11. The Ground
Your pride and joy, this is where all the action takes place. There are 2 aspects to the ground that you need to pay particular attention to: The playing surface and spectator facilities.
You have a groundsman that will prepare the playing surface for you. All you have to do is tell him what sort of pitch you would like to have prepared for the next match. The time it will take for this change to take place will depend on his skill, as will the ability of him to actually meet your requirements!
There are 7 different types of pitch surface that he can prepare for you with each pitch condition favouring a different sort of player:
| Pitch Type | Favoured |
| Uneven | Seam Bowlers |
| Cracked | Seam Bowlers |
| Hard and Fast | Batsmen |
| Green | Seam Bowlers |
| Flat | Batsmen |
| Dusty | Spin Bowlers |
| Slow | All Bowlers |
Please note that, while some pitches may appear to behave similarly, some do have more effect or greater leanings than others!
On the spectator side, you start off with a ground that can hold 6,500 spectators. There are four types of viewing areas that you can have at the ground. Each will cost a different amount to maintain, a different amount to build, and also command a different ticket price for the public to use. As such, each type of seat will attract a different type of punter, and in differing quantities. The details of all this are shown in the table below. All amounts shown are per space.
| Type | Building Cost | Maintenance Cost | Income |
|---|
| Standing Room | £15.00 | £1.00 | £5.00 |
| Uncovered Seats | £25.00 | £1.60 | £7.50 |
| Covered Seats | £30.00 | £2.20 | £10.00 |
| Members Seats | £100.00 | £5.00 | £25.00 |
When building new places, there is also a fixed cost of £20,000 that will be charged irrespective of how much work is being done. You can get a quote for any development without committing to anything unless you accept an offer.
When a match has finished, you will be able to see how many people came to watch. The proceeds from the gates will be paid out depending on what type of match was being played. In a league match, the home team will receive the full amount. In a cup game, the home team receives 2/3 of the amount, the away team getting 1/3, and in a friendly the receipts are split 50/50.
All these options can be found at your
Ground page.