Edgar Street pitch passes Christmas Eve inspection

A heavily sanded area at the corner of the Meadow End and Len Weston Stand when Hereford played Radcliffe

A qualified referee has inspected the Edgar Street pitch ahead of the Boxing Day derby against Kidderminster Harriers.

Hereford said the official was in regular contact with Boxing Day's referee Sam Read throughout the process.

After the check, both "were satisfied with the condition of the playing surface", the club said and there is no need for a formal pitch inspection before kick-off.

In his programme notes for the derby, Hereford chair Chris Ammonds praised groundsman Ben Bowen for his work.

"We’ve faced some real challenges with the playing surface, and Ben has worked tirelessly to keep it in the best possible condition," he said.

"He even dragged me, George [Webb] and Darren [Ball] out last weekend to help with a bit of forking and sanding on the worst areas!

"It’s been hard graft and a few sleepless nights, but his commitment to the club has been outstanding."

The state of the surface has been a talking point recently following work to address drainage problems in one area of the pitch. New drains have been installed and further work carried out, including verti-draining, sand dressing and even an 'earthquake' machine used as part of efforts to improve conditions.

Those issues were clear during Hereford’s FA Trophy tie with Radcliffe earlier this month. Four large sanded patches were visible on the pitch and, although the surface passed a morning inspection, Radcliffe raised concerns about the condition from a safety perspective.

It is understood the pitch issues stem partly from drainage work in 2013, when drains were installed deeper than recommended and not always surrounded by the correct stone. More recently, floodlight installation machinery compacted the surface, while last summer’s dry weather has limited how effectively recent rain reaches the drains.