Pitch at Stadium MK needs to be treated like an MK Dons player

MK Dons ground staff tend to the pitch before the game with Ipswich on Saturday

The pitch at Stadium MK needs to be treated with the same care and attention as one of the MK Dons players, according to Performance Director Simon Crampton.

Crampton, who stepped into his role in the summer, has been charged with bringing the behind-the-scenes departments up to par with the rest of the club, and has been looking at new ways of bringing the pitch back up to scratch.

With the condition of the playing surface suffering through the winter months, a new one is already being grown in Lincoln for next season, while sensors have been bedded into the pitch to monitor its condition in a similar fashion to how the player’s condition is managed and monitored.

“We’ve got sensors in the ground now which tell us the moisture levels in the soil, the temperature, sunlight readings,” explained Crampton. “There are a lot of similarities between the pitch and the players - its a living object. The pre-season is really important for the pitch - it needs the right nutrients, hydration and needs to be built to be a robust athlete like the players are.

“It's really important that the pitch performs as well as the players do. There are things in our way at the moment in terms of what we have to do to get the pitch back up to a standard.

“It's an old pitch and the bottom line is it needs to be replaced.

“We've looked at it, turned over as many stones as possible, we've restructured a bit which has been key and it has changed the way we operate both here and at Woughton. It's great to see the guys all motivated.

“We're taking a more scientific approach to it, it's the way the industry is going. Leicester are pioneering it, and we've spoken to them and got some ideas from them.”

The solutions though are not quick or indeed cheap fixes though, Crampton added.

“One thing we cannot change is the location of the sun. We're looking at solutions but the solutions don't come cheap and we have to be respectful of our budget. But we're all working hard about how we can find long-term solutions.”