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Dome installed at the valley!

edited January 2014 in General Charlton
@CAFCofficial: A dome has been installed at The Valley to try and alleviate some of our pitch issues. #cafc http://t.co/2oHkiC36Mz

If this is what roland has done after only buying club on friday, regardless whatever has happened or is happening in current other clubs im quite impressed

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Comments

  • Very impressed!
  • I think you will find it had to be done whether or not the takeover went through.
    Otherwise I imagine there would be heavy sanctions for not being able to host games? Or possibly having to play away from the Valley?
  • Well we never had a dome under the previous owners who allowed our pitch to become a farce, and it obviously costs money, so i'd guess Roland is involved somewhere
  • Well done the board !
  • What is the purpose if this? Is it just shelter?
  • So RD does know something about football.
    You need a pitch to play on.
  • How on earth did Roland get that thing through customs?
  • Well we never had a dome under the previous owners who allowed our pitch to become a farce, and it obviously costs money, so i'd guess Roland is involved somewhere

    We did have a 'top of the range' dome not so long ago and there has, as far as I am aware of its current whereabouts
    particularly during these latest pitch debacle.
  • Weren't we renting that one for something stupid like 15k per week when we were in the Prem?
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  • What is the purpose if this? Is it just shelter?

    It is to keep further rain off while they work on the pitch

  • Fantastic. Making a sudden impact where it's needed. I think the transfer window will be interesting!
  • I presume it allows the groundstaff to work on the pitch and stop rain falling on it at the same time.
  • So will Wednesdays game go ahead as planned or will we save the pitch for the Barnsley game on Saturday?
  • Weren't we renting that one for something stupid like 15k per week when we were in the Prem?

    No, back in 2001 we paid actual money to buy one! My recollection is that despite spending a lot of money on it, it was not looked after and merely folded up and left in a corner of the West Stand car park when not in use - that is most of the time. I guess it died some while ago.

    Here's an article about it:



    There's a big cover up at the Valley!
    12:13pm Tuesday 20th November 2001
    IT was only a couple of years ago that Charlton Athletic were considering moving to the Dome now the Dome has come to The Valley!

    Last Thursday the Addicks unveiled its latest state-of-the-art pitch protection technology (pictured above), in the shape of an inflatable bubble.

    Groundsmen from football clubs across the country flocked to Charlton to see the first Xanadu Dome to be installed at a Premiership club, giving the pitch better protection against frost, snow and waterlogging.

    Charlton's head groundsman, Colin Powell, has travelled around the world with general manager Mick Everett in search of the most appropriate pitch protection, and they eventually found the dome at the home of Latvian side Skonto Riga.

    Powell said: “We have been trying to get some sort of protection from the weather for some time, because match postponements can have a massive financial impact on football clubs.

    “The dome will be a great help in preparing the pitch.

    “The great thing about it is its size - we only inflated it up to twenty-five feet high on Thursday, but it can go as high as sixty.

    “This means you can continue to tend and cut the grass and, although I obviously won't be encouraging this, the squad could even train underneath it if necessary.”

    The concept for the Xanadu Dome stemmed from a fed-up greenkeeper on a golf course, who was constantly experimenting with ways to make his job easier in the mornings.

    One night, he covered a green with a sheet and weighed it down, but the air somehow became trapped underneath the sheet and protected the green from a nasty frost that night.

    The more modern version is erected by using two blowers to inflate the enormous tent-like cover to one pound-per-square-inch above atmospheric press- ure, keeping the structure in place by ropes and containers filled with water that act as ballast.

    “Everything is designed to help the groundsman,” explained Xanadu managing director Julian Richardson. “The material allows 98 per cent of natural light through to the grass and there are heaters attached to the blowers so the inside temperature can be raised if necessary.

    “In Latvia, we've measured the temperature inside a dome as three degrees celsius, when the outside temperature has been minus 28 degrees.”

    The inflatable bubble, which cost a six-figure sum, can be erected in only four hours by a team of six people and taken down in just two hours.

    Areas around The Valley pitch have now been fitted with permanent hooks to anchor the dome in place.

    Depending on the winter weather, one of its first uses will be to protect the pitch after the Blackburn game on December 22 until the next home match against Ipswich on New Year's Day.

  • Great news it shows intent by the new owner to spend money on the club as well as the team IMO
  • mrbligh said:

    Yes but surely the question is who owns the dome, why has the dome been put up now and what are the domes intentions for the future? Also does the dome have an exit plan?

    Us supporters have a right to know

    Post of the day lol
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  • I knew the takeover would move us to a dome.

    No more high balls up to kermy now.
    Unless they plan to take it off for games.
  • edited January 2014
    Charlton's head groundsman, Colin Powell, has travelled around the world with general manager Mick Everett
    Those were the days eh :-)
  • mrbligh said:

    Yes but surely the question is who owns the dome, why has the dome been put up now and what are the domes intentions for the future? Also does the dome have an exit plan?

    Us supporters have a right to know

    and why didn't RD's other teams want it? If it's not good enough for them, it's not good enough for us.
  • Depending on the winter weather, one of its first uses will be to protect the pitch after the Blackburn game on December 22 until the next home match against Ipswich on New Year's Day.

    Home match against Ipswich on New years day?
  • PopIcon said:

    Depending on the winter weather, one of its first uses will be to protect the pitch after the Blackburn game on December 22 until the next home match against Ipswich on New Year's Day.

    Home match against Ipswich on New years day?

    2 down and we won 3-2.
  • PopIcon said:

    Depending on the winter weather, one of its first uses will be to protect the pitch after the Blackburn game on December 22 until the next home match against Ipswich on New Year's Day.

    Home match against Ipswich on New years day?

    2002
  • cafcfan said:

    Weren't we renting that one for something stupid like 15k per week when we were in the Prem?

    No, back in 2001 we paid actual money to buy one! My recollection is that despite spending a lot of money on it, it was not looked after and merely folded up and left in a corner of the West Stand car park when not in use - that is most of the time. I guess it died some while ago.

    Here's an article about it:



    There's a big cover up at the Valley!
    12:13pm Tuesday 20th November 2001
    IT was only a couple of years ago that Charlton Athletic were considering moving to the Dome now the Dome has come to The Valley!

    Last Thursday the Addicks unveiled its latest state-of-the-art pitch protection technology (pictured above), in the shape of an inflatable bubble.

    Groundsmen from football clubs across the country flocked to Charlton to see the first Xanadu Dome to be installed at a Premiership club, giving the pitch better protection against frost, snow and waterlogging.

    Charlton's head groundsman, Colin Powell, has travelled around the world with general manager Mick Everett in search of the most appropriate pitch protection, and they eventually found the dome at the home of Latvian side Skonto Riga.

    Powell said: “We have been trying to get some sort of protection from the weather for some time, because match postponements can have a massive financial impact on football clubs.

    “The dome will be a great help in preparing the pitch.

    “The great thing about it is its size - we only inflated it up to twenty-five feet high on Thursday, but it can go as high as sixty.

    “This means you can continue to tend and cut the grass and, although I obviously won't be encouraging this, the squad could even train underneath it if necessary.”

    The concept for the Xanadu Dome stemmed from a fed-up greenkeeper on a golf course, who was constantly experimenting with ways to make his job easier in the mornings.

    One night, he covered a green with a sheet and weighed it down, but the air somehow became trapped underneath the sheet and protected the green from a nasty frost that night.

    The more modern version is erected by using two blowers to inflate the enormous tent-like cover to one pound-per-square-inch above atmospheric press- ure, keeping the structure in place by ropes and containers filled with water that act as ballast.

    “Everything is designed to help the groundsman,” explained Xanadu managing director Julian Richardson. “The material allows 98 per cent of natural light through to the grass and there are heaters attached to the blowers so the inside temperature can be raised if necessary.

    “In Latvia, we've measured the temperature inside a dome as three degrees celsius, when the outside temperature has been minus 28 degrees.”

    The inflatable bubble, which cost a six-figure sum, can be erected in only four hours by a team of six people and taken down in just two hours.

    Areas around The Valley pitch have now been fitted with permanent hooks to anchor the dome in place.

    Depending on the winter weather, one of its first uses will be to protect the pitch after the Blackburn game on December 22 until the next home match against Ipswich on New Year's Day.

    May I be the first to say " RIP, Dome Senior " ?

  • In that case Fanny, shouldn't this be The Dome Mk 2 thread?
  • Off_it said:

    PopIcon said:

    Depending on the winter weather, one of its first uses will be to protect the pitch after the Blackburn game on December 22 until the next home match against Ipswich on New Year's Day.

    Home match against Ipswich on New years day?

    2002
    I see, I only read from
    "Powell said: “We have been trying to get some sort of protection""

  • Charlton's head groundsman, Colin Powell, has travelled around the world with general manager Mick Everett
    Those were the days eh :-)

    No wonder we're skint now
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