If we miss out on promotion and Worthing go up, any chance we could get Nicky Wheeler back?

@dorkingtyke Nicky was great but I don't think 34 year old wingers should be our priority. He also left because we went to morning training sessions so I don't think he would be able to come to us anyway.

Anyone else think our pitch is getting even worse? It was a major contributor to an awful game on Sat - and is becoming a real 'leveller' now.

The uneven bounce is terrible, it's also bobbling and moves the ball all over the place. Quite shocking. 

@adeb Hopefully Marc got a good deal from the Maidstone pitch supplier!

It's poor for the level of football we play at (and the level we hope to return to)

Maidstone's was excellent, most 3G's are good (Horsham's is perfectly fine for example)

The Meadowbank pitch will have to be replaced in the summer and I can't see it being replaced with anything other than 3G, so fingers crossed that we don't go anywhere near the company that maintains the current one. 

@dorking-eagle Is that definitely the case? If it is, surely a hybrid surface would be what's required - otherwise we'd have to change again to meet EFL standards.

@adeb Watford who play in the Championship have a hybrid.

We don't own either the operating lease nor the freehold so we don't hold the cards over what it gets replaced with as it stands? 

For the club to be offering 10% return on 'Meadowbank Bonds' the only way I can see that happening is if we at least obtain the operating lease and make a healthy income from pitch rentals - which surely means 3G ?

All very well talking about hybrid (which would be fantastic) but without a generous groundshare partner (Sutton Utd have Palace,  Borehamwood have Arsenal as examples) it's hard to make it pay?

@dorking-eagle Apparently the pitch only requires replacing if it fails a test in May, and only then if remedial works mean it still cannot pass - and Surrey FA has a fund for a new carpet if required.

Thanks Ade for the clarification. Not sure if that is better or worse, but crazy that nobody will know until May lol

Potters Bar are installing a new 3G at their ground (for the first time) - funding was £1,068,810 !! They are having to groundshare at Kings Langley until the end of the season.

Not knowing until May must make it hard for DW to plan for pre-season etc.

@dorking-eagle Yes it's not great, is it! Honestly believe if we'd been on grass this season (or a really good 3G like Maidstone) we'd have many more points now.

Too many times it suits poor sides coming here looking to nick something (and I include Torquay there). In the NL it was different. For a start I think it's deteriorated significantly in terms of performance, but maybe it did work as a leveller in our favour (sometimes). As Marc says, this league aint full of great teams.

Would love to see stats comparing our performance/return on grass compared to Meadowbank this season, chalk and cheese.

Home - League 24/25

Matches: 20

Wins: 9

Draws: 7

Losses: 4

Points: 32

Goals Scored: 33

Goals Conceded: 25

Away - League 24/25

Matches: 19

Wins: 11

Draws: 4

Losses: 4

Points: 39

Goals Scored: 42

Goals Conceded: 22

So in one less match, we have more wins, less defeats, more points, more goals scored and less goals conceded away from Meadowbank this season.

As for grass pitches v plastic pitches this season...

Grass Pitches - 24/25

Matches: 13

Wins: 10

Draws: 2

Losses: 1

Points: 32

Goals Scored: 29

Goals Conceded: 11 

Plastic Pitches - 24/25

Matches: 26

Wins: 10

Draws: 9

Losses: 7

Points: 39

Goals Scored: 40

Goals Conceded: 36 

Almost a joke how contrasting the stats are. Same amount of wins and basically the same amount of points on grass having played half the amount of games compared to plastic. Conceded over 3x the amount of goals on as well.

The only defeat on grass coming very early in the season away at Torquay in a game we did not deserve to lose either. Only 7 points dropped on grass all season compared to 39 on plastic!

These stats don't even count the Horsham and Eastbourne cup games that we both lost on plastic as well.

Only 4 home defeats in the league - feels like a lot more!! 🤣 

The contrast between grass and plastic is incredible!

Thank you Tom.

I thought that maybe Brooking had been binned due to his mistake for a goal the other Saturday - hope it's not true. As someone said in this thread, it feels like the Joe Cook situation again. Young defenders are always going to make mistakes, and rather than just slag them off and get rid, they should be given a few chances to improve. I'd have love to have seen Cook get a season or two playing alongside TC as I'm convinced he would have become an excellent defender for us - same goes for Brooking.