[Oldtimer]

 Valley Blues, on 15 September 2023 - 07:50 AM, said:

To be fair, I’d imagine it would be financially a no brainer.

Pitch could be hired out every night of the week, bar open, kiosks open, first team could train on it and remove the need for a separate training centre, no need for a maintenance company to look after the grass, no need to rip it up and relay every summer.

However, it’s just not right in the professional game.

Valid points. Hiring out the pitch every night sounds great, until. As said earlier artificial pitches are moving in leaps and bounds but also is actual grass. Speed of growth, hardiness, resistance to disease and wear and tear, strength etc.

Hiring out pitch each evening may lose some of the mystique of the ground and possibly have adverse affect on support. The overwhelming consensus appears to show that supporters don't enjoy watching games on artificial as much as real grass. So again could be another adverse factor to future support, attendances and profit.

We then come to who it is hired out to ?? Nothing is maintenance free and as with anything else artificial surfaces degrade over time and eventually wear out. Then factor in chance of vandalism not only to the pitch but possibly stadium too.

Why should it be assumed that simply by opening the bar and kiosks people will flock to use and a handsome profit will be returned each evening. There are numerous bars and eateries in the vicinity, some serving better beer and food than CFC, yet they still struggle to pull the punters in most nights.

I would imagine many other factors will have an effect on viability too. That's why I said it shouldn't be seen as a no brainer. After all with all the supposed advantages it brings financially and playing wise one would think the ones with it would be running rampant in their respective leagues

[lindave]

 Quaker, on 15 September 2023 - 09:25 AM, said:

As a kid I had many a good game on tarmac.

we played on concrete at our school.