THE Kassam Stadium pitch is ready for the rigours of a full season after extensive work over the summer.
Towards the end of the previous campaign, the turf was showing signs of its age through wear and tear, however a fresh start will see it enter the new season in style.
Oxford United head groundsman Kieron Jennings expressed his frustration at how last season ended, but is looking forward to what the new campaign holds for the pitch.
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He told this newspaper: “The pitch that we had was a very old carpet system and that’s been removed, predominantly because it was problematic and had been there a long time.
“The carpet system had been in long past it’s sell-by date and we just had to manage with what we had.
“I class myself as a perfectionist, so when things go wrong, I get a bit angry.
“We were struggling last season for grass coverage, and we’ve gone for the same carpet system again where you have grass coming through artificial fibres.
“It’s quite normal and a lot of Premier League teams have the same sort of set-up, although there are lots of different ways nowadays.
“The gaffer understands this is now better that what it was.”
It isn’t just the Grenoble Road pitch that’s had a makeover too, with those at the training ground also getting spruced up.
Jennings said: “We started renovating two weeks before the season stopped, doing one pitch at a time.
“We’ve had to deal with it being very hot recently, so you’re watching your water management more.
“You don’t want to overwater or underwater your seed.
“There’s no reason why he can’t step into League Two and possibly even League One.”#oufc midfielder Josh McEachran says younger brother Zac at @OxCityFC is good enough to play in the Football Leaguehttps://t.co/6aEkSsGsRR pic.twitter.com/9pB1LUqkIT
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) July 4, 2023
“It’s not ideal having periods of consistently hot weather, but it’s just part and parcel of it.
“We want the heat anyway like it has been, and it’s been overcast so the sun hasn’t been beating down on the pitches.
“We try to replicate the first team pitches so that they’re the same ones as at the Kassam, so they’re playing on the same pitch.
“We try and replicate but it isn’t always easy because you’ve got different environments – the stadium has its own weather and mind, however at the training ground, it’s completely open.”
Jennings also revealed how involved U’s head coach Liam Manning has been with the pitch works.
“The gaffer and Hoggy [Chris Hogg] seem happy with the pitches, and they’ve been great to me,” said Jennings.
“You’ve got to bear in mind the stadium pitch wasn’t as good as it had been when he joined too, but he stood by all of us, as has the club.
“He’s always asking about the pitches – our ambition is to get the very best pitch for the first team and he understands that.”
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About the author
To sign up to Liam’s latest Oxford United newsletter for free, click here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/newsletters/
Formerly the politics reporter for the Oxford Mail, Liam now covers all things Oxford United.
Liam attends the U’s home and away, as well as covering other big sports stories across the county.
His Oxford United newsletter is released every Saturday morning at 6am.
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