There have been around half a dozen postponements in the last few weeks following an abnormally wet winter and as a result much of the good press earned by the players has been overshadowed by the negative publicity generated as an area of the pitch turned to mud.
June 2004
The club bought a new waterproof cover last weekend (why was no suitable cover in use before then?) but the damage had already been done.
The plan, some emergency repair work now followed by a full solution in the summer, is clearly needed. If the prediction of wetter winters and warmer summers comes to pass we will need to have a modern drainage system in place to allow uninterrupted play to be possible.
New turf
Many years ago the pitch at
The last major change to the pitch took place in the summer of 2004 when the undersoil heating was laid. At that time, when the club was still recovering from a period of financial pressure following administration, only minor works were carried out to the drains. With hindsight that was an opportunity missed.
The plan for next summer will involve the removal of many miles of tubing before the drainage issue can be sorted. The cost to the club of the temporary and permanent works will be hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Meanwhile the team, without a game since January 22, will have to focus on Saturday and hope that the surface recovers enough to allow the game against