Stalemate as new astro makes its debut

The first match on the new pitch between an All-Stars XI and Barnes Beerbarians ended in a thrilling 0-0 draw on Sunday June 10. Many players were quick to blame the lack of experience on the new pitch and other just blamed themselves! A historic moment to see the old guard of Tim Green and Chris Cater-Keall once again in action at TD, while Tim Cook wistfully remembering the first astro being laid! More like wistfully remembering carving lumps out of attackers in the mud on the old grass pitches ...

All Stars to play on virgin pitch

The first match on the new Astroturf will take place at 11.30am on June 10 when an All Stars XI, featuring many names from yesteryear such as Tim Green and Chris Cater-Keal, take on Barnes Beerbarians. Wade Pollard is organising and there will be a BBQ afterwards and, crucially, the bar is open throughout.

The new pitch is ready

The laying of the new astroturf facility at TD is now almost finished – we are just waiting for a few dry days to lay the 75+ tonnes of sand on top of the pitch and then it will be ready for use. (Click here for more pictures)

The surface is far superior to the old beach and will play far more like a water-based pitch without the vast maintenance costs and fungal infections that usually result from those. It should also not have the same issues with freezing in the mid winter that we had of old. Aside from the pitch itself, we have invested in new goals and new dugouts.

The drainage, for so long a major problem, has been revamped at a cosy of over £40,000. A new soakaway has been built – the last one seems to have inadvertently had a thumping great telecom tower laid over it – and drains laid alongside the pitch itself. A new deeper pit is also by the entrance to the pitch to prevent water running off the car park onto the pitch.

The area in front of the grandstand has been tarmaced so it will now be available to stand on without sinking into a foot of mud. The path from the clubhouse to the pitch has been widened, laid with tarmac and then overlaid with astroturf.

Inside the club, the bar has been increased in size and a new 42” plasma TV purchased. New gents loos have been built, and major improvements are being carried out over the summer to the changing rooms.

The end result of an investment of more than £200,000 is that the OC Club will again be one of – if not the – most impressive clubs in the area and one that we can all rightly be proud of.

Pitch relaying starts after Easter

The order for the new astroturf carpet has been placed and work will start on it immediately after Easter and it should be ready for playing when the summer leagues kick into life at the end of May. The carpet itself will be the next one up the pecking order (Desso Trophy for those who care) and is the kind installed at Old Georgians and Bank of England. In short, in plays much more like a water-based and is faster than our existing sandpit.

We are also, at the same time, undertaking a major renovation of the drainage both on the pitch and in the surrounding area. We have had surveys to try to establish why the pitch has been subjected to flooding and it seems that when work was done to the telecom mast somebody – and we are investigating who – decided to seal the main drain with concrete. As a result, the only drainage has been via the overspill outlet and when there is heavy rain that backup and deposits water on the pitch rather than taking it away.

Thaw comes in time

14.05 (Fri Jan 26) The snow has almost all melted and so a decision has been made that all matches at home go ahead.


12.40 (Fri Jan 26) Latest news is that the pitch is beginning to thaw and so the chances of the games going ahead are better than they were. Much seems to depend on how things go in the next two hours, so more at 15.30.

22.30 (Thu Jan 25) A number of this weekend’s matches, including both home games at TD, are in doubt after Wednesday’s snow failed to melt, leaving many astroturfs in the area under a thin blanket of the white stuff. The problem was caused by the fact the pitches froze on Tuesday night, and the snow then fell on the frozen surface. While all around melted, the cold of the astro has acted as an underground fridge. A decision will be made at 2pm on Friday whether the home matches can take place, and other captains will be calling their opposition. An inspection on Thursday evening (above) was not promising but updates will appear here

New astroturf approved

We are pleased to say that the proposal for a new carpet for the astroturf was approved at the OC Society Excom on Tuesday and so we are aiming to start the re-lay in early April. The surface is the one we aimed for - ie better than the one now and like the ones at Old Georgians/Bank of England etc. We have also asked for, and look set to get, other improvements including an astroturf training warm-up area next to the main pitch (at the far end of the grandstand). There will also be a substantial investment in new drainage, the grass bog in front of the grandstand will be made into a hard-standing area for spectators, and there will be other improvements inside the clubhouse.

A new pitch for TD

Speculation over when (or even if!) the pitch at Thames Ditton would be relaid was ended when the OC Society, who own the club, agreed to carry out the work in April 2007. It is hoped that the new surface will be ready in time for the summer leagues to take place from mid May.

The final decision will be taken by the Old Cranleighan Society executive committee on January 16.