked after to be near enough perfect. Even local amateur teams with their own pitches have those pitches at a standard that is a million times better than in the 70s.

Which leaves the pitches at our Recreation Grounds and Parks which are in a terrible state. Matches are called off regularly. I don’t blame the Councils as they have had to cut Park Keepers and Ground Staff. And the Changing Rooms are just as bad. I’ve just had a quick look round the country and the number of people playing on a Sunday morning has plummeted over the last 20 years and the above reasons surely are part of the problem.

So, I suppose the question is would I prefer to watch Ronnie’s efforts on a mud bath or Messi playing an impossible, but successful, pass along a near perfect pitch? I’d take Messi.

perfect pitch

But to balance it out here’s a poem by Paul Cookson who is the Poet in Residence at The National Football Museum in Manchester (which they pinched from Preston).

Ronnie Radford

Synonymous with the F. A. Cup
And all that it stands for
The patron saint of underdogs

Your name resonates hope and belief
That on any given Saturday it can be eleven vee eleven
And dreams do come true

It wasn’t even the winning goal
But it was the one we all remember in the mud and the rain
All Woodstock hair and rock and roll sideburns

The goal we’d all love to score
The shot from outside the area that flies and flies
Into the corner sending fans and commentators crazy

Ronnie Radford, Hereford Town, nineteen seventy two
We remember you, we salute you
We thank you and celebrate your moment

That moment when the man in the street became legend
Saint Ronnie Radford
Patron saint of underdogs

For those of us of a certain age ….

                                                            Paul Cookson

Thanks for reading, Terry Q.