Embankment Pitches

[TheNagsCat]

I'll accept that the snow is a decent excuse for not putting the new surface down but should we start taking bets as to which season it'll be done.

I reckon it'll be put back to April then announced that the budget doesn't allow for the refit and we'll be provided with our own needle and thread in case we see a split.

[Glasgow Rangers Champions]

It was stated a good while ago Nags Cat that it would be re surfaced in the spring anyway, so not sure were your source about it not being done to the snow is.

[TheNagsCat]

It was stated a good while ago Nags Cat that it would be re surfaced in the spring anyway, so not sure were your source about it not being done to the snow is.

News is slow to get through to Whittlesey obviously, but it's been closed since October as it's unfit to use and was due to be relaid the first week of January, first games to be played on it this week.

Source: Rob Windle

[Glasgow Rangers Champions]

Ha ha typical Rob, well i can assure you that Rob is wrong and funny that your comment about news getting thru to Whittlesey being slow as Rob lives there lol

What i can tell you being as i work there,(so i think my source is a lil better than yours) is that it was due to be relaid for the start of spring, but i can confirm it may be sooner than the PCC had originally scheduled as the new surface is now here and will be re-laid as soon as the weather permits. Which in all fairness may be a while. But it was never stated it would be re-laid in January it was always scheduled to be for the spring when the weather was better.

[bluestar]

LOL - Quality response Shaun:grt1:

[RWT]

The situation with the embankment pitch is a follows. The council were continually informed about the poor condition of the pitch and the lack of repairs. They were warned by RWT about the consequences of doing nothing. They then asked us (RWT) as to the best time for it to be replaced this was around autumn 2008. We said the best time was obviously June / July 2009 due to the lighter nights and we could move onto grass. Around May time 2009 PCC thought that they could get another year out of the carpet this was done without consultation with us. The carpet continued to deteriate and it was closed on the grounds of safety.The key areas were the centre circle areas and edge of the penalty areas not the whole pitch. The choice PCC had was, do they make temporary repairs or replace the whole carpet. In their wisdom they decided to replace the carpet the figure for repairs was never disclosed to us. The Embankment was closed mid August this was at the same time Bushfield was on limited opening hours due to the swine flu situation - another story of incompetance - We had to fight to get the outside facilities open and only then it was till 9pm. Meanwhile the decision to do anything with the Embankment was sat on for a number of weeks before decisions were made to put out to tender.When the Emb was first closed we were clearly told that all would be sorted by November , the next news was that work would start last week in November with a completion of 1st week in January. The carpet we were told was not due into the Uk until mid December. The latest, after a meeting on Monday night is that the carpet has arrived and is in storage ready for transportation at a days notice. The council are concerned about exposure of the rubber underlay to the elements and the unauthorised useage by those who turn up on mass and get free use the fact that they keep the pitch gates open to let people in is another matter.

We heard (true or not) that PCC are still paying the swimming pool (DC Leisure) who manage the facility an amount of money to cover their loss of income from our hirings.

I have been asked on a number occasions about alternative venues, I can assure you we have investigated this as it is not in our interest as a business to have half our facilities shut in the middle of a recession. We approached Peterborough Town Hockey Club but they had only limited availability at unsociable hours and no full size goals only the small 5-a-side goals . There is a brand new pitch at John Fisher but again due to the council sitting rather than doing they have not yet agreed a community useage contract to allow use of the pitch after 5pm. Therefore this brand new facility is not in use.

As our teams are aware for us to continue as close to normal as possible we invested £8,000 in portable floodlights so that we can use on grass, we were using these up to the start of December, the problem we have is cutting up the grass land area and any high winds but we bought them as a long term investment and for other applications.

Regarding the small synthetic pitch at Bushfield , half the lights did not work and the trees overhung the pitch to block the lights that did work. Eventually after continually complaining and 2 months later they dealt with the problem.

Overall hopefully I have made clear the issues we have encountered and where we are today. Over the last 18 years PCC have a proven track record of failing to look after the synthetic pitches, or reporting issues and acting on them.

Despite this waste of money by PCC your 11-a-side pitch hires are going up again !!!

[Admin]

RWT spokesperson, thanks for your comments on the situation with the PCC.

I have recently been through a Public Sector tender process with the company that I work for and that alone took 12 months, so I understand your frustrations.

The council should look at the long term picture: improve security of the Embankment facility, lay a 3G rubber crumb surface (which would help attract more teams to RWT and in turn increase the PCC/DC Leisure revenue stream and the 3G surface is also longer lasting and therefore more economical.

I am tempted to stand for election onto the council as was mooted in a previous thread . . . who'd vote for me? I would champion all of these issues facing local sport and facilities.

[Back of the Net]

Raph in power, errrrrr ok mate for comedy value alone I'd vote for you!

[Glasgow Rangers Champions]

Mick not very often i get a compliment of ya so ill tresure it lol.

RWT im am not to sure what you have been told but as a member of staff i was informed that the pitch would probably be relaid for the start of spring.(i to was annoyed as i also played on the astro down there so i enquired about it last sept). Everything you have said about the council choosing to re-lay the whole pitch rather than patch it up is true tho, but as for you saying you invested £8000 pound on flood lights, well not being funny why should you not, you charge players an absolout bomb and teams aswell to play in your leagues and lets also remember i no how much is charged for the pitches at the embankment per hour and if i really wanted to i could find out how much you pay aswell. So the profit margine you are generating is well lets just say quite a significant amount, so to say the local council are hiking prices up and not pulling there weight (which yes i agree with is out of order and a bloody joke) well whats the old saying "pot and kettle".

If there was such an issue and you wanted to get the surface re-laid quicker why did you not dip into your own pocket and reclaim the money back of the PCC. I am sure some kind of arrangement would have been met. As for DC leisure they would not pay anything as the whole facility is being taken over by a trust so DC are not going to put any money into it when they are losing the contract.

Raph for power that would be interesting.!!

[Harbs]

Thing is Sean, Its not RWT's resonsibility to keep the surface fit for purpose.
Lets also be honest about the state of the astro... i have been playing there since i was 10 years old and have seen that same crappy astro re surfaced twice in that time (i used to climb over the back fence on a weekend when it was closed to the public to play with my mates :D) Its has been in dire need of a refurb for years now and the last time it was relayed which i think was like 10 years ago... surely they should have learnt their lesson then and realised that its a **** load cheaper repairing it early doors than letting people risk injury and allowing the astro to shift all over the place!

I appreciate the comments seem a little biased but like you said yourself for the amount of money we all pay to play a game of footy for 24 bl00dy minutes the pitches should be kept much better than they have been.

[RWT]

I think you are missing the point, I didnt have an issue with spending the money as I said I see them as an investment, the point is PCC having a poor track record with their lack of ability in looking after the sports facilities in Peterborough and then hiking up the pitch fees to everybody but not improving or maintaining the facilities. Regarding the match fees at £19 a game divided by a minimum of 7 players is less than £3. Please advise me of any small sided league in the city that offers for less. Regarding RWT putting money into the repairs, we did offer as it is in our interest that matches are played. We also offered when the council came to me for a contribution to build the sports pavilion on the Embankment.

[Admin]

RWT also has FA affiliated referees and is far more disciplined than their closest small-sided rival. You can't lay the blame for the state of pitches with them, they are a consumer of goods/services provided by the PCC and are being failed by their incompetence; just as we are.

As long as local sport does not have a representative in any position of power within local government, we will never be a priority.

After all, football is just a "game" isn't it? ;)

[TheNagsCat]

RWT also has FA affiliated referees and is far more disciplined than their closest small-sided rival. You can't lay the blame for the state of pitches with them, they are a consumer of goods/services provided by the PCC and are being failed by their incompetence; just as we are.

As long as local sport does not have a representative in any position of power within local government, we will never be a priority.

After all, football is just a "game" isn't it? ;)

RWT gets a lot of stick, but I've run a team down there for 15 years, and played at Powerleague for about 3 years. I find Rob far more flexible, do Powerleague still schedule matches for Christmas Day and expect you to make up the game at another time?

I've had many a disagreement with him and not always got the result I wanted, but overall it's a well run league with (mostly) decent referees.

The pitches are a joke, the Embankment changing rooms and toilets are exactly the same as the first day I went down there and they don't cut the trees back so it freezes easily.

[Glasgow Rangers Champions]

Raph when did i ever blame the state of the pitches on the rob windle league?????? Never, i agree completley as i stated that the PCC are awfull and have a poor track record. I was just trying to clarify the fact that the facts regarding the re-laying of the surface were incorrect. Oh and that RWT could spend some there cash.

RWT as for the £19 divided by 7 players per game firstly your games are only 20-30mins (not played there for a while now so could be wrong) long and most weeks you have 2 games which equates to £5.50 per person per eve for 1hr football max. So id say its on par with most local run leagues in small sided football and then you or used to charge players a registration fee for each season they played in.
Then as stated you also have no showers available, or a bar (with skysports) or even warm changing rooms or a clean toilet!!. So really what you offer is probably less attractive.

However i do respect the fact that RWT were willing to put money into the council coffers and help them, why they refused god only knows maybe they themselves could explain that descion.

[n j titman]

What a surprise!!. Having been out of the UK since Jan 1, I return this am to read "same s*** different day"

RWT have put a lot into pitches unlike any other Customer, IO use the word "Customer" as that is what the Bossman of Unfit for Purpose PCC Sports and Leisure calls users!!!

Raph I will support you, but wait until the final result is known from PCC regarding their absolute incompetence and total waste of ratepayers monies

[n j titman]

Re the Peterborough City Council's magnificent efforts to kill off both development of Adult 11 a side Football, and 7 a sided, by "losing" pitches for the 11 a side, and still not comitting to a date for the relaid Embankment, together with absolutely zero maintenance on Bushfield.

Gentlemen, I salute you, particularly "Le Boss Man", certainly not John Marsden who at least has tried.

3G is now an essential in the City. Netherton now find planning permission deferred despite the cost to the PCC being met mainly by external sources.

Bushfield astroturf is wearing so badly that by the time it has to be resited, it probably will be worn out.

I was asked recently about bringing Tournaments both small and 11 a side to this City. When I stopped laughing, I explained both to my core sponsors, and a certain City Company, that we have one 11 a side facility (Werrington), but with very limited facilities; and no suitable astro turf facility. 3G, I was asked? Well we could go down the A1, was my reply.

My gut feel is that the Embankment will be back in action by March 15 latest.

Positive discussion with the PCC are about as easy as relying on Stagecoach, to commute to/from work.

[Tommy Trophy]

My piece on facilities and football in general in Peterborough pre-Xmas apparently resulted in not a single dissenting voice to the ET, so on the face of it we all pretty much agree that we are not in a great place. A couple of people correctly pointed out that it was too Chestnut Avenue / PNS centric and is a critisicm that I accept.

In terms of RW, no-one has done more for the cause than Robert in my time in the City. From Referee, to training Refs, Videoing Cup Finals and of course the small sided game. We should remember that this is Roberts liveliehood and so he is entitled to make an economic return on his core interest - I am sure that the majority of the time that he devotes does not provide anything back at all.

His comments above re-affirm my fears for the future, and Nick.T who has a deep understanding and passion for the game would appear to be in the same place.

In terms of moving forward, we have a council that were falling over themselves to buy the Posh ground which to me looks like a move that will make a number of people rich but not enhance Football in Peterborough one iota.

Getting someone onto the Council would seem to me to be a good idea and needs to be someone with the time and gravitas to make their presence felt - Spec give up Fletton!

[spec]

Tommy the only reason I went back to Fletton was to keep them going, I have to make half hours worth of calls midweek and commit to 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon, the rest is done by my magnificent backroom team, my god I could be a councillor!

Although people have commented (too many times for my liking incidentally) that I seem more responsible these days some of the things I get up to at weekends wouldn't do my chances of passing the councils morals committee any good at all. I have no intention of being put out to grass just yet although should you choose to go down the afore mentioned path I would not hesitate in offering my services as your campaign manager.

Although the jury is still out on whether your new 'trying to be nice to everyone' approach is actually you mellowing in old age and Grandfatherism, or just a ploy to lead people into a false sense of security!!!!

[Admin]

We have sufficient users on here to drum up a campaign and I'd certainly help Spec or Tommy if they stood for election or joined one of the local parties (so long as it's not Labour), as I'm sure Ross, Nik and Rob would do too.

[Admin]

May have missed the boat on an opportunity, see the link below:

http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/culture_and_leisure_trust.aspx

[n j titman]

Tommy would be an excellent choice, and any support required, I am readily available!!

[carefree]

and

[Tommy Trophy]

Spec, I returned to nice the minute I stepped up to the UCL. Whilst the banter during the days in which we locked horns in the Peterborough League was top drawer I confess to overstepping the mark a few times - I still avoid Whittlesey where possible!

I am afraid that my natural selfish side discounts my participation on the council as I really need to concentrate on continuing to establish my business. It was part of the reason for "moving upstairs" this year (though not the main one).

Went onto the link for the Cultural Attachee role with the Council - 1. Really well publicised that was! - 2. It is a voluntary role - hardly attractive then.

No doubt we will all continue to battle on and try and do our bit, but for me I am starting to think that I was seriously deluded in thinking that I could do something that could make a material difference when I joined PNS 3 years ago.

[carefree]

Gaffer next season then.