Town manager George Burley and Martijn Reuser begin talks this week on the terms on which the Dutch international will join the club. Town have already agreed a fee of £1 million with Vitesse Arnhem and the Blues hope to make the scorer of so many important goals at the end of last season Town's first signing of the close season. With Reuser keen to join Town and more money available to George Burley than ever before it seems unlikely that there will be any severe sticking point between the two sides.
Town are to purchase an inflatable dome to protect the pitch from the harsher elements. The high-tech dome looks similar to the covers at Wimbledon (tennis not Plough Lane) but is made of a lightweight space-cloth. Gas blowers will heat circulating air thus protecting the pitch. Head Groundsman Alan Ferguson said: "The aim is to provide pitches from August to May that are like a carpet for the players to play on. We have to provide that surface for ten months of the year because a good playing surface protects players and helps prevent injury." The cover will be similar to those already installed at Middlesbrough and Leicester.
The provisional Premiership fixture list will be released on Thursday. Matches will be subject to being moved for television purposes.
Town will release the new squad numbers on July 7th. Up for grabs at the moment are Mick Stockwell's number seven (although I'd put a few quid on Martijn Reuser getting it), Adam Tanner's number 16 shirt, Marco Holster's number 17 and John Kennedy's number 21. Town manager George Burley has pointed out that there will be no wholesale change in the numbering.