http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1011707

 

Artificial pitch is worry for Aberdeen

By Charlie Allan 

 

Published: 05/01/2009

 

ABERDEEN could be forced to face Alloa in the Scottish Cup without many of their top team stars.

 

Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood has been warned he could end up crocking Scott Severin, Zander Diamond, Darren Mackie, Lee Mair, Derek Young and Jamie Smith if he plays them in Saturday’s fourth round tie at Recreation Park.

 

The players have all previously had surgery to repair a variety of muscle injuries.

 

It’s feared playing on the artificial pitch at Alloa’s ground could aggravate any weaknesses.

 

Calderwood said: “We have a few who could struggle to play on the pitch because of the injuries they have had.

 

“Scott Severin, Zander Diamond, Darren Mackie, Lee Mair and Derek Young are in the group most at risk.

 

“We also have concerns over how Stuart Duff and Jamie Smith, who have just recovered from injuries, would cope.

 

“It’s a big headache and I will be talking to our medical staff before deciding if we can take a chance with any of them.

 

“We are going to train on Alloa’s pitch tomorrow to see how things go and may need to force some of them to play.

 

“But it’s a worry as we have a big game at Kilmarnock the following Tuesday and there is a good chance any of those who do take part at Alloa could be forced to sit that one out.â€

 

Calderwood warned his players they will have to be more up for the battle when they go to Alloa at the weekend.

 

“You don’t win games by playing football alone,†he said.

 

“You have to battle for every ball as well, and that’s what we failed to do at Hamilton.

 

“If we do the same at Alloa then we could be in big trouble, because they will come out fighting to claim our scalp.

 

Think its quite a good idea for them to travel down tomorrow and get a feel for the pitch.

Teams used to do the same when Pars had their glorified carpet

Excuses in early again this week  .

Can't see this materialising to be honest. We can't afford to leave out players with a cup win being a known target for the senior management at the club.

 

Sounds like JC making sure that the governing bodies of our game do not pursue plastic pitches on principal.

Am we to believe that Alloa Athletic have a giant squad so that they can handle constant injuries to their first team squad?

 

Or are our players just a bunch of pussies?

Nae way should Jamie smith b unrapped fae the cotton wool fir this game

Am we to believe that Alloa Athletic have a giant squad so that they can handle constant injuries to their first team squad?

 

Or are our players just a bunch of pussies?

 

No, but their playing style and training on the pitch make them more used to it and less likely to get injured.

 

Yes.

Hang on, Jimmy says he would ban all plastic pitches, did he not green light the dunfermiline one before he jumped to us?

Plastic has no place at top level

 

By Sean Wallace

 

Published: 06/01/2009

 

ABERDEEN boss Jimmy Calderwood today called for artificial pitches to be banned from Scottish senior football.

 

The Dons face a tricky Scottish Cup fourth round tie on Alloa Athletic’s plastic pitch on Saturday.

 

But Calderwood reckons there is no way his stars should be playing on such a dangerous surface.

 

He said: “Artificial pitches do not have a place at this level of football.

 

“I cannot stand them and if I had my way, we would never play on them.

 

“People say the artificial surfaces have improved with time, but I have yet to be convinced of that.

 

“When I was managing in Holland, clubs in the Second Division used artificial pitches due to the financial benefits.

 

“But they were all eventually replaced, which was a good thing.”

 

The Pittodrie chief experienced first hand the pitfalls of synthetic surfaces during his time at Dunfermline.

 

“I was always pushing for the artificial pitch at Dunfermline to be replaced,” he said.

 

“From that Dunfermline team who played under me on the artificial pitch, 12 players have gone on to have hernia surgery.

 

“That included players like Barry Nicholson and Greg Shields.

 

“That is a very high number for that sort of operation. Maybe they were not all due to the pitch, but it certainly didn’t help.”

 

Aberdeen were due to train on Alloa’s artificial surface today as Calderwood assessed the FIFA Grade 2 approved surface.

 

Calderwood has been warned the surface could crock Scott Severin, Zander Diamond, Darren Mackie, Lee Mair, Derek Young, Stuart Duff and Jamie Smith.

 

All have had surgery to repair muscle injuries, and it is feared the surface could flare up old injuries.

 

“Supposedly Alloa’s pitch is better than the one Dunfermline had,” said Calderwood.

 

“We will train on the pitch for 90 minutes and the players will have to use that time to show me they are comfortable with the surface.”

Hang on, Jimmy says he would ban all plastic pitches, did he not green light the dunfermiline one before he jumped to us?

 

He would also never train on an artificial pitch like the one at Strikers...

“Supposedly Alloa’s pitch is better than the one Dunfermline had,†said Calderwood.

 

The stair carpet at Vicky's is better than either of them.

The stair carpet at Vicky's is better than either of them.

 

Old skool!!

Old skool!!

 

Craze II for winners!

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1016502

 

DONS boss Jimmy Calderwood today admitted Alloa’s plastic pitch should not cause his side any problems.

 

Calderwood took his squad through a four-hour training session at Alloa’s Recreation Park ahead of Saturday’s Homecoming Scottish Cup tie.

 

He said: “The Alloa pitch is a lot better than I thought it would be.

 

“It is much better than the one Dunfermline had when I was boss there.

 

“Aberdeen play a passing game so we will not have to change our style.â€

 

Charlie Mulgrew, who missed the Hamilton loss in the SPL, came through training and is set to play on Saturday.

 

 

You think Seve was feeling the cold at the training session in Alloa?

http://www.afc.premiumtv.co.uk/javaImages/7b/d5/0,,10284~5035387,00.jpg[/img]

You think Seve was feeling the cold at the training session in Alloa?

http://www.afc.premiumtv.co.uk/javaImages/7b/d5/0,,10284~5035387,00.jpg[/img]

 

He was wearing tights in Madrid!

What he wears in clubs after hours is his business.

He was wearing tights in Madrid!

 

Your tights

Your tights

 

Hebrews. 

Hebrews. 

 

He can wear my tights anytime...............................as long as my legs are still in them 

He can wear my tights anytime...............................as long as my legs are still in them 

 

A scarf then?

Plastic pitch victim Jimmy Nicholl warns Aberdeen players over Alloa danger

 

JIMMY NICHOLL is convinced Aberdeen will have a tougher job coping with Alloa's plastic pitch than their team.

 

The Dons No.2 knows better than most about the pitfalls of artificial surfaces.

 

Nicholl was dogged by shin splints from playing on plastic pitches for Toronto Blizzard in the North American Soccer League.

 

Aberdeen tested the pitch earlier this week but the Ulsterman fears it could cause another Cup shock.

 

Nicholl said: "The pitch will be a bigger danger to us than the opposition.

 

"I'm not a great lover of them. I had three years on plastic in North America and hated it because I had bad shin splints every few months.

 

"You can never play at 100 per cent because you can't run flat out as it is too difficult to turn.

 

"I remember a game at Dunfermline against Partick Thistle and Lee Bullen and Derek Whyte were running.

 

"Lee tried to turn inside but both of them ended up over the advertising boards.

 

"I enjoyed training on plastic pitches but you often find they're only good for that purpose."

 

Nicholl believes Hamilton boss Billy Reid will have advised his pal Allan Maitland how to set up Alloa to beat the Dons.

 

Ex-Ranger Nicholl said: "We know what Alloa will be like. They will look at how Hamilton Accies beat us last weekend and try to press us just as hard.

 

"Their manager will be convinced Hamilton were in our faces and that we didn't like it."

 

 

Haha, what on earth is all this shite?! Surely a one-off match on an artificial pitch won't be a problem?!