OXFORD United have splashed out more than £50,000 to resolve their Kassam Stadium pitch problems.

U’s chairman Ian Lenagan says that the extensive work undertaken means that the surface will be in a much better shape long term than had the club opted to take the cheaper option and patch-up the problem areas.

For the first time last season, the pitch was used for both football and rugby, with London Welsh playing their Aviva Premiership home matches at the stadium.

That meant the playing surface cut up badly after Christmas and drew huge criticism.

Although it is uncertain whether Welsh will continue to use the Kassam Stadium following their relegation, Lenagan explained that the work had to be done now to ensure the surface was in the best-possible shape for the start of the football season.

Work began a fortnight ago and is going to plan, according to United’s chief.

“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,” Lenagan explained.

“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.

“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.”

Lenagan said that the club was keen to ensure that there would be no repeat of the bobbly, uneven playing surface faced by United this season.

While the extra expense was something that the club could do without, the U’s chairman feels that it will be 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,” he added.

“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.”