Deep lorry marks a few yards off the Trojans square
It’s going to need a drastic change in the current wet weather patterns if Trojans' scheduled Southern Premier League Division 2 curtain raiser against Sparsholt at Stoneham Lane is to go ahead.
Grounds across the entire country have been waterlogged as a result of heavy rain and a double dose of melting March snow, but nothing is likely to compare with a large slice of the outfield at the Trojans Club which, as recent pictures show, continues to resemble a ploughed field.
As a money raising exercise, the Trojans Club allowed a large temporary ‘marquee’ to be erected on the outfield to cater for Christmas party functions which had previously been held close by at North Stoneham Park, now a private housing development site.
But the grass under the ‘marquee’ on the area of cricket outfield normally used in the winter for junior rugby or soccer has been killed off.
Sizeable lorry tyre marks became embedded in the soil when the structures were removed from the site and, as can be seen, are waterlogged.
Now the clock is ticking all too fast for Trojans, who face the prospect of considerable financial outlay, probably through the engagement of outside contractors, to get the ground playable. The ‘top’ part of the outfield has also been scuffed up by rugby. Current weather conditions are totally alien to grass growing and are anticipated to be for the immediate future.
Trojans have already had their knuckles rapped by the Southern Premier League, who have issued the club with a formal warning about the condition of the outfield, which has attracted very poor marks from visiting captains and panel umpires during the past two summer seasons.
“The Crease” website continues to await a response to an email sent on 23 February 2018 to Trojans Club chairman Campbell Williams requested a formal response on the following points –
• What action did the Trojans Club take upon receipt of the formal warning sent last autumn by the Southern Premier League concerning the then state of the Stoneham Lane outfield ?
• bearing in mind the temporary Christmas function structures were removed in late December, why has that area of the outfield been left unattended and not received any remedial attention ?
• what plans does the Trojans Club have to rectify matters and when, if any work been set up, does it anticipate the remedial work will take place ?
• will in the opinion of the Trojans Club, the ground be fit for the opening SPL2 match against Sparsholt on May 5 ?
This website proposes to continue to monitor this on-going situation.
Grounds across the entire country have been waterlogged as a result of heavy rain and a double dose of melting March snow, but nothing is likely to compare with a large slice of the outfield at the Trojans Club which, as recent pictures show, continues to resemble a ploughed field.
As a money raising exercise, the Trojans Club allowed a large temporary ‘marquee’ to be erected on the outfield to cater for Christmas party functions which had previously been held close by at North Stoneham Park, now a private housing development site.
But the grass under the ‘marquee’ on the area of cricket outfield normally used in the winter for junior rugby or soccer has been killed off.
Sizeable lorry tyre marks became embedded in the soil when the structures were removed from the site and, as can be seen, are waterlogged.
Now the clock is ticking all too fast for Trojans, who face the prospect of considerable financial outlay, probably through the engagement of outside contractors, to get the ground playable. The ‘top’ part of the outfield has also been scuffed up by rugby. Current weather conditions are totally alien to grass growing and are anticipated to be for the immediate future.
Trojans have already had their knuckles rapped by the Southern Premier League, who have issued the club with a formal warning about the condition of the outfield, which has attracted very poor marks from visiting captains and panel umpires during the past two summer seasons.
“The Crease” website continues to await a response to an email sent on 23 February 2018 to Trojans Club chairman Campbell Williams requested a formal response on the following points –
• What action did the Trojans Club take upon receipt of the formal warning sent last autumn by the Southern Premier League concerning the then state of the Stoneham Lane outfield ?
• bearing in mind the temporary Christmas function structures were removed in late December, why has that area of the outfield been left unattended and not received any remedial attention ?
• what plans does the Trojans Club have to rectify matters and when, if any work been set up, does it anticipate the remedial work will take place ?
• will in the opinion of the Trojans Club, the ground be fit for the opening SPL2 match against Sparsholt on May 5 ?
This website proposes to continue to monitor this on-going situation.
