Big Don - get him involved....

[Piemonte]

There's plenty of pitches available, just not ones people have been allowed to use.  How often do you drive past a football pitch and see people actually playing on them?

What might be needed is a slight upgrading and better use of what we do have already.

Well yes, but for some reason I cant see demand for pitches at 9.30 on tuesday mornings being that high

[janaage]

I for one have never been disappointed with our don's (to be read in a Manchester accent) performance.

I'm with our don.

[RobertT]

There's plenty of pitches available, just not ones people have been allowed to use.  How often do you drive past a football pitch and see people actually playing on them?

What might be needed is a slight upgrading and better use of what we do have already.

Well yes, but for some reason I cant see demand for pitches at 9.30 on tuesday mornings being that high

Even at the weekends.  The only ones you'll find heavily booked are the astroturf ones for 6 a side.  I'd concentrate on getting the current stock of facilities up to a better standard before trying to create new ones (note the fact that we do have beaches to play on, it's the Oasis pitches outside, well there is enough bloody sand on them).

[TalkTalk]

I think you have to make the distinction between adult and junior pitches in Don's junior league case, Rob. According to the OSA there is a surplus of nearly 30 adult pitches and this doesn't include the secondary school ones which could be made available for public use.

[RobertT]

I think you have to make the distinction between adult and junior pitches in Don's junior league case, Rob. According to the OSA there is a surplus of nearly 30 adult pitches and this doesn't include the secondary school ones which could be made available for public use.

Well, kids under 11 shouldn't play 11 a side anyway.  It's pointless and is no doubt partially responsible for the lower technical ability of kids in the UK.  Too many parents worried about getting their kids to play the proper game that adults play - anyone having witnessed as a bystander will have noticed the swarm effect at these ages.

The focus until at least secondary school should be on technique.  Even after that I still find full scale 11 a side pitches do little to create talent.

[TalkTalk]

Well SFPG met with the North Wilts peeps tonight. Don couldn't make it unfortunately.  

I can understand their arguments loud and clear. Junior pitches disappearing left right and centre. Swindon Borough Council charging them £50 a pop for every tiny persons match on council pitches (e.g. Lydiard).

Fucking council are a joke. Guess what? North Wilts DC let them have Bradon Forest School pitches for a tenner. SBC won't even let them have access to (for example) the Greendown School pitches "because the caretaker won't turn out". What a load of bollocks.

I'm going to offer my services to them to fire some fucks into the council if I can help. There are more than enough school pitches for their needs that sit completely idle on a Sunday morning.