Blues groundsman Ben Connell is hoping that Town start the new season with two away games as work continues on the Portman Road pitch.

Connell told the club site: “We have skimmed off the top of the pitch and mixed in 145 tons of sand into the surface.

“The pitch has been reseeded and now we are looking for lots of sunshine to help get as much strength into the grass before the new season starts.

“We didn’t have much sun to work with last summer and it was a real push to get the pitch ready but hopefully we will be a bit luckier with the weather this time.

“Ideally for us, we’d like as much growing time as possible and if we are away on the first day of the season and away in the cup, that will give us another week.

“We have no home friendly this year and that will help as well but if we are at home on day one, then we will be ready.”

The 2013/14 campaign begins on Saturday 3rd August with the first round of the Capital Cup played in the following midweek.

Meanwhile, released Norwich keeper Lee Camp’s wage demands would reportedly price him out of a summer move to the Blues.

The Northern Ireland international was a Town target in January with Mick McCarthy said to have renewed his interest in the 28-year-old ahead of 2013/14.

The Town boss is keen to add at least one keeper during the summer window to compete with Scott Loach, Arran Lee-Barrett and Jason Brown having been released at the end of the season.

Photo: Action Images

wadey added 17:15 - May 21 Didn't know Scott loach had been released lol
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Wickets added 17:20 - May 21 Read it again bud!
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CanadianBlue added 17:21 - May 21 Semi-colon required!
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hampstead_blue added 17:26 - May 21 So the groundsman is having an extended beach party with all that sand. Happy days! Chuffed Camp has minced off to get his fill elsewhere.
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wadey added 17:28 - May 21 Or the word 'with' in between Scott loach and ALB
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Michael11 added 18:12 - May 21 We've always had pitches to be proud of so i can't see next season being any different. Lee Camp's obviously just a money grabber keen to sit in the premier league being someones 3rd choice keeper so i'd steer clear of any player like that anyway.
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HARRY10 added 19:05 - May 21 Not last season it wasn't, hence the reason to 'dig it up' and try to lay a new one. Shame that Evans wasn't more committed and actually put in a top pitch with under soil heating etc and look to the future. We had Project Leap under Clegg where work was identified as needed doing but would have to wait - bar the turnstiles getting painted. Too many times we appear to be doing things on the cheap - until it comes to baIling out players and their dodgy gambling debts. What has happened to the club I used to know ?

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Keaneish added 19:12 - May 21 Grass. I'm reading and talking about grass. What date does the season start?
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bluefeast added 19:25 - May 21 Sandy .. oh sandy cant you see .......
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cooper4england added 19:42 - May 21 145 tonnes of sand. If you sit in the front row you will be looking up players shorts!
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Talbs77 added 20:17 - May 21 I like gardening me......actually thats a complete lie I hate it. But I DO like sandcastles!! Bet you all feel bette for knowing that. God I hate the end of the season.
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IrvTheSwerve added 21:11 - May 21 It has unfortunately to be said that the condition of the Portman Road pitch has varied from moderate to disgraceful ever since Alan Ferguson was unwisely allowed to leave Town. And it was poor for a full decade (1985 to '95) before he joined us. No wonder Miracle Mick didn't bother with such niceties as passing, last season...?
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NSL added 21:32 - May 21 I wouldn't say the pitch has been disgraceful, that's a bit harsh. We have had a right random spell with the weather - drought at the beginning of last year followed by wettest summer on record followed by a harsh winter lasting until mid-April - give the bloke a break!
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Steelmonkey added 22:37 - May 21 If we need to have the first two games away to give the reseeding a chance, then why was it not started as soon as the season finished!!!!!!!
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JewellintheTown added 10:26 - May 22 @SteelMonkey - hmm, good idea, bet it never crossed their minds. I reckon you should email the ground staff on that as I'm sure they'd appreciate it. ;-)
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NSL added 12:33 - May 22 I wonder if this story has been invented becuase of the fact there is no one else at the club at the club to give interviews at the moment. Reporter turns up at the training ground and thinks "Theres no bugger around, hang on, he'll do" "Hows the grass seeding going? Well, could do with a few extra weeks" Great, thanks for the story . . . . . . . . God this time of the year is dull.

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HARRY10 added 13:17 - May 22 "We have had a right random spell with the weather - drought at the beginning of last year followed by wettest summer on record followed by a harsh winter lasting until mid-April " random ? changing, varied perhaps, but random weathern ........ !
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