The goalmouth humps

Sorry if this has been asked before or is even common knowledge that has somehow slipped me by in the many years I've been a Town support, but why did we have those goal mouth humps in the first place at Blundell Park?

I've seen we've removed them now but for some reason I never thought it was even unusual until people mentioned it to me.

Of course now I realise that all other profressional football clubs have flat pitches.

Should have raffled then off for charity, another chanced missed, would have looked great in the bedtoom

Quoted from Garth

Should have raffled then off for charity, another chanced missed, would have looked great in the bedtoom

It’s the only way I’ll get a hump in the bedroom

I am a qualified landscape gardener so I know about these things. In 1963 Town ordered new goal posts and I was assigned with the job of fitting them. I was on Town's books at the time as a goalkeeper. I had a problem - I hadn't finished growing so I was only 4ft 71/2ins. Mr Johnstone who always gave me advice said i could either shorten the goalposts or raise the ground with sand whenever it rained under the pretence of getting rid of puddles. I chose the latter. I was never picked for the first team even though our regular keepers were often injured with head injuries and probably was the main cause of our relegation at the end of that season.  I am so sorry.

Quoted from Yossarian

Sorry if this has been asked before or is even common knowledge that has somehow slipped me by in the many years I've been a Town support, but why did we have those goal mouth humps in the first place at Blundell Park?

I've seen we've removed them now but for some reason I never thought it was even unusual until people mentioned it to me.

Of course now I realise that all other profressional football clubs have flat pitches.

You must have had a fascinating career?!

I don't know what has changed, perhaps pitch drainage but I remember games in the past where the goalmouth particularly at the Pontoon end, used to be a sea of mud, or heavily sanded mud. I think the humps were put in to counteract that and seemed to work.

Also though in those days more games were played, lots of reserve games and we trained on the pitch. That was a great pleasure going in as a young boy and watching it and being able to chat to the players. I remember how friendly Ralph Hunt was to us, bless him.  

C'mon !   The humps were just a build up of sand put down when it was muddy.

The baffling thing is they had to remove concrete to level the goalmouths.

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2019/may/pitch-work-begins/

Quoted from Mallyner

I don't know what has changed, perhaps pitch drainage but I remember games in the past where the goalmouth particularly at the Pontoon end, used to be a sea of mud, or heavily sanded mud. I think the humps were put in to counteract that and seemed to work.

Also though in those days more games were played, lots of reserve games and we trained on the pitch. That was a great pleasure going in as a young boy and watching it and being able to chat to the players. I remember how friendly Ralph Hunt was to us, bless him.  

The humps were like Topsy, they grew and grew. Or at least they appeared to. My theory is that when the Barrett was demolished and replaced, the rest of the pitch sunk to compensate, leaving just the sand castles in the goalmouths because these actually covered the water mains old lead pipes and meters which were prone to leaking and flooding the goalmouths. With the advent of digital metering these could be removed now and new pipes installed. Hence the removal of concrete to do the job.

Come on lads, credit where its due, we were the first pioneer's to lead the world in
Flattening the peak

I heard that they were the result of a ship docking in the docks that had come from China and the crew had been struck down with a terrible illness.To stop the illness spreading the bodies were buried in a mass grave and encased in concrete .When our non-chairman heard of this rumour he instructed the workman  to carry on dismissing the concerns by saying whats the worst that could happen.

Quoted from friskneymariner

I heard that they were the result of a ship docking in the docks that had come from China and the crew had been struck down with a terrible illness.To stop the illness spreading the bodies were buried in a mass grave and encased in concrete .When our non-chairman heard of this rumour he instructed the workman  to carry on dismissing the concerns by saying whats the worst that could happen.

This "terrible illness" wasn't the forerunner of this blight that is now ravaging the country? Same source

Quoted from rancido

This "terrible illness" wasn't the forerunner of this blight that is now ravaging the country? Same source

Whoosh.

Quoted from promotion plaice

The baffling thing is they had to remove concrete to level the goalmouths.

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2019/may/pitch-work-begins/

Have you never heard of reinforced grass PP ?  

Quoted from promotion plaice

The baffling thing is they had to remove concrete to level the goalmouths.

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2019/may/pitch-work-begins/

I remember on a ground tour about 15 years ago Dave Smith saying BP WSS built on the site of a brick works. Maybe the concrete was part of the floor for that.

Quoted from golfer

I am a qualified landscape gardener so I know about these things. In 1963 Town ordered new goal posts and I was assigned with the job of fitting them. I was on Town's books at the time as a goalkeeper. I had a problem - I hadn't finished growing so I was only 4ft 71/2ins. Mr Johnstone who always gave me advice said i could either shorten the goalposts or raise the ground with sand whenever it rained under the pretence of getting rid of puddles. I chose the latter. I was never picked for the first team even though our regular keepers were often injured with head injuries and probably was the main cause of our relegation at the end of that season.  I am so sorry.

You were 4ft 7.5 inches but never made it as a pro goalkeeper? Wonders never cease......

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

You were 4ft 7.5 inches but never made it as a pro goalkeeper? Wonders never cease......

Didn’t stop Paul Reece 🙂

Quoted from golfer

I am a qualified landscape gardener so I know about these things. In 1963 Town ordered new goal posts and I was assigned with the job of fitting them. I was on Town's books at the time as a goalkeeper. I had a problem - I hadn't finished growing so I was only 4ft 71/2ins. Mr Johnstone who always gave me advice said i could either shorten the goalposts or raise the ground with sand whenever it rained under the pretence of getting rid of puddles. I chose the latter. I was never picked for the first team even though our regular keepers were often injured with head injuries and probably was the main cause of our relegation at the end of that season.  I am so sorry.

I found your photo in the 1963 Year Book.


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