It is day one of the St James Park pitch renovations, and head Groundsman Chaz has provided an update on what is currently happening at the stadium.
Like most summers, Chaz and his team will be working extensively to ensure the playing surface is the very best it can be for the next season - with this season's efforts leading to the pitch being Highly Commended by the EFL.
"Our start has been delayed to an absolute deluge of rain - it was ridiculous - so we've only just started our standard renovation here," he said.
"So that involves kill it off, shave it off, sand it, seed it, fertilise it, punch holes in it. We are adding an extra drain on the near touchline because this is the area that rains when we get heavy rain. This is the side that gets soggy, so it's a great idea in theory but actually quite hard work!
"It is all about keeping the surface as good as it can be for the players to play on - but also making little improvements each year by trying to make the sanding better and keep things going in the right direction.
"It is testament to the pitch at the moment that we are even able to work on it now as this whole side was under water at 6.30 this morning! It is good, but we know that it can be better."
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