Ground staff are today laying turf to cover up the areas where new drains were installed yesterday.

Sports pitch specialists Kestrel spent the day at the Memorial Stadium yesterday connecting three lateral drains, which the club hope will improve the playing surface for next year.

Strips of earth were dug yesterday to install the drains, and today work is being done to re-turf these areas.

The drains run under the area of the pitch most effected by the spring, and will connect up to the other drains that are already in place.

Work to sand and seed the pitch had already been carried out in preparation for preseason, but now additional maintenance is being undertaken to try and prevent the problems experienced during the last campaign.

Bad weather conditions meant that a number of games had to be called off last season, including the FA Cup replay against Fulham.