2015 Zone Premier League thread

[Roundball Enthusiast]

I have been reading alot about ground conditions and such and have decided to do a bit of digging about to see everyones general thoughts on council facilities.
I'm interested to see what everyone thinks of the grounds in this division.
Sort of like what the A-league does, is anyone interested in listing from best to worst ground in the comp?
Much appreciated guys.
Cheers

1 Uni - Obviously.
2 Dudley - Big, relatively flat, good condition for this time of the year.
3 Mayfield - Played early in the year, not sure on condition now. Good width, flat, not too long
4 Barnsley - Nice and flat, good width. Not much bobble. Had sand lines from new drainage. (expected).
5 New Lambton/Swansea
6 New Lambton/Swansea
7 Suns - Cricket Pitch. (Loses point for Cricket pitch)
8 Cardiff - Cricket pitch. Good size, bobbles, not much grass.
9 Garden Suburb - No grass, bobbles.
10 Beresfield - tiny, not level, bobbles, little to no grass.

[Drunken ranger]

1 Uni - Obviously.
2 Dudley - Big, relatively flat, good condition for this time of the year.
3 Mayfield - Played early in the year, not sure on condition now. Good width, flat, not too long
4 Barnsley - Nice and flat, good width. Not much bobble. Had sand lines from new drainage. (expected).
5 New Lambton/Swansea
6 New Lambton/Swansea
7 Suns - Cricket Pitch. (Loses point for Cricket pitch)
8 Cardiff - Cricket pitch. Good size, bobbles, not much grass.
9 Garden Suburb - No grass, bobbles.
10 Beresfield - tiny, not level, bobbles, little to no grass.

You got be kidding bero's is the best field in the comp wish I could play there every week

[The Spy]

Alder Park is horrific as well

[Phoenix12]

1 - Uni - Perfection (when you can get on it...but thats why its perfection !)
2 - Dudley - Good all weather, reasonable grass, good size, but a long way to go to get to Uni's standard.
3 - Swansea - Good all weather, reasonable grass, good size.
4 - Mayfield - Good until its been wet, good grass (unless its been wet a while), and then it gets boggy / slippery.
5 - Barnsley - Not bad...not good...bobbles....
6 - Cardiff - Grass...sometimes non existent, bobbles, cricket pitch
7 - Suns - Have not played there this year but previously...diabolical.
8 - Garden Suburb - Have not played there this season but previously... see above
9 - Alder Park - it scrapes in before Beresfield because at least there's width....but the rest is not note worthy
10 - Beresfield - It surely cant get any worse.....may as well toss a coin...(and this is after having a win their this season)

[Jardelsimage]

1 - Uni - Perfection (when you can get on it...but thats why its perfection !)
2 - Dudley - Good all weather, reasonable grass, good size, but a long way to go to get to Uni's standard.
3 - Swansea - Good all weather, reasonable grass, good size.
4 - Mayfield - Good until its been wet, good grass (unless its been wet a while), and then it gets boggy / slippery.
5 - Barnsley - Not bad...not good...bobbles....
6 - Cardiff - Grass...sometimes non existent, bobbles, cricket pitch
7 - Suns - Have not played there this year but previously...diabolical.
8 - Garden Suburb - Have not played there this season but previously... see above
9 - Alder Park - it scrapes in before Beresfield because at least there's width....but the rest is not note worthy
10 - Beresfield - It surely cant get any worse.....may as well toss a coin...(and this is after having a win their this season)

I know where this will head,

[hawk]

10 - Beresfield - It surely cant get any worse.....may as well toss a coin...(and this is after having a win their this season)

The size of Bero isnt big enough for senior football imo. Either get the dozer in, add 8-10 meters of width and a bit of length or find a nearby ground to improve.

[sammydog]

At Garden Suburb we invested in drainage over the off season. Two weeks before the season started our pitch looked like this and everyone was excited.



Unfortunately, the grass is a summer grass and right on queue, the grass died off down the centre of the pitch just as the season started. It had no traffic in the build up to the season, so usage wasn't the issue. Its better than previous years, but not by much. Some people thought it was council cutting the grass too short that caused the die off, but its the same grass as my back yard, which died at the same time. I think we just need a change of grass but cant get onto that until we get irrigation sorted.

[Donk]

I can't believe Barnsley is been rated so high. Thou I'm yet to play on some of the other grounds

[Shere Khan]

You should be rating grounds at season start not now as all the clubs have different work loads.
Also bare in mind that councils will pretty much always say they have lack off funds which means unless the ground is dangerous the only upgrades are from the club itself or grants.
Nnswf can sit there and say all they want about needing fields upgraded but they aren't in control of those grounds.
(Won't go into the FA funding system here)

1.Uni
2.Suburbs
Swansea
Barnsley
Dudley
3 Mayfield
4 Suns
5 Cardiff
6 Bero
New Lambton

[Phoenix12]

The size of Bero isnt big enough for senior football imo. Either get the dozer in, add 8-10 meters of width and a bit of length or find a nearby ground to improve.

They have a very large ground right beside their main pitch........with some leveling and maintenance it would be a crap load better than the field they play on.... Unfortunately with the club facilities / kitchen etc facing the current field its easy to see why they wouldn't change..but maybe there are other factors as well ?

[The Spy]

The field that Bero play on in ZL1 at Tarro isn't too bad. Not sure why they couldn't play out here, as there's about 4 fields to choose from.

[Phoenix12]

You should be rating grounds at season start not now as all the clubs have different work loads.
Also bare in mind that councils will pretty much always say they have lack off funds which means unless the ground is dangerous the only upgrades are from the club itself or grants.
Nnswf can sit there and say all they want about needing fields upgraded but they aren't in control of those grounds.
(Won't go into the FA funding system here)

1.Uni
2.Suburbs
Swansea
Barnsley
Dudley
3 Mayfield
4 Suns
5 Cardiff
6 Bero
New Lambton

I think now is a good time to rate the fields....we have had half a season or so....all fields have been played on equally (except possibly Uni who have played night games on a different field...not sure if other clubs did this ?)
As per sammydog's post above...look at the then and now !.... And getting on Alder park or Cardiff at the start of the season is totally different to playing mid season or (ahem !) at the end of the season.

As you posted...... its about the dollars (or lack there of) available. I reckon all clubs do their best, but as a Uni player, we hear the comments from club players when they come to a pitch that's in top nic..... (In saying that Uni spent all of its pre-season training on an oval that has a cricket pitch in the middle, was rarely mowed, was uneven, patchy grass, bumpy etc etc).

[Phoenix12]

The field that Bero play on in ZL1 at Tarro isn't too bad. Not sure why they couldn't play out here, as there's about 4 fields to choose from.

Really ? That's interesting...Never played out there but is it the same club ? Do they have the facilities required for ID premier league requirements ?

[sammydog]

I think now is a good time to rate the fields....we have had half a season or so....all fields have been played on equally (except possibly Uni who have played night games on a different field...not sure if other clubs did this ?)

you posted...... its about the dollars (or lack there of) available. I reckon all clubs do their best, but as a Uni player, we hear the comments from club players when they come to a pitch that's in top nic..... (In saying that Uni spent all of its pre-season training on an oval that has a cricket pitch in the middle, was rarely mowed, was uneven, patchy grass, bumpy etc etc).

Have all grounds been played on equally? Do all clubs have juniors playing the day before, O35's and AA on friday and saturdays, women on alternate weeks or even before ZPL?

Some grounds do cop a hammering compared to others. I don't think its the sole reason our ground is the way it is, far from it, but it certainly doesn't help.

The main ground at Suburbs wasn't played or trained on at all in the offseason.

Our ZPL team trained and had trials on our top ground, that at the time was more akin to playing on lumpy concrete with big potholes. Lance Yorke was looking so good that we really babied it to ensure it was good for the season.

Unfortunately as everyone knows, the grass didn't last long.

[Frodo]

As you posted...... its about the dollars (or lack there of) available. I reckon all clubs do their best, but as a Uni player, we hear the comments from club players when they come to a pitch that's in top nic..... (In saying that Uni spent all of its pre-season training on an oval that has a cricket pitch in the middle, was rarely mowed, was uneven, patchy grass, bumpy etc etc).

Is this just a cry for everyone to tell you how good the Uni ground is?

Sammydog has hit the nail on the head, it all depends on how much traffic each ground has to cope with. I'm sure the Uni guys are made to walk around the outside of the field to put up the nets each gameday, and the fact that it gets treated like a princess is probably why it lasts so well.

I don't think there is that much of a difference between the majority of grounds between ZL3 & ZPL, change rooms however are an entire different argument... I'm all for a bit of team bonding but having to get changed with another 11-14 guys in a broom closet can get a little bit, "oops i thought that was mine i was grabbing", if you get my drift?

[Frodo]

Can we have a list of who sells the best burgers at each canteen this season? I had an absolute cracker of a chicken burger at Mayfield when we played them, and i love the ones at home too. Haven't been to Suns yet, can't wait for the after game feed.

[namwob99]

The field that Bero play on in ZL1 at Tarro isn't too bad. Not sure why they couldn't play out here, as there's about 4 fields to choose from.

Completely different clubs mate.

[Frodo]

Completely different clubs mate.

Can the seniors go pinch the grass from one of the junior fields one night and just lay it over the old one? Have the touch lines dead on that retaining wall and slightly down the hill into the bush? Even leave a couple of trees as hazards?

[Roundball Enthusiast]

Pasadena is one of the best grounds to watch football at imo, being above the ground and plus best support in the comp by a mile

[Phoenix12]

Is this just a cry for everyone to tell you how good the Uni ground is?

Sammydog has hit the nail on the head, it all depends on how much traffic each ground has to cope with. I'm sure the Uni guys are made to walk around the outside of the field to put up the nets each gameday, and the fact that it gets treated like a princess is probably why it lasts so well.

I don't think there is that much of a difference between the majority of grounds between ZL3 & ZPL, change rooms however are an entire different argument... I'm all for a bit of team bonding but having to get changed with another 11-14 guys in a broom closet can get a little bit, "oops i thought that was mine i was grabbing", if you get my drift?

No cry at all....Of the three people who have actually responded to the ranking question all three rated Uni first...I responded truthfully...how about you take the time to rate the grounds and let us see? Let me guess.....

But you are right...it does get treated with kid gloves....something to do with The Jets training there, Uni IDPL, the Uni women, the ID2's and other associated comps playing there...so not too much traffic at all.

Maybe you need to read and digest what someone is saying before you post replies. I too will take the time to place a lovely little moticon...just for you