Award-winning Town groundsman Alan Ferguson says he is frustrated at the current state of the Portman Road pitch. Over Christmas the Portman Road surface suffered at the hands of the weather with the Millwall game played in torrential rain.

Ferguson says he empathises with the players trying to play their usual passing football on the bumpy pitch: "I felt for our players on Saturday against Grimsby.

"We have players who like to play along the ground and the club's success over recent years has been built on a solid passing game.

"The ball was hitting a bobble on Saturday — and was ending up in the stand. It is a big frustration for me — but I am confident I can get it right."

The new South Stand has also caused problems and the groundsman is hoping that new glass panels panels will be added into the roof of the South and the Britannia Stands to improve the light getting to the pitch.

In the short-term Ferguson and his staff will seed the Portman Road surface and nurse it through the 11 days prior to the next home game.

Over the summer Ferguson says more work will be carried out: "During the summer we plan to peel ten millimetres off the top and put in 200 tonnes of sand, plus some stronger grass.

"With improved lighting — the winter sun only reaches a section of the pitch at the moment — and our summer work, I am confident the pitch will be back in tip-top shape for next season."

Photo: Action Images

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