Size of the pitch

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Welling
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Size of the pitch

Post by Welling »

Within an Olympic (IAAF) 400 metre Athletics track we have the following dimensions.
Straight lines along the sides = 84.4m
Distance from one side to the other 73.0m

This means that the maximum playing surface that you can achieve wholly within an IAAF 400m athletics track without overlapping the running track is 84.4m x 73.0m = 6,161.2 sqm

West Ham, currently have the smallest pitch in the Premier League at 100.5m x 64m = 6,432 sqm
Man City have the biggest pitch in the Premier League at 106m x 70.4m = 7,462.4 sqm

Bottom line is that width ways the pitch at the OS will fit within the running track. Lengthways however, there will be at each end, approximately 10m of pitch overlapping the track as it begins to curve for the bends.

If we go with a larger pitch than we have at present, similar to Man City's, the playing surface plus touchline margin would have to overlap the running track widthways. The width of and 8 lane running track is just under 10m. Allowing for contingency, I cannot envisage any sort of retractable seating getting much closer along the sides than maybe 10m.

The total length of a IAAF running track from top of the arc to the bottom of the arc is 177m. With a 106m long pitch and a dead ball line margin of 5m at both ends, the distance from the edge of the playing surface to the edge of the running track would be approximately 30m.
:think:
As we already know it's at the ends of the stadium where the pitch will be at a much longer distance from the pitch. Along the sides it will not be so bad.

http://vitaxamenity.co.uk/wp-content/up ... -track.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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HammerMan2004
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by HammerMan2004 »

Pitch size knowledge win.

Certainly doesn't add up when people have said that behind the goals, we will be 45m away from the pitch.
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stubbsy07
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by stubbsy07 »

Why have we got the smallest pitch at the moment anyway? There is more than enough room for it to be bigger.

The pitch at OS should be made into one of the biggest pitches in the league, overlapping some of the running track thus making us slightly closer to the action.

Slightly better already.
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loopyludo
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by loopyludo »

I have been wondering exactly how they can overlap the track, I am presuming it must be some sort of synthetic surface but is this allowed in the league rules to have a mixture of real grass and an artificial playing surface.
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Kent Bubble Blower
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by Kent Bubble Blower »

Apparently, loopyludo, we've already got a "semi-sythetic" pitch but not, possibly, what you were thinking. The pitch at the Boleyn is made of this stuff...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desso_GrassMaster" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by loopyludo »

I see your point but that is across the whole playing surface and the artificial fibres are under the ground and purely used as an anchor for the real grass. I suspect that we cannot overlap the track, I have looked at the Stadio Olympico on Google Maps and it seems they have stayed within the confines of the track and gone for a longer thinner pitch.
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by stubbsy07 »

loopyludo wrote:I see your point but that is across the whole playing surface and the artificial fibres are under the ground and purely used as an anchor for the real grass. I suspect that we cannot overlap the track, I have looked at the Stadio Olympico on Google Maps and it seems they have stayed within the confines of the track and gone for a longer thinner pitch.
I have seen pictures, either on the current OS stadium thread or the previous one where the pitch overlaps a track. So it is possible.

It needs to happen, otherwise the pitch won't meet minimum requirements!
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Kent Bubble Blower
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by Kent Bubble Blower »

I see what you mean, loopy. My post was more of a pointer that artificial fibre and real grass solutions already exist, just not in the way you're thinking. I don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility to have some sort of turf system that allows you to remove and store sections of it without causing undue damage to the playing surface? That would allow us to cover the track on the overlap in "football mode" then lift the overlapping parts when the track is in use.
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Mr P
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by Mr P »

stubbsy07 wrote:Why have we got the smallest pitch at the moment anyway? There is more than enough room for it to be bigger.
You could only make it wider and there isn't enough room at both sides to do this. Yes, you could take the pitch closer to the East Stand but this would result in the goals being off centre with the BM and STB stands
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by Georgee Paris »

Son of a bitch
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loopyludo
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by loopyludo »

Kent Bubble Blower wrote:That would allow us to cover the track on the overlap in "football mode" then lift the overlapping parts when the track is in use.
I do hope you are right that a solution can be found as a quick Google of various pitch sizes shows all of these pitches fit inside the confines of a running track, using a longer narrower pitch.
Hampden Park 115X75 yards (105X68 metres)
Stadio Olympico 115X75 yards (105X68 metres)
Stade de France 115X77 yards (105X70 metres)
Hertha Berlin 115X75 yards (105X68 metres)
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Welling
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by Welling »

loopyludo wrote:
I do hope you are right that a solution can be found as a quick Google of various pitch sizes shows all of these pitches fit inside the confines of a running track, using a longer narrower pitch.
Hampden Park 115X75 yards (105X68 metres)
Stadio Olympico 115X75 yards (105X68 metres)
Stade de France 115X77 yards (105X70 metres)
Hertha Berlin 115X75 yards (105X68 metres)
Not sure how these pitches achieve this as the straight line along the inside of the running track is only 84.4 metres long :?

See link in original post.
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loopyludo
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by loopyludo »

They achieve it by using a narrower pitch so the goal lines are inside the curve of the track, as the curve is not so severe at the beginning of the straights.
Image
This is the Stadio Olympico, notice how the curve starts after the finish line and is between the penalty spot and the six yard box. There also seems to be some sort of small overlay at the corner flag.
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by Pop Robson »

UEFA Pitch Size http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Dow ... WNLOAD.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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James P
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Re: Size of the pitch

Post by James P »

A big pitch being a "solution" is a red herring.

Make the pitch bigger and you make the furthest action even further away. A longer pitch will take the far goal even further from those sitting at the opposite end. It could be argued that for a better view of the entire game, a smaller pitch might be more desirable.
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