Damp Disaster at Fir Park

Last updated : 21 March 2004 By Firparkcorner

The pitch before the cancelled game v Aberdeen
The catalogue of embarrassing call-offs at Fir Park is becoming bothersome. Yet again the club will suffer another loss in income it can ill afford while fans with cash in their pockets found that there was an alternative to paying at the turnstile. The midweek rearrangement will attract a smaller audience and fewer hospitality suites will be occupied. It was a bad day on Saturday.

The existing pitch was laid in May 1999. Many a back garden was lovingly enhanced with sods from the old pitch at a pound a go. Donations went to the Youth Development fund. Maybe it should have been used to fund a decent drainage system!


The budget for the year ahead is believed to include around £220 000 to allow for the insertion of a heating system for the ground. Whether that includes a set of drain rods is not clear. Certainly a thorough examination of the system under the grass has to be a priority for the club as it emerges from the financial constraints of administration.


A late defrost v Thistle
The farcical sight of massed stewards holding down the hot air balloon to defrost the area in front of the South Stand will not be missed either. If we can avoid the ground staff having to brush water from the surface that would help too.

Can you tell? – I’m suffering from the football fan’s worst nightmare. Anticipation and planning for the Saturday ritual blown apart by an unexpected pitch inspection four hours before kick off.

Maybe
Dunfermline’s plastic pitch does have something to recommend it after all!