It is the most extensive pitch reconstruction since Stadium MK was built

The ground staff at MK Dons have begun work on relaying the Stadium MK pitch in full for the first time in more than a decade.

A brand new playing surface will be installed over the next month by grounds manager Oliver Grice-Hewitt, who took over at the start of the year, and his team, laying a brand-new state-of-the-art Hybrid GrassMax stitched pitch and irrigation system.

The first Stadium MK pitch was laid with a mix of artificial fibres and natural grass, though the fibres had a lifespan of around ten years, but were never fully replaced, meaning the newly relaid surface should be the best it has ever been come the new campaign.

“Some of the ground's staff have been here ten years but haven't seen a reconstruction like this before,” said Grice-Hewitt. “It'll be a great learning experience for them all. As well as everybody else within the club, it allows them to see what goes into building a new football pitch.

“The team have done well with the previous construction despite going past what would be the life expectancy by numerous years.

“For MK Dons as a whole, we'd like to see that having a new pitch will ultimately support everyone pushing in the same direction to what can hopefully be a successful year for the club.”

Explaining the process, he continued: “Firstly, we're removing the hybrid carpet which was installed years ago. Underneath that, we have a Desso stitching ground. Once both layers are removed, we're fully replacing the irrigation system before updating it to a modern version.

“The new surface will be a hybrid Grassmax Stitched pitch, which me and my staff will have to grow from seed for the beginning of the season. Usually, the construction of the pitch takes around a month depending on the weather. After that, it's anything from 4-6 weeks to grow and develop it.”

CEO Neil Hart added: “The field of play has needed replacing for a little while, and we’re hoping that the difference in quality will be apparent for all to see.

“The pitch reconstruction was one of the top priorities, with a vast number of matches played at Stadium MK it was imperative to provide the best possible surface for our players.”