Portman Road will have a new pitch by the time the Blues take on Leeds United at home on December 16th. Town's usually snooker table-like surface has cut-up badly this season and was starting to resemble a 1970s-style quagmire.

A club spokesman said: "The club has decided that we obviously need to give the team the best chance of winning football matches and the current state of the pitch is making it difficult for the team to play the style of football Jim wants.

"We have given the pitch time to respond to the work that [groundsman] Alan [Ferguson] and his team have been undertaking, but with winter just around the corner and temperatures dropping, it's important to take this step now before it's too late."

The new 40mm deep pitch will be brought over from Holland and will take Ferguson and his staff three days to put in place. Some of the old surface will be reused at Playford Road.

Various factors have been blamed for the problems with the pitch, which first became evident in the pre-season match with Lazio when large sections were ripped out by sliding players.

Problems at Anglian Water's Alderman Road pumping station caused floods in August with salt getting into the water table. The very hot weather in July was also a factor in the surface failing to bed in as expected.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls