posted Oct 29, 2007

The pitch was just not suitable for a NFL game, and the rain certainly didn't help.

The pitches in the NFL are made of up of two sorts, completely artifical, or a composite surface of natural and manufactured turf.

Soccer pitches, especially when sodden don't allow the footing that the big guys in the trenches need to power themselves of the line. It looked like someone had driven a plow down the middle of the pitch.

The Wembley pitch got gouged up in the FA Cup final, and even Wayne Rooney is a midget compared with the big lads up front last night.

It was a good event but not helped by having one awful side, against a side that didn't play close to its potential. Lets hope the NFL is back next season.

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posted Oct 29, 2007

Couple of points i think need clearing up.
First there is a market, quite clearly, nearly 1 million application for tickets for this game would prove that.
The grass was too short, the groundsmen had no idea what was coming there way. Usually they get 12 stone football player running round, not 300lb hulks.
The idea of building a new state of the art venue, which is vaunted as been one of the best in the world is a joke, why the hell didn't they get a fully closing roof.
The yanks think it rains all the time in the UK and after seeing that joke of a game nothing is going to change that.

We always harp on about how we have the best in the world, well they got it wrong with the national stadium, Cardiff is way ahead.

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posted Oct 29, 2007

OK, just to get the closing roof at Wembley question sorted out!
The roof when closed covers all the pitch and all the seating but at the very top at the back of the stand there are openings all the way round to allow air flow.
The roof when open still covers all the seating but the pitch is completely exposed.
It wasn't closed because the teams requested that it wasn't.

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posted Oct 29, 2007

ChubbyCheshire

The grass on an American field is seeded more densely and is longer. This keeps it from being torn up so quickly. Last year the Patriot's field was so mucked up by the time the play offs came around they installed a new one.

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posted Oct 29, 2007

With the wet sodden conditions, the grass was too short to withstand the punishment of an NFL match. Would have been fine for a British football game but NFL players are far bigger and the nature of the sport made the pitch very slippery. Jay Feeley said it was like playing on ice.

The grass they use in American stadiums are Bermuda or Kentucky Bluegrass which is a much thicker and stronger type of grass that can withstand more punishment. A lot of NFL teams use FieldTurf which is the surface that metalraider was referring to in his post.

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posted Oct 30, 2007

The roof doesnt close.It closes over the stands behind the goals but not over the pitch.

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posted Oct 30, 2007

Thanks Claud - looks like Wembley will have to do the same !!

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posted Oct 30, 2007

The pitch has been criticised when soccer (god I hate using that word but I'm on an Amercian football board) has been played on it, it was poor Sunday, they don't have it right yet for Soccer let alone NFL. It will improve, albeit it pre-season or more Colledge football standards, the old stadioum coped regularly with Amercican football matches in the past without too much problem.

And the roof slides at only to give more light to the pitch, it is not designed to close fully.

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posted Nov 22, 2007

why is the roof never closed has anyone seen it work lately
the pitch for the england game was a mess

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posted Nov 22, 2007

According to the Radio this a.m it doesn't close, but it does open wider to allow the sun to get to all the grass when there is no game - to aid growing....well that worked then !!

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