Gillingham FC Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsxher2XQjI

Your going to love the above link with Pat Nevin talking about the difference in pitch length and width and whether bigger pitches lead to more late goals.

I remember The Dell always being a tight pitch to play on and Southampton were always tough to play against on there own patch, Macclesfield was another tough pitch to play on because The Groundsman would rake the pitch and dig up the turf some teams who are good at passing the ball could not pass the ball, Macclesfield can then hit it long into there two big front men and Moss Rose was hard to go to and get a result.

Just like there is differences in width and length of football pitches, there is nothing in the rulebook to suggest that every pitch has to have a perfect playing surface.

I did an article for the matchday programme about how our results differ when we play sides with bigger and smaller pitches. Was quite surprised to discover quite a number of clubs had a smaller pitch than us!

God I wish I had as much time on my hands as you guys, but I am one of those dumb guys that has a job, and a family to look after, a retirement around the corner where I will need at least a few thousand quid to live on each month. Where did it all go wrong for me, I could have worried about the Gills instead of worrying about me and mine?
Not trying to be an ass h*le, but what the hell do you guys do for a living?

Have two kids screaming at each other constantly! I post either to drown them out or when I have a moment of peace when everyone is in bed!!!

And Mrs. Fanny Mulligan, what do you do for a living ?

This working for a living concept is greatly over-rated

Very true CM!!! Before I was made redundant, my cost for travelling to work was around £350 a month for fuel and car loan. I then needed to find £800 a month from my monthly salary to pay for nursery fees leaving me about £150 a month to play with - working 50+ hours a week, weekends and Christmases for the privilege of doing so and then not enjoying my children growing up! At the time we would have put up with it and was a very troubling time but actually it was the best thing could have happened!

Quite a few fans think Priestfield is a a small pitch,but i`m sure I read it is bigger than St James Park.I think the Stands being so close to the pitch is why people think Priestfield`s pitch is small.

It is in the middle really, not a great deal smaller than Wembley. Orient's is/was biggest in the league, at least it use to be. Man City have the biggest in the PL - Maine Road was traditionally a very large pitch and they deliberately kept it similar at the new stadium.

I have attached my research from my matchday programme article just for interest. Of course it was written a couple of years ago now so Rotherham have a new stadium and sizes may have changed slightly. Stoke in particular narrowed the width of their pitch to help Delap with his throw literally a week after my article was published!