Baseball Ground (9 Viewers)

[MalcSB]

A number of people said the pitch today was as bad as the Baseball Ground, it really wasn’t,

 

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[Hobo]

That is good for the Baseball ground

 

[ovduk78]

2nd picture is surely Wembley from 1970 cup final?

 

[Domo]

FoOtBaLl wAs BeTtEr BaCk tHeN

 

[MalcSB]

That is good for the Baseball ground

It is. The video is a bit more representative of how bad it could get.
Not quite so much AAATB in those days.

2nd picture is surely Wembley from 1970 cup final?

you may well be right, sorry about that. But it does put yesterdays pitch into proportion. Poor by today’s standards but nowhere near as bad as some were suggesting.

I was trying to work out who the players in white were. Looking at it through the lens of it being Leeds not Derby, the 9 is Mick Jones, 7 Peter Lorimer. I think the player extreme right is Alan Clarke And the one more central but furthest away probably Paul Madeley.

AI Overview
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The Derby County's Baseball Ground was infamous for its perpetually muddy pitch due to the playing area being below street level, leading to drainage problems and the pitch being "like putting water in a saucer of flour".

Here's a more detailed explanation:

• Below street level:
  The playing area at the Baseball Ground was situated below street level, which created significant drainage issues.
  
  
• Pitch preparation:
  The pitch's rotavation, a method of preparing the soil, was reportedly not ideal, contributing to the muddy conditions. Bob Smith, the groundsman at the Baseball Ground, described the pitch as being like putting water in a saucer of flour and it becoming gooey.
  
  
• Watering for big games:
  Brian Clough, the manager of Derby County, supposedly grew fond of the wet pitch, believing it suited his team's playing style. He reportedly flooded the pitch for major matches, even though the reserves' pitch was dry.
  
  
• Memorable incidents:
  A memorable incident occurred in 1977 when a penalty spot disappeared into the mud during a game against Manchester City. The referee had to call on the groundsman to mark a new spot with whitewash.
  
  
• No Grass:
  Players from opposing teams have described the pitch as having no grass, and it was simply mud and sand.

 

[olderskyblue]

The pitch was also higher in the middle than down the sides. Watching from the sideline, you couldn’t see the ball on the other wings.