Madejski - Shortest Pitch in the Prem!

[1960]

If the OS figures are correct (102x68 metres) this come out as 111.5 yds x 74.3 yards. I don't know where you got all the other figures (please tell), but these dimensions don't look too small. If you do another check, using yards and not mixing them with metres, or vice versa, I'm sure you'll find that the Madstad pitch is pretty average or typical.

[JC]

If you go by the Football Grounf Guide
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/ ... ound.shtml

then our ground is longer than
Fulham
Newcastle
Tottenham

It is wider than
Aston Villa
Charlton
Chelsea
Newcastle
Portsmouth
Sheff U
Tottenham
West Ham
Wigan

These do not include Arsenal as I cannot find what size that is.

However the difference is only a yard or so. On balance then we do have one of the smallest grounds in the premiership

[Yahoops]

that means you can legally have a square pitch - 90 x 90??

The field of play must be rectangular. The length of the touch line must be greater than the length of the goal line.

HTH

So you could have a pitch measuring 90.01 X 89.99 then. Would look square to the naked eye!!

A square is a rectangle with equal length sides. HTH.

[JC]

Did anybody who went to the game today think that the pitch had been shortened? There is now an additional row of advertising boards behind the goal and the distance from the goal line to the front row of the stands looked longer to me, or is it just an optical illusion?

[Warfield Royal]

I think it was the same length as before on the basis that the back of the goal net was in its usual position with respect to the grass. The pitch surround has been painted bright blue which may have added to the effect. In any case it would probably be too much trouble to dig new sockets for the goal posts.

[papereyes]

that means you can legally have a square pitch - 90 x 90??

No, but you can have it nearly square.

[JC]

I think it was the same length as before on the basis that the back of the goal net was in its usual position with respect to the grass. The pitch surround has been painted bright blue which may have added to the effect. In any case it would probably be too much trouble to dig new sockets for the goal posts.

I think you misunderstand me. I get the impression that the distance from the goal line to the front of the stand looks longer. I seem to recall the buggy could just get behind the goal before. If they had shortened it the goal would still be the same distance from the edge of the grass. As I said it is probably just an optical illusion

[Royalee]

I don't know whether it was because the blue around the pitch stood out more, but myself and others around me all thought the pitch had been narrowed.

[Reading Abbey]

I don't know whether it was because the blue around the pitch stood out more, but myself and others around me all thought the pitch had been narrowed.

That'll be down to the extra row of advertising boards.

[Warfield Royal]

I too thought that there was a larger width of grass between the touchline and tarmac but I took some photos at the Feyenoord match as the players came out of the tunnel and I compared the size of the technical area and the gap between the technical area and the touchline with some photos I took last season and I came to the conclusion that the touchline was in the same position as last season.