U's invest in major pitch renovation
Oxford United will once again be playing on an even playing surface next season after the most extensive post-season work ever conducted on the pitch at the Kassam Stadium.
The Club has committed more than £50,000 to ensure that the pitch can return to former glories after problems through the last twelve months. Work has been carried out during the last two weeks and the pitch is now starting to take shape once again.Chairman Ian Lenagan said:
"The playing surface was a major cause for concern and, with uncertainty still as to whether Rugby will be played again next season, we have acted swiftly to ensure that the pitch has the best chance possible to recover and to improve.
"The pitch has been stripped back, taken down to the base level and then rebuilt. Anybody who saw a game here in the second half of last season could see that work needed to be carried out and,in conjunction with the Stadium Management Company, we have brought in two of the top specialists in the country to advise us and to complete the work.
"There is a substantial cost attached to this work – and some risk - but we are told it will be well worth it. We could have taken a much cheaper option, made the pitch look good for August and then had the same problems by January because the real cause of the problems had not been identified and resolved. As we have shown with our investment in youth development, training facilities and sports science,we are committed to doing the right things and building a solid future for every possible aspect of the club.
"Oxford players need a good surface on which to play football. In the long term there are other options available for the pitch which we will continue to explore but, given the timescales this summer, we have taken top-level advice, made the correct decisions and are confident that the team now has the best possible chance to be playing on an excellent surface throughout what should be an exciting season."