Day: August 27, 2009

It has been a difficult start to the new season for Durham City AFC. Newly promoted into the Unibond League Premier Division – their second successive promotion – they may have been expecting the start of a brave new world and a push for Conference football, but the dream has started to unwind after just a couple of weeks and the club may be heading back to the Northern League, from whence they came. One of the biggest problems for Durham has been financial, but the train of events that has – rapidly – led to the club starting to slide began with an edict from the Football Conference over their pitch. Durham’s New Ferens Park was fitted with a 3G pitch a couple of years ago. The pitch is at the upper end of the market, with realistic, silicon-coated blades of grass and a rubber crumb base. Compared with the sand covered artificial monstrosities of years gone by, it is almost like playing on grass. Indeed, FIFA and Sepp Blatter are fans of the pitches, and they are approved for use in UEFA competitions. In England, though, there are mixed messages over which pitches are acceptable and which aren’t. The 3G pitches are banned in the FA Cup, but allowed in the FA Trophy, for example. They’re allowed in the Unibond League, but not in the Football Conference....