3/1 To Win
Derby County’s groundstaff already have their eyes firmly focussed on the upcoming 2021/22 season.
Work on the Pride Park Stadium playing surface ahead of the new campaign began less than 48 hours after Derby’s 3-3 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the 2020/21 season.
The previous grass from the playing surface has now been removed, taking out all the organic matter to provide a clean surface and expose the synthetic fibres in place on the pitch.
A verti-drain and aeration process has also taken place, alongside the application of sand and seed to allow the new grass to begin to grow.
The pitch will be treated and maintained throughout the coming months in order to be in the best possible condition ahead of the new season.
In addition to the work taking place at Pride Park Stadium, several of the pitches at Moor Farm Training Ground are also being treated and prepared for the first-team and Academy’s returns for pre-season training in July.
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided several challenges for the groundstaff during the last year, notably the timeframe between the end of 2019/20 and the start of 2020/21 and limited the work which could be done to the surface at Pride Park in such a short space of time.
The pitch was unable to be replaced as a result, which is normally a necessity in the close-season, and additional planned maintenance works during the international breaks were forced to be cancelled due to bad weather.
The excellent condition of the playing surface towards the end of the season was testament to the groundstaff's efforts during challenging circumstances and also their hard work and commitment throughout the season.
