Major progress during week two of Edgar Street pitch overhaul

Work continues on the Edgar Street pitch. Picture: Ben Bowen

Work on the major summer redevelopment of the Edgar Street pitch is continuing with the overhaul nearly reaching its next stage.

The project follows a season in which the playing surface at Edgar Street Stadium caused significant disruption, with multiple postponements and three home games moved to Worcestershire after periods of heavy rainfall left the pitch unplayable.

After the opening week focused on excavation and the installation of the main drainage network, the latest updates show substantial progress has now been made underground.

Sharing updates with social media followers, groundsman Ben Bowen said around half of the drainage work had been completed by day seven, with contractors KMM Hire continuing work across the pitch throughout the week.

Further updates showed drainage pipes being connected, stone laid into the trenches and rootzone — a specialist sand and soil mix — beginning to be added above the newly-installed drainage lines.

By the end of the week, the drainage installation itself was close to being completed ahead of the next major phase of the redevelopment programme.

Attention is now expected to turn towards stripping off the existing pitch surface before replacement work begins later in the summer.

The project is part of a wider effort to improve the long-term condition and reliability of the Edgar Street surface ahead of the 2026/27 campaign after ongoing drainage issues affected much of last season.

The project is partly funded by the groundman's nephew, Leominster-born West Ham and England forward Jarrod Bowen. The 29-year-old made his professional debut for Hereford United towards the end of the 2013/14 season, before scoring his first professional goal in front of the Meadow End in the April.