Cup Games: Should Turf Be Allowed?

[Captain Shamrock]

No, games should not be played on turf. Teams who train on them obviously have an advantage. If the final is going to be played on grass, then why should games played before the final be on turf. Also, the turf is different from field to field. The argument regarding not being able to play on grass to finish the cup games is absolutely MOOT. The Imperial Cup has been around for many decades and they always managed to finish the cup on GRASS. So, cup games should be played on grass. There is also a safety issue on the turf. A big resounding NO to the turf.

 

[bonefish]

8:00pm Monday Nights North Van sounds familiar...Oh Yeah that is my home park and time. After playing 9 games this year in that time slot I have to say that it is not too bad. As a team we took to the change like a duck to water as we won or tied all of those 9 games.

Soccer is about being able to run down a field without ruts and puddles and pig sty's. It is also about being able to pass a ball that has more than a 50% chance of reaching where you intended. It is definetly not about any of the parks I mentioned earlier or sitting out for weeks on end like my squad has for the past 2....

 

[Keeper]

It is also about being able to pass a ball that has more than a 50% chance of reaching where you intended.

Your lot needs a perfectly smooth surface just for the remote possibility of 50% pass completion.

If turf can be used during the regular season it should be fine for cup play. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and all that.

 

[Gomesy16]

Yes to turf.

If you have skill and your team plays good soccer, than you love it. It makes for a fast game and plays every bounce the same. If you fcuk up a pass or shot on turf, you can't blame the surface, you can only blame yourself. I think that says it all.

Sure it can be rough on the joints, but it's no worse than stepping into a hole or a rut on a waterlogged uneven field that Vancouver has to provide most of the time.

There are only a couple fields that I would rather play on than turf, Trinity Western's home pitch being probably the best in the lower mainland.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Bonefish,

Don't you think the grass fields make games more interesting, especially in the muck heaps? Sometimes, you just have to plug your way to a result. Why do 99% of the teams in Europe/around the world use grass fields? Because it is a NATURAL surface and the best football is played on grass, not turf. Unless your Dunfermline of course

 

[Ballbaby]

I am for the turf and this is from a guy who has rolled his ankle severely a couple of times. Grass is still the better option but if it is not an option and the game is in jeopardy of not being played, I'll take turf anyday.

 

[bonefish]

Capitan',

Yes,

I would prefer to play on grass but,(a very big butt; bigger than the one in my avatar) the reality of it all is that there is very little "grass" of the non-THC kind on the rainy west coast available for men's soccer.

1. Quality Grass Pitch
2. Field Turf
3. Majority of pitches in Vancouver.

...in that order.

Bones

 

[john]

I big yes to any games being played on turf, especially at this time of the year.

And what about this..............we train on Turf and for the most part are scheduled to play on turf, ( though our home park is grass but always is closed) so do we have unfair advantage when we are forced to play on grass? No! You play the game where it is scheduled and vs who you are scheduled against. Anything else is just an excuse.

John

Oh and this coming from someone who played on turf last night and have two swollen knees from it

 

[Captain Shamrock]

I big yes to any games being played on turf, especially at this time of the year.

And what about this..............we train on Turf and for the most part are scheduled to play on turf, ( though our home park is grass but always is closed) so do we have unfair advantage when we are forced to play on grass? No! You play the game where it is scheduled and vs who you are scheduled against. Anything else is just an excuse.

John

Oh and this coming from someone who played on turf last night and have two swollen knees from it

John,

No offense but your argument is MOOT. How many turf fields are there compared to grass fields in the Lower Mainland? Several teams use turf regularly and the rest are grass, so your situation is in the vast minority. The swollen knees are a result of carrying too much weight and have nothing to do with the turf by the way................................................

 

[sid]

maybe we should TURF regs off line

sid

 

[Stepchild]

My 2 cents,
for years people bitched about sh*tty fields in the VMSL. Now, some bitch about turf. Make up your minds.

 

[Creedence]

Turf ...

Obviously turf is another style with its own characteristics, but is it a bigger factor than some differences/advantages grass pitches can produce between teams? What about postponed games and teams playing a rained-out make-up league game late in the season on a Sat and then a cup game on the following Sun?

Grass fields are being replaced with these new long-turf parks, leaving the league little choice in using them, especially in the early rounds when many parks are needed. I say turf is less of a problem than playing on mucker grass pitches which can eliminate certain styles almost completely.