Another week and another draw. The first team drew their 10th game of the season on Saturday in the Sky live game at home to Sheffield Wednesday. As you can see from my title even I am getting in on the act with draw jokes. I am sure the players and coaching staff are fed up with them and to be fair to them they are unbeaten in six games. Signs are we have turned the corner but in a results business they do not need me to tell them that we need to turn draws into wins. Despite the team sitting in second bottom place the business side of the club has to go on. Plans are well under way regarding the Pink concert to be held in the stadium in June. Our stadium manager has met with various people who he will work with to deliver the gig. Once the first series of meetings have been held over the next few weeks we will know the exact site that the stage will occupy on the pitch as well as the size and weight of it. I have already given my thoughts and I am always going to go for the location and set up which will keep the majority of the stage of the pitch. I know the surface will be damaged but we can do a lot to limit it. Being involved in the early planning should benefit us come the summer. As well as having one eye on the concert plans are well underway with the plans for our 2010 spring renovation programme. Requests for costs have gone out to all our suppliers. The renovation equipment is about to undergo its winter overhaul in readiness for a March start. I am also getting quite a few requests from various quarters within the club to use the pitch for end of season games. It is the role of my coordinator to look at all requests and see how many we can fit in. The concert will deny us several dates where we could host minor games. Fans love the opportunity to play on a professional pitch and we will try to make as many dreams come true as possible.
No matter where you have been in the country in the last few weeks you will have got wet. After a dry spell even the South East has had its share. But none of us can compare or complain with the North West especially those in Cumbria. Your heart goes out to the poor people whose lives have been turned upside down. Within their number will be grounds men. I saw TV pictures of Carlisle United’s ground last Thursday with over 30% of it under several centimetres of water. Despite the deluge they were still talking about playing on Saturday. I thought no chance so imagine my surprise when I found out they had managed to put their game against Swindon on. Despite losing the game to Swindon it was a magnificent effort of team work and groundsmanship in extreme conditions. Well done to all concerned. Despite a couple of wet days preventing us running tractors across our pitches our aeration programme is going well. We are currently carrying out a root pricking exercise using 8mm needle tines. The tines are set on multi blocks in sets of eight. The aim is to give as much opportunity for the small white roots that come horizontally of the crown of the plant and drop vertically down the holes. We have benefited hugely in recent years from this practice. Encouraging such young roots to develop in this way builds up the mass of natural root in the top surface helping to hold the entire root zone region together and provide the playability the players expect.
