Yeah, a little bit soggy @micra but eminently playable. If memory serves the undersoil heating system was serviced about this time last year, seems to be doing its job thus far.
@micra said:
My concern is, with the likelihood of much colder weather in the next month or two, that the undersoil heating may be inoperative. That is a perfectly rational comment/concern. Suggesting that I ask the commentator is a bit silly.
Is that just because Jan/Feb are usually cold or are you getting inside information? I cant really remember us having to switch it on that often in the past
Surely the only game anyone even remembers in relation to the undersoil heating was that infamous Fleetwood game that was called off about 23mins before kick off.
Either someone forgot to turn it on, or didn't judge it as being needed. Or some massive mess.
No need to apologise @Onlooker. And my good forum mate @Malone is right about my obsession with the weather. I am a “qualified” meteorologist to the extent that I attended a fairly basic course in the subject at the Met Office Training School in Stanmore back in 1957. Apparently I used to stand by the French windows as a five year old, gazing up at the clouds. Even years later I found it hard to sleep if snow was forecast and I would get out of bed several times in the night to see if it had arrived.
In February 1956, when I was still at school, a mild(ish) morning suddenly turned very cold, freezing puddles and turning the tarmac surface into a virtual skating rink, ideal for making slides. This was my first experience of the Beast from the East. There was a recurrence in late December 1962 and, although there was very little snowfall beyond late December/early February, temperatures rarely got more than a couple of degrees above freezing until a thaw set in in March.
I am always on the lookout for possible repeats (like the relatively brief episode a few years ago). I regularly look at temperatures well to the east, Moscow in particular. Last winter at this time, daily temperatures in Moscow were little lower than those we have been experiencing over the last couple of weeks. This year, over the last few days, they have been down to -5 to -10 degrees Celsius by day and are forecast to go as low as -20 (daytime) by the middle of next week.
No guarantee of course that atmospheric pressure distribution (highs and lows) will be conducive to a direct flow of air towards the UK but the potential is there for the Beast from the East to reach these shores. If that happens, the undersoil heating will be sorely tested so it is reassuring to hear from @NorsQuarters that (if memory serves) the system was serviced about this time last year.
Thanks for that @micra. Always good to see informed opinion.
On the subject of unexpected weather changes. I remember Good Friday 1974(?). We had a massive top of the table game planned that afternoon against fierce rivals. Biggest league crowd for ages expected. I could hardly sleep with excitement. Pulled open the curtains in the morning with a foot of snow everywhere. Seem to remember my dad phoning to see if they wanted volunteers to clear the pitch, but I think they thought there was no hope.
One of my earliest memories as a young boy still in shorts was being made to queue to go back into school one cold day and being caught short spectacularly. As I looked down at my warm wet legs, I noticed that the magnificent slide we had made in the playground was now starting to melt as a result. Not sure I have yet recovered from the shame....
Not sure I get undersoil heating especially for lower league clubs. Vastly expensive to operate and as far as I know if the game is postponed they still let you play it later in the season. I believe ours was paid for and installed by Wasps when they moved in.
@bookertease said:
Thanks for that @micra. Always good to see informed opinion.
On the subject of unexpected weather changes. I remember Good Friday 1974(?). We had a massive top of the table game planned that afternoon against fierce rivals. Biggest league crowd for ages expected. I could hardly sleep with excitement. Pulled open the curtains in the morning with a foot of snow everywhere. Seem to remember my dad phoning to see if they wanted volunteers to clear the pitch, but I think they thought there was no hope.
Oh, and don’t mention Peterborough
@bookertease, that was against Enfield on 28 March 1975. Well remembered, I would have been going to that but have no recall of the snow or postponement.
I suppose playing on thick snow, like the famous 6-1 FA Trophy win against Dartford in 84-85, is not likely to happen again. Was that the last time we played on a proper blanket of snow? I know we've played since with snow falling and partially covering the pitch.
Bury away the other year it was very snowy and in all honesty the game should never have been played.
That's the game where Alfie Mawson got in a right muddle when the ball got stuck in the boggy pitch and they scored. I think Fred bagged our goal in a 1-1 draw
@Steve_Peart said:
I suppose playing on thick snow, like the famous 6-1 FA Trophy win against Dartford in 84-85, is not likely to happen again. Was that the last time we played on a proper blanket of snow? I know we've played since with snow falling and partially covering the pitch.
Remember it well, disappointed that returning hero George Borg was suspended. A couple of years later, I remember us beating Walthamstowe Ave 7-1 on a rock hard loakes Park surface.
Would never had been played these days.
As we are on a memory kick, events going on elsewhere remind me that I watched the Wanderers play Martine Crosby in the FAAC in February 1952. I hastened back form darkest Essex where I was stationed in the RAF and made it in time. In those days pitches were usually like a quagmire by February and when the surface froze it was even more difficult to play on. By Easter drying winds and a bit of sun and the pitch had not much grass and was baked hard. Despite these conditions you rarely heard complaints about the pitches. I wonder if the players of today could even cope?
@bookertease : belated thanks for your kind words. @woodlands : you flatter me! Most of my life has been even more mundane than the episodes that I describe on here from time to time. But I enjoy laboriously tapping out my thoughts and feelings and occasionally unearthing information that might be of passing interest. It’s nice to get positive feedback and, after feeling somewhat down recently, I intend to carry on. It passes the time !
Thank you for your encouragement.
Looking good isn’t it and I assume only minimal snow shovelling will be needed in the car park and stadium surrounds. Don’t know if the huge tunnel forming part of the vaccine station traffic control set-up has remained in place. It’s not exactly in the way whilst games are behind closed doors.
I don't think the surrounding roads will be a problem anyway. Someone told me there father-in-law went to AP for a vaccination today and the fire brigade were clearing the road way so this important work could continue.
@Twizz said:
I don't think the surrounding roads will be a problem anyway. Someone told me there father-in-law went to AP for a vaccination today and the fire brigade were clearing the road way so this important work could continue.
It's re-assuring to hear stuff like that happening, as all we usually hear is what a mess everything is.
Indeed, although we do hear of stiff that is truly baffling - house parties, wedding receptions behind blacked out school windows etc. - there is much to be admired in the sterling work being done by many, sometimes volunteers like @EwanHoosaami, to get people vaccinated.
My thanks to them all, they are quite literally getting the country moving again one step at a time.
Comments
Yeah, a little bit soggy @micra but eminently playable. If memory serves the undersoil heating system was serviced about this time last year, seems to be doing its job thus far.
Is that just because Jan/Feb are usually cold or are you getting inside information? I cant really remember us having to switch it on that often in the past
Surely the only game anyone even remembers in relation to the undersoil heating was that infamous Fleetwood game that was called off about 23mins before kick off.
Either someone forgot to turn it on, or didn't judge it as being needed. Or some massive mess.
Wasn’t it out of action for a few seasons and I don’t remember many postponements due to frozen pitches?
No need to apologise @Onlooker. And my good forum mate @Malone is right about my obsession with the weather. I am a “qualified” meteorologist to the extent that I attended a fairly basic course in the subject at the Met Office Training School in Stanmore back in 1957. Apparently I used to stand by the French windows as a five year old, gazing up at the clouds. Even years later I found it hard to sleep if snow was forecast and I would get out of bed several times in the night to see if it had arrived.
In February 1956, when I was still at school, a mild(ish) morning suddenly turned very cold, freezing puddles and turning the tarmac surface into a virtual skating rink, ideal for making slides. This was my first experience of the Beast from the East. There was a recurrence in late December 1962 and, although there was very little snowfall beyond late December/early February, temperatures rarely got more than a couple of degrees above freezing until a thaw set in in March.
I am always on the lookout for possible repeats (like the relatively brief episode a few years ago). I regularly look at temperatures well to the east, Moscow in particular. Last winter at this time, daily temperatures in Moscow were little lower than those we have been experiencing over the last couple of weeks. This year, over the last few days, they have been down to -5 to -10 degrees Celsius by day and are forecast to go as low as -20 (daytime) by the middle of next week.
No guarantee of course that atmospheric pressure distribution (highs and lows) will be conducive to a direct flow of air towards the UK but the potential is there for the Beast from the East to reach these shores. If that happens, the undersoil heating will be sorely tested so it is reassuring to hear from @NorsQuarters that (if memory serves) the system was serviced about this time last year.
2nd paragraph: “.....there was little snow beyond late December/early January....”
Thanks for that @micra. Always good to see informed opinion.
On the subject of unexpected weather changes. I remember Good Friday 1974(?). We had a massive top of the table game planned that afternoon against fierce rivals. Biggest league crowd for ages expected. I could hardly sleep with excitement. Pulled open the curtains in the morning with a foot of snow everywhere. Seem to remember my dad phoning to see if they wanted volunteers to clear the pitch, but I think they thought there was no hope.
Oh, and don’t mention Peterborough
@micra what a lovely recollection of times past,again, thank you. I assume this is part of a book you are writing. Keep it going.
One of my earliest memories as a young boy still in shorts was being made to queue to go back into school one cold day and being caught short spectacularly. As I looked down at my warm wet legs, I noticed that the magnificent slide we had made in the playground was now starting to melt as a result. Not sure I have yet recovered from the shame....
Not sure I get undersoil heating especially for lower league clubs. Vastly expensive to operate and as far as I know if the game is postponed they still let you play it later in the season. I believe ours was paid for and installed by Wasps when they moved in.
@bookertease, that was against Enfield on 28 March 1975. Well remembered, I would have been going to that but have no recall of the snow or postponement.
https://cc6ea6ad-1db3-47c1-b44e-4c85fcee46a2.filesusr.com/ugd/13036b_94b55ba7806b46529b2fb5bc7b11fa42.pdf
I suppose playing on thick snow, like the famous 6-1 FA Trophy win against Dartford in 84-85, is not likely to happen again. Was that the last time we played on a proper blanket of snow? I know we've played since with snow falling and partially covering the pitch.
https://ae9ec797-5218-4c64-9688-c2958c176a62.filesusr.com/ugd/2d665b_a15a652fac8c4fd0aab6339bbae562b2.pdf
https://ae9ec797-5218-4c64-9688-c2958c176a62.filesusr.com/ugd/2d665b_d8650fe7e0a64c59a0b50bfde0e186ff.pdf
Mansfield away in 2005 springs to mind, 4-1 win.
Bury away the other year it was very snowy and in all honesty the game should never have been played.
That's the game where Alfie Mawson got in a right muddle when the ball got stuck in the boggy pitch and they scored. I think Fred bagged our goal in a 1-1 draw
Remember it well, disappointed that returning hero George Borg was suspended. A couple of years later, I remember us beating Walthamstowe Ave 7-1 on a rock hard loakes Park surface.
Would never had been played these days.
The 1st Leek tie was played in snowy conditions in 85/86.
As we are on a memory kick, events going on elsewhere remind me that I watched the Wanderers play Martine Crosby in the FAAC in February 1952. I hastened back form darkest Essex where I was stationed in the RAF and made it in time. In those days pitches were usually like a quagmire by February and when the surface froze it was even more difficult to play on. By Easter drying winds and a bit of sun and the pitch had not much grass and was baked hard. Despite these conditions you rarely heard complaints about the pitches. I wonder if the players of today could even cope?
Over 12,000 at Loakes Park to see Marine in 1952, quite remarkable for what was only a 3rd rnd tie.
@bookertease : belated thanks for your kind words.
@woodlands : you flatter me! Most of my life has been even more mundane than the episodes that I describe on here from time to time. But I enjoy laboriously tapping out my thoughts and feelings and occasionally unearthing information that might be of passing interest. It’s nice to get positive feedback and, after feeling somewhat down recently, I intend to carry on. It passes the time !
Thank you for your encouragement.
Here's something to pass the time watching @micra
Should we switch on the heating now, or wait until the snow has been cleared off the pitch tomorrow?
You leave the snow on the pitch as it will protect the pitch from freezing too hard and the clear in morning.
Wonder if the club will be asking for volunteers to help? Should be easy to socially distance.
Ignore @mooneyman’s advice at your peril !
I forgot we can afford to pay the leccy bill now, so don't need volunteers to clear the pitch @micra!
Looking good isn’t it and I assume only minimal snow shovelling will be needed in the car park and stadium surrounds. Don’t know if the huge tunnel forming part of the vaccine station traffic control set-up has remained in place. It’s not exactly in the way whilst games are behind closed doors.
Yep don't worry @micra.
Being behind closed doors takes away the risk the game is called off due to the surrounding roads too.
There's not many positives with this virus, but that, and every game being on tv packages are two.
I don't think the surrounding roads will be a problem anyway. Someone told me there father-in-law went to AP for a vaccination today and the fire brigade were clearing the road way so this important work could continue.
It's re-assuring to hear stuff like that happening, as all we usually hear is what a mess everything is.
Indeed, although we do hear of stiff that is truly baffling - house parties, wedding receptions behind blacked out school windows etc. - there is much to be admired in the sterling work being done by many, sometimes volunteers like @EwanHoosaami, to get people vaccinated.
My thanks to them all, they are quite literally getting the country moving again one step at a time.