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Just watched the Morecambe full match replay noting DC’s complaints about the pitch.The drainage might have improved, but it looks shocking, notably in front of the West Stand.
When originally laid about 17 years ago, I recall the hype about integrated chopped rubber bands making the bounce consistent and new grass technologies. It was pristine until the long time groundsman from Layer Road (Dave) left to become a Tesco delivery driver. I’m not convinced it ever recovered from the music concerts and the experiments with contract ground staff. According to DC, the new groundsman is apparently working like a Trojan trying to find a remedy, but Winter isn’t the time for positive results.
OK, it’s the same for both teams, but I reckon it currently benefits thugs and hoofball, not the style of football DC wants to play or we want to watch. Even clubs that share with Rugby have better surfaces. It’s sad we are blighted by this.
Agreed, it is atrocious. I can’t comment on the timeline, it could just be coincidentally years of poor drainage, unsympathetic usage and general wear and tear catching up with it. It is the same for both sides, and we’re not the only side in the EFL with a shocking pitch. I wonder if it’ll need completely relaying in the summer, or just a few warm months of rest and recuperation?
I agree. It's incredibly disappointing that we are plauged by such a poor pitch. I know our winters are getting warmer and wetter, but it's still just about the driest and mildest part of the country. Something clearly isn't right, despite the money that was allegedly spent on it last summer. The players and supporters deserve better.
Significant expenditure last summer to “fix” the drainage problems but tonight’s game is the only one called off in Leagues 1 & 2. Perhaps the chairman should seek a refund.
Significant expenditure last summer to “fix” the drainage problems but tonight’s game is the only one called off in Leagues 1 & 2. Perhaps the chairman should seek a refund.
Remember Later Road pitch? You could have played bowls on that.
"With the 2024/25 season over, work has begun on the JobServe Community Stadium pitch.
The playing surface will undergo a comprehensive renovation during the close season, overseen by Head Groundsman Brad Jefferies.
We'll be documenting the work across the website and our social channels over the course of the summer, and caught up with Brad in the first week of works to talk about the whys of doing the renovation.
He joined the U's in October 2024, having already held a similar position at Lincoln City and Kidderminster Harriers, as well as looking after the cricket pitches for Worcestershire County Cricket Club and Kidderminster Cricket Club.
Before talking about his first summer renovation at the U's, Brad explained a bit about his understanding of past issues we've had with the playing surface at the JCS.
"When the stadium was built seventeen/eighteen years ago, it was basically built on a very heavy clay. So the original drainage that was put in over the last few years has started to fail.
"And that was the reason why probably two years ago, we had significant problems in terms of the drainage and games being called off.
"In the summer ahead of the 24/25 season, the club invested a significant amount of money in putting in a brand new primary drainage system into the pitch.
"And that was essentially because we have only four inches of sand. Below that we hit direct clay.
"And the problem with that is when the drainage system started to fail due to the clay taking over the pipes, we've essentially got an 8,000 square foot reservoir.
"So no water was going through underneath the pitch - it all had to go out sideways and be taken out manually.
"The new drainage works and the system works really well. What we struggled with this year a little bit at times was actually trying to get the water to the drains because it's still got to get through a hell of a lot of clay before we can actually get to the drains to be taken away."
That covers what was happening under the surface, and why it affected the 2023/24 season so much, with Brad going on to explain why we had issues last season and what the plan is for the summer work.
He explained: "I started in October and the problem we had was that the pitch was full of largely a weed grass called Poa annua."
"The problem with that is it doesn't really matter what you do to it, that it won't really root more than two inches down.
"Now when you've got these athletes in League Two that are running at 100 miles an hour, especially someone like a Owura or Samson, when they come to stop, there's a lot of force that goes through the bottom of their body and the root system just can't support it.
"And that's why we had a lot of chunks and big divots coming out."
"So the process we're going through this year, with the help of Premier Turfing, is we've already sprayed it with glyphosate and killed the entire pitch. We killed the good, the bad and the ugly. And that basically just gives us a blank canvas for this season coming in.
"We're going to strip away all the vegetation, all the grass, and then we'll start from seeding.
"Hopefully then we'll have a much stronger and better root system going into next year that will give us the stability that the players need and for us to be able to get through the season with the amount of games we're going to have and hopefully get through with a reasonable playing surface.
"One of the other small problems we had, because of the amount of flooding we've had in the past due to the drainage of the pitch being poor, was that we've developed what's called a black layer about two inches down below the surface.
"Any of the better grasses that we put into the pitch, they can't really root any further than that black layer. That is an anaerobic layer where there's no oxygen, and the roots just can't break through it.
"So this is again another aspect coming into our thought process of what we're going to do this year in terms of the work to fluff up the top four inches to get a load of air in there and really try and make it as free draining as we possibly can. This will also help give us a level pitch throughout"
We'll be speaking to Brad throughout the renovation work, so keep an eye on the website and socials over the summer."
The last home game of the season was the best it had looked for some time and reading the above I'm almost certain that it will look and play even better come August. I do wonder whether we'll return to the original dimensions or not. I guess it depends on whether Cowley thinks we're better off with a bigger pitch.
"With the 2024/25 season over, work has begun on the JobServe Community Stadium pitch.
The playing surface will undergo a comprehensive renovation during the close season, overseen by Head Groundsman Brad Jefferies.
We'll be documenting the work across the website and our social channels over the course of the summer, and caught up with Brad in the first week of works to talk about the whys of doing the renovation.
He joined the U's in October 2024, having already held a similar position at Lincoln City and Kidderminster Harriers, as well as looking after the cricket pitches for Worcestershire County Cricket Club and Kidderminster Cricket Club.
Before talking about his first summer renovation at the U's, Brad explained a bit about his understanding of past issues we've had with the playing surface at the JCS.
"When the stadium was built seventeen/eighteen years ago, it was basically built on a very heavy clay. So the original drainage that was put in over the last few years has started to fail.
"And that was the reason why probably two years ago, we had significant problems in terms of the drainage and games being called off.
"In the summer ahead of the 24/25 season, the club invested a significant amount of money in putting in a brand new primary drainage system into the pitch.
"And that was essentially because we have only four inches of sand. Below that we hit direct clay.
"And the problem with that is when the drainage system started to fail due to the clay taking over the pipes, we've essentially got an 8,000 square foot reservoir.
"So no water was going through underneath the pitch - it all had to go out sideways and be taken out manually.
"The new drainage works and the system works really well. What we struggled with this year a little bit at times was actually trying to get the water to the drains because it's still got to get through a hell of a lot of clay before we can actually get to the drains to be taken away."
That covers what was happening under the surface, and why it affected the 2023/24 season so much, with Brad going on to explain why we had issues last season and what the plan is for the summer work.
He explained: "I started in October and the problem we had was that the pitch was full of largely a weed grass called Poa annua."
"The problem with that is it doesn't really matter what you do to it, that it won't really root more than two inches down.
"Now when you've got these athletes in League Two that are running at 100 miles an hour, especially someone like a Owura or Samson, when they come to stop, there's a lot of force that goes through the bottom of their body and the root system just can't support it.
"And that's why we had a lot of chunks and big divots coming out."
"So the process we're going through this year, with the help of Premier Turfing, is we've already sprayed it with glyphosate and killed the entire pitch. We killed the good, the bad and the ugly. And that basically just gives us a blank canvas for this season coming in.
"We're going to strip away all the vegetation, all the grass, and then we'll start from seeding.
"Hopefully then we'll have a much stronger and better root system going into next year that will give us the stability that the players need and for us to be able to get through the season with the amount of games we're going to have and hopefully get through with a reasonable playing surface.
"One of the other small problems we had, because of the amount of flooding we've had in the past due to the drainage of the pitch being poor, was that we've developed what's called a black layer about two inches down below the surface.
"Any of the better grasses that we put into the pitch, they can't really root any further than that black layer. That is an anaerobic layer where there's no oxygen, and the roots just can't break through it.
"So this is again another aspect coming into our thought process of what we're going to do this year in terms of the work to fluff up the top four inches to get a load of air in there and really try and make it as free draining as we possibly can. This will also help give us a level pitch throughout"
We'll be speaking to Brad throughout the renovation work, so keep an eye on the website and socials over the summer."
The last home game of the season was the best it had looked for some time and reading the above I'm almost certain that it will look and play even better come August. I do wonder whether we'll return to the original dimensions or not. I guess it depends on whether Cowley thinks we're better off with a bigger pitch.
Sounds like he's on the case, knows what the problem is and knows what has to be done - this is very encouraging - and yes, last game of the season the pitch looked as good as it has been for months, even if he's now starting from scratch.
I noted that our new groundsman had also been at Worcester Cricket Club. He sure will know all about wet pitches and flooding,! Worcester CC are actively looking at moving from their current ground overlooked by the Cathedral. Would be a shame as it is a very pleasantl and picturesque ground ..when it's not underwater.q
Will there be a live stream to watch the grass grow ?
Don't mention the word "stream" when talking of the pitch. Think that has probably been our problem in the past. Our new groundsman will have gained much knowledge of the problems of flowing water from his time at Worcester!
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