Was it just me, or was the pitch at Widnes bloody awful today? There was a big patch of mud in the centre, and strips of mud going towards the uprights. It looked poorly cared for.

Given that most of our injuries appear to occur at Widnes, and bearing in mind the nature of the injuries (specialising in ankle injuries this season) might the standard of pitch be a factor?

No

Why not?

thats the problem with ground sharing BUT the pitch looked fine to us, but I suppose thats the difference between SL and Championship?



Don't they play soccer on that pitch as well as Vikings, you lot as visiting tennants and academy /reserve rugby?


Don't you remember the good old days of pitches which made sure that both teams came out the same colour at the end? Didn't matter what c olour your team started in ...mud colour was the end product

Bring those days back and we'd have a level playing field....

What do you want at all, a pitch like what footballers play on? You wont get one at a RUGBY stadium all the time.

Firstly,the pitch is the same for both teams.I may be wrong but i've not seen many other teams,includding Widnes and their opponents leaving The Stobart with a shed full of injuries.
Secondly,if the pitch is too hard its up to the players to be more carefull with their stud selection.

Actually, I think Widnes have had a lot of injuries this season.


There is that. For whatever reason though, we seem to have suffered the majority of our injuries at Widnes.

No, not really. Leeds had a terrible pitch at one point, and they aren't a championship side.


Yes, the Everton reserves play there as well as the Vikings and us. That means special care has to be taken to look after the pitch, and it looked terrible today. But we've been spoiled, I guess. We had Knowsley Road, which was generally gorgeous, except when St Helens Town played on it (and even then, it was not as scuffed up as the Widnes pitch was today, just a bit bare around the centre bit and near the goal areas).

It was just a thought, is all.

The pitch down the centre does seem a bit muddy only natural ATM with you & Everton reserves / Ladies there too... It looks great otherwise though but middle always been the first bit to go... If you fancy paying for a relaying sure you won't have many complaints

If players get injured because the "pitch is hard" then why dont we go back to playing during the winter when the ground will generally be "soft" and muddy and wet !!!!

I don't think the pitch is to bad. Don't forget we've got two teams playing on it, prob the Widnes u21s and also the Widnes cup final was played on it last Monday.

I'd say it's getting used more than expected and be tough for the ground staff to keep in good order.

It's also been very dry in April which doesn't help (I know with my lawns). The Leeds pitch looked very poor again yesterday.

It's been very dry!

The pitch I played on other week was like playing on a concrete floor, it's was rock solid!

I think you're going soft in your old age mate

I was fine mate, it was the younger guys doing all the moaning.

I think you mean Loins

In fairness we do play half our games there though. The probability of a player getting injured there is much higher simply because of that.

Teams who play there:
Widnes
Everton Reserves
Everton Ladies
St Helens

Don't no where your academy plays? And also there was an amatuer cup final on Monday!

I went the game on Monday for the Widnes cup final. St maries beat west bank 20-0

None of Widnes Vikings Academy/Reserves have yet played at the stadium this year, They have been shipped out to New Brighton RU to protect the pitch yet your Academy has played there quite often and have the cheek to moan?

The Academy isn't moaning. I am! I am not the Academy. And the Academy tend to play at Liverpool St Helens so far as I know. The u20s play at Widnes when the first team have a match there also. They play as a curtain raiser. However, it's probably the soccer players who cause the damage, judging by where the damage is at its worst.

The pitch is terrible. Whoever is in charge of looking after the pitch needs to get it sorted.

For the use it gets the pitch imo is in great condition. 2 adult football teams and 3 rugby teams the pitch "should" be in worse condition than it is. Saints can feel free to stop the curtain raisers be it U20s or academy/reserves. Widnes lads dont get that privilidge to play there before 1st team games so dont see why Saints should imo.

The pitch isn't 'terrible' by a long, long stretch! It's just a bit worn in the middle which is as much rugby as footy! As said it's been very dry the pat month and also very heavily used so what do you expect? Rain picking up now and football season is nearly done (not sure if Everton ladies are full time tennants?) so should soften up a bit.

Oh stop being so precious. Widnes Vikings don't own the bloody stadium so this isn't a criticism of the Vikings for heaven's sake.

I complained to Halton Borough Council when we first went to Widnes because the stadium serves hot drinks in plastic cups which mean that you can't actually hold the bloody drinks after about 10 seconds as they get too hot. I wasn't the only one who complained; loads of people did. I received a thank you in reply and nothing was done. Still get hot drinks in plastic cups. So I take a pair of gloves with me and even when the weather has been shirt and shorts type weather, I've been there, watching the u20s with my gloves on, so I can drink my cup of coffee.

Maybe it is Halton Borough Council who are responsible for looking after the pitch as well? If so, I might complain and see if they will send me another of their cute emails thanking me for my message.

You complained to the council about plastic cups at the stadium.