New Valley pitch investment

More evidence of investment by the club’s owners in that today they have announced the installation of a new Valley pitch this summer.

“Work begins on the pitch in May to ensure everything is in place for the men’s first-team’s final pre-season friendly on Saturday, August 3rd.” (more)

The club have received a £750,000 grant from the Premier League Stadium Fund, but the cost to the ownership I reckon will be in the couple hundred of thousand mark as the cost of a Desso pitch can be up to £1 million, and added to the cost of the turf will be labour and construction costs as well as infrastructure such as undersoil heating and irrigation etc.

Desso hybrid grass pitches are 100% natural sports grass pitches that are injected with millions of 20cm deep artificial turf fibres. These fibres help to reduce wear on the natural grasses and create a stable playing surface with the grassroots intertwining with the fibres below the surface.

From next season’s the Women’s team will play all of their home matches at The Valley, which will increase profile and hopefully revenues. Sadly it does look like they will miss out on the one promotion spot this season to the Women’s Super League.

The Valley pitch from what I’ve seen (not in the flesh) looks as if it’s held up pretty well this season despite plenty of rainfall, but it has been problematical in the past.

Now for a proper football team to play on said pitch, but joking aside this is a very positive investment by the owners, and clever to maximize the available funding money too.