Work Starts on Pitch
Thursday, 16th May 2013 11:46

Town's groundstaff have begun renovation work aimed at improving the drainage of the Portman Road pitch.

Groundsman Ben Connell and his staff are removing the top 40mm of the surface and replacing it with a layer of sand which will then be mixed in with the soil below before the pitch is reseeded.

To allow as long as possible for the pitch to recover from the work, no home pre-season friendly is scheduled prior to the start of 2013/14 proper on Saturday 3rd August.

Longer term, Town plan more extensive work but due to cost and logistics that is unlikely to take place until the second summer after a future promotion to the Premier League.

More photos can be viewed on the club site here.

Photo: Jonny Ogle, club photographer

Photo: Action Images

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Marcus added 12:08 - May 16 "Longer term, Town plan more extensive work but due to cost and logistics that is unlikely to take place until the second summer after a future promotion to the Premier League." So, this time next year...
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Big_Foot_Blue added 12:12 - May 16 No Marcus, if we went up this season it would be the summer after next season as they wouldnt spend the money on it until premier league survival had been guaranteed.
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JewellintheTown added 12:24 - May 16 OK, own up, who on the ground staff has been doing doughnuts with the tractor on the hallowed turf?
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PhilTWTD added 12:25 - May 16 Big_Foot_Blue That's right re the timing but it's more the logistics which means it would be the second summer. Takes a lot of planning and not enough time to do immediately after promotion.
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Pabs added 13:04 - May 16 Still looks better than most of the Sunday morning pitches I play on.
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bomberharriss added 15:33 - May 16 Seriously shouldn't we have undersoil heating by now???
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brittaniaman added 16:00 - May 16 What have they done with the turf they skimmed off ????? Could do with some of it for my garden ??????
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bohslegend added 16:18 - May 16

As a Dublin based Ipswich fan, I would have bought a square yard of that turf (probably for any money they asked for) just to have some of the sacred sod in my garden! Marcus, if you sold it off to us international fans you might be able to pay for under-soil heating with the revenue generated!?? But who am I to question the boss. IMO he's done a great job and doesnt deserve some of the stick he gets. COYB!

Pessimistic added 17:52 - May 16 Life's a pitch.
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Bergholtblue added 19:35 - May 16 Forget Wickham and Rhodes the biggest mistake Town made recently was letting Ferguson go. Didn't need to have work like this when he was in charge of the pitch and we had the best in the League by a country mile!
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TimmyH added 20:51 - May 16 agreed Bergholt! - at least we picked up an award for best Pitch in the country, looked very rutty and dry the second half of the season.
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Talbs77 added 20:58 - May 16 wheres me bucket and spade......
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Stourbridgeblue added 00:34 - May 17 I don't think we "let" Fergie go. He was headhunted by Sheepy. He's the groundsman equivalent of England manager. That's 3 we've suppplied ;-)
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harlingblue added 01:31 - May 17 The pitch/turf, the worst I have seen for many a year, probably worked in our favour whilst in a relegation fight, but glad that improvements are in progress.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:56 - May 17

Bergholtblue: First, I agree Ferguson is an ITFC legend. When I was on a stadium tour before the Hull match, we went down pitchside, and the surface did look ropey. But it's not right to blame the current ground staff. I'm quite sure they're well qualified and know what they're doing. Probably two main reasons for the relatively crap pitch I saw: 1) An awful, cold spring, and 2) the rebuilding of PR during Sir George Burley's reign. Before that the wind could whip across the pitch and dry it out, and the light wasn't as blocked off as it is today. Now the corner where the players come out, which doesn't get much sun, is a bit like a swamp in damp weather.

sotd78 added 12:39 - May 17 Ferguson is on record as saying that the ground needs to be completely dug up; new drains laid etc. Presumably at same time we would install undersoil heating perhaps. It is a fortune in money to do...the curent grounds staff have worked miracles really.
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