Wembley grass at the Reebok (From The Bolton News)

Wembley grass at the Reebok

3:19pm Wednesday 21st June 2006 in

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WITH its pitch stripped bare and covered in mounds of sand, these pictures show the Reebok Stadium in a state many fans will never have seen.

Stadium bosses have decided to give the hallowed turf its first major overhaul in its 10-year history.

And the finished product will have a lot in common with the new Wembley Stadium the turf to be used is from the same plot grown specifically for the new national stadium.

Wanderers' head groundsman Richard Norton said: "The pitch is 10 years old and all we have done in that time is strip the turf off and put new turf on.

"We have not freshened up the root zone which we needed to do after 10 years.

"We've taken everything out, right down to the heating pipes, and solved the problem we had with the drainage. The quality of the new pitch will be better. A lot has been said about the turf they are using for the new Wembley and we are using the same turf off the same plot."

Wanderers realised the problems were more than surface-deep when they played a UEFA Cup game in waterlogged conditions last November.

A torrential downpour turned the game against Zenit St Petersburg into a farce and exposed the pitch's poor drainage.

The club acted immediately by re-turfing the surface to get through the season and set about solving the problem for the long term.

Tests showed the area of soil and roots just above the undersoil heating pipes had become compacted, preventing water from draining.

Staff had to to remove and replace seven inches of soil to prepare the ground for the new turf.

When the complete reconstruction of the pitch is complete, Wanderers will boast a top-quality playing surface with 10,000 square metres of turf which has been grown in Lincolnshire, for Wembley.

It is regarded as slightly tougher than the average turf used for pitches and has up to 200,000 blades of grass per square metre, though the club is remaining tight-lipped about the cost.

The summer project will ensure even the heaviest downpours will not create standing water and it will leave the pitch in good condition for the next 10 years.

The new turf is scheduled to arrive at the Reebok next Monday and will take a week to lay.