The cost of the current drainage improvements to the Edgar Street pitch is around £40,000. Hopefully the cost will be met by supporters 'purchasing' square's of the pitch which cost from £25.
The work on the pitch is part of a three year scheme to ensure that Edgar Street is playable in all but the most extreme conditions.
The work is needed as, other than the sprinkler system, hardly any money has been spent on it since Graham Turner arrived at the club late last century.
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| Ian Pritchard In Front Of The Machine That Puts Clean Stone Over The New Drains |
Earlier today Ian Pritchard from Mowtech who looks after the pitch spoke about the work.
"The firm (Clive Richardson Ltd) that has come in to do all the work on the drainage and the re-seeding, they've done jobs in Brazil, Ukraine, everywhere, so they know what they are doing.
"Before they started they did a lot of work seeing what the soil count was, seeing the parts of the ground that get flooded. There are different soil types.
"Firstly they scarified the pitch to get all the dead stuff out, then once the drains are in, they will resurface the pitch with soil and sand.
"After that they will 'earth-quake' the pitch. What that does is it puts a big slit in the ground, which you don't hardly see, about 14 inches deep just over the top of the drains. The machine vibrates the ground to help break up any clay or hard soil.
"Over a three year period this first lot of drainage is the main drainage.
"You've got two drains going down either side of the pitch that go into two big water tanks which have got pumps in.
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| One Of The Two Big Water Tanks Being Installed |
"Then they will put in secondary drains every five metres across the pitch.
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| The Len Weston Side With Drains Crossing The Pitch |
"After their reseeding it's up to me to maintain it.
"We have a fertiliser company that comes in and does a programme. Again they take soil counts.
"This company also does the Millenium Stadium and Cardiff City so they know what they are doing.
"Anybody can chuck some fertiliser on there and it will last a week but we need it to last a lot longer.
"They also use a fertiliser which stops the grass growing up but makes it grow sideways."
Several games at Edgar Street were postponed last winter because of all the wet weather. And to make it worse at times the players had to train on the pitch as there was nowhere else available
"My main aim is to keep them off here from training. It's no good spending money here and not spending money on training grounds.
"We've got a limited amount of funds and it's hard work keeping a ground looking nice and playing well especially if you've got training and trial games on it.
"This is why we are doing a sponsor a patch of Edgar Street which will help pay for the work. (More details - http://bullsnews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/auction-open-for-prime-pitch-spots.html )
"They are going to be here for a week to ten days. It will cost about £40,000.
"If we could sell half of the pitch squares that would pay the £40,000. More than that would go towards the training grounds."
For a time last season the pitch had been well-rated by visiting teams and officials.
"Every game has a mark from the opposition and the referee. They mark the pitch out of five.
"I looked at the markings after the Cheltenham replay here (Dec 11th) and we were in the top three pitches in the Conference.
"Then the weather came and the pitch couldn't stand it. The water table rose and we had snow and frost. We hadn't got sufficient drainage.
"Although we're spending £40,000 on this, we cancelled the Newport game which cost the club £20,000. It's false ecomony if we haven't got games on this pitch.
"So please buy your squares to help us."
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| The Grass Area Around The Pitch Is Being Extended |
The contractors will be back next spring.
"Next year it's planned to spend another £12,000 on some more drains and the following year another £8,000 or so.
"Over the years nothing has been spent on it along with other parts of the ground.
"My aim is to get the pitch playable every week and get the training grounds better as well."