TO complement the work put into the Plainmoor pitch over the summer, our Seale Hayne training ground has undergone a similar revamp.
Despite being a good home for the Club over the years, Seale Hayne has required some major investment to allow training to be conducted all year round. Training has had to be halted and moved to 3G pitches in previous seasons because of flooding during the winter months. It is now hoped that those days are behind us now, as one of the training pitches at the ground has been stripped, leveled, and then had drainage channels installed to take water away from the surface.
“The work at Seale Hayne is pretty much the same that has happened to pitch at Plainmoor, minus the irrigation system,” said head groundsman, Chris Ralph.
“They have korrowed the surface and power-harrowed to get better levels. Primary drains have been installed at five metre intervals.
“The end result will be a much smoother surface that, with the new drainage, will drain better than before. The drainage is important of course, because the manager wants to get more time out there during the winter, but the levelling work is vital too.”
The work has been undertaken by ground engineers, Inscapes. The surface will be seeded and watered and will be ready in the coming months.
With United taking on Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday night, the Plainmoor pitch is nearly ready to host football once again.
“We’re cutting the Plainmoor pitch and watering it every day at the moment. It has had another feed recently and that will push it on once again. The new irrigation system is making a big difference.”