Detailed look at week one of Edgar Street pitch renovations

Work has started on the Edgar Street pitch. Picture: Ben Bowen

Major pitch improvement works at Edgar Street are underway, with the first week of a planned summer drainage project already showing visible progress.

The work comes after a season in which the Edgar Street pitch caused repeated disruption, including multiple postponements and the relocation of three home fixtures to Worcestershire due to waterlogging issues.

Those problems, particularly during periods of heavy winter rain, left the pitch struggling to recover between matches and contributed to a congested fixture schedule across the campaign.

While some work was carried out during the season, the current programme is a full drainage overhaul designed to improve long-term performance and reduce the likelihood of similar disruption in future seasons.

In the opening week, work began with the removal of pitch equipment including sprinklers, posts and nets, alongside minor repairs to the sprinkler systems. Materials were then delivered to site as preparations continued, with groundsman Ben Bowen sharing updates of the work on social media.

By midweek, the project moved into its main construction phase, with trenches cut across the pitch and laser levelling used to guide the layout of the new system. Large deliveries of sand, stone and pipework had also arrived as excavation work got underway.

Contractors KMM Hire, led by Jon Morgan, are overseeing the installation. By the end of the first week, the main carrier pipe had been installed and further drainage pipes and stone backfill were being laid as work progressed across the surface.

The project, which started after the final home game of the season and meant the club had to controversially turn the junior football finals away, is set to continue throughout the summer as the club works towards delivering a more reliable playing surface for the new season.