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Good and bad, often in the same game. There would be some dazzling spells of high-speed tiki-taka, almost like ice hockey, then dismal spells when the ball would be out of play half of the time. The 80s were the high point of POMO football - Watford, Wimbledon, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City - so you would see a lot of punting to the corners that bounced straight out. The grass was terrible before, and even worse for the couple of seasons after, but Omniturf wasn't good enough, let's be honest. Surprisingly, we didn't see many of the events promised - the McGuigan fight and a few weeks with an evangelist, and that was about it.
I was a bit young but what I remember most was the bounce.
I didn't realise Oldam got to the old Division 1 on one. Joe Royale's descripion of ours sounds about right.They had the advanced European Version we lay ours on a bit of concrete.
Before anyone criticises the Omniturf do you remember the state of the pitch before ?
This - many examples - but the one that summed it up (and was mentioned on here recently) was the 6-1 FA Cup replay win against West Ham in 1978 (?). If anyone has a link of that, you'll see the mud-bath problem that bedevilled the Loftus Road winter for years.
Makes you realise what great players Stan, Gerry, Tony Currie et al were to play the way they did on that 'surface'.
I played in goal on it towards the end of the last season we had it,and it was horrible.It was rock hard and awful to dive on.Just outside the penalty area at the loft end there was a strip that had been repaired and it was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch lower than the rest. I didn’t enjoy playing on it so god knows how professional players felt,especially players from the opposition who only played on it once or twice a year.
I was a bit young but what I remember most was the bounce.
I didn't realise Oldam got to the old Division 1 on one. Joe Royale's descripion of ours sounds about right.They had the advanced European Version we lay ours on a bit of concrete.
I always try and make that point as it was a shocker. Only Derby troubles us for the title of worst pitch I recall.
The pitch at the SW6 cesspit in those days was atrocious. I've just finished watching the 1976/77 Big Match Revisited on ITV Hub and towards the end of that season because the filth were eventually to get promoted from the second division, they were showing quite a few of their games.
Down the middle of the pitch from one goal mouth to the other was a grass free zone. Here's an example (apologies in advance):
The pitch where Robbo scored from the halfway line was also a shocker:
This - many examples - but the one that summed it up (and was mentioned on here recently) was the 6-1 FA Cup replay win against West Ham in 1978 (?). If anyone has a link of that, you'll see the mud-bath problem that bedevilled the Loftus Road winter for years.
Makes you realise what great players Stan, Gerry, Tony Currie et al were to play the way they did on that 'surface'.
Pop Robson scored first sure it was at the Loft End.
One of my all time favourite games, Buzza geting 2 goals and centre back Howe & Abbott!!!
Would love to see this game again
I watched it from the middle of the loft,and as each goal went in we got pushed further and further towards the paddocks by West Ham fans who took exception to our celebrations.I think I was almost at the corner flag by the 6th goal.
It was said that Carlisle Utd had the best playing surface in the country at that time. Wembley’s was top notch and they supposedly had the turf shipped down from Cumbria, though I’d have thought drainage was just as important.
An added bonus of Omniturf was watching opposition players and managers whinging and moaning about the bounce when they got beat at Loftus Road. Dalglish took it very badly 🤣🤣🤣
It was said that Carlisle Utd had the best playing surface in the country at that time. Wembley’s was top notch and they supposedly had the turf shipped down from Cumbria, though I’d have thought drainage was just as important.
Wembley's was top notch apart from a few years in the late 60s and early 70s when they staged the Horse of the Year show and there. Then it resembled a quagmire, particularly in late February when the League Cup final was played.
Wembley's was top notch apart from a few years in the late 60s and early 70s when they staged the Horse of the Year show and there. Then it resembled a quagmire, particularly in late February when the League Cup final was played.
1969 League Cup Final
1970 LC Final
1970 FA Cup Final
Wembley was rough for a few years after it reopened, not helped by American football.
Does anyone remember a trip to Highfield Road after Coventry had got through to the FA Cup final against Spuds? The pitch was so bereft of grass that the R's fans started mocking the home fans near us which inspired Ian Dawes to run to the opposite corner of the pitch and return clutching a few blades of grass he had found to show us we were wrong.
Before anyone criticises the Omniturf do you remember the state of the pitch before ?
This. It was a great improvement on the ploughed field in Siberia it was before it was laid. I played on it a number of times and really enjoyed it. Yes, you had to get used to the bounce but once you adapted it was good. You could ping a decent ball around on it and as long as you remembered to put a little more back spin on it than usual.
Lawrenson, part of the great Liverpool side of the time said "I don't give a SOD about the pitch".
And it was dreadful before we installed the plastic.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky
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