Watching the Arsenal v Chelsea match yesterday I was once again impressed with the playing surface at Highbury.

Maybe they don't get quite the rain that the North East gets but still it looked immaculate. Surely there must be leesns to learn from the Arsenal staff.

The Sunderland pitch looked pretty crap as well on Saturday, so is it purely the magnitude of rainfall in the region that makes groundsmen's jobs so hard?

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001

Answers

SoL has less heat coming off the terraces to dry it out

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001

It probably helps being situated on the edge of some chalky hills with plenty of good natural drainage. They also have ancient, listed stands that are old enough to have rubble footings which you know as well as I do give you horrible problems damp-proofing the buildings when they get renovated but allow moisture through with ease.

We seem to be stuck on a bed of clay with enormous polythene coated slabs of concrete all round the edges and an inability to pump the water down the hill as it would flood SJP Metro. Bloody nightmare, isn't it? Take more than a 6foot soakaway in the centre circle to sort that out :-)

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001

....but did you see the Notlob/Blackburn match......Pride Park looked more akin to a rolled out mud wrestling site than a football field.

Bare of grass, soaked through, glistening on the top, it was little wonder the tackles were going in high and heavy

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001

Funny, it looked like The Reebok to me............but what do Aah knaa? Cudda been a rugby league groond as far as Aah wez concerned ;-)

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001

Alright Kobeer......going for a lie down in a darkened room.

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001

..........and then what??????? ;-)

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2001

return the next day to make more mistooks

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2001

.......so no change there then!

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2001

Off bog screamer

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2001

How did you know!!!

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2001

Vision dear heart.....something you know nowt about!

80)

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2001

Vision?? Yer a perv, ITK (but we aal knaa that) if ye cud see me gettin' off the bliddy bog.

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2001

Its the all seeing eye ye knaa......mind you I'm as blind as a bat in the other one!

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2001