Rotherham United can confirm that significant works on the playing surfaces at the club’s training ground at Roundwood Sports Complex have begun this week.
The ground staff have instructed contractors to begin renovations on the pitches earlier than is customary to ensure that the major works are able to be completed and the pitches are prepared in time for the club’s return to pre-season training.
Unlike in previous campaigns, this summer’s works represent a much bigger overhaul and improvement of the current surfaces and are expected to substantially enhance the pitches on which the players will train in 2024/25.
As was outlined when upgrades on the club’s first team pitch at AESSEAL New York Stadium were being undertaken last summer, the Millers are set to heavily invest in the pitches at the training ground over the close season, with improvements including markedly more sophisticated drainage and irrigation systems planned to be implemented ahead of the new campaign.
Following an unprecedented season of rainfall in 2023/24 - which has undoubtedly presented challenges for grounds staff around the country - the surfaces at Roundwood have been rendered unplayable on occasion this term, during which time provisions have been made for the first team to train at AESSEAL New York Stadium.
A significant six-figure investment will be injected into the pitches at Roundwood in the coming months.
Speaking to www.themillers.co.uk to confirm that substantial funding had already been planned into the budget for the current season, Chairman Tony Stewart said:
“It was always the plan to invest heavily in the pitches that are available to us, with last summer’s renovations of the playing surface at AESSEAL New York Stadium the first of those to take place.
“Logistically, it would have been an impossibility to carry out such significant works across the training ground and first team pitches at the same time and would have meant that there would have been a window of a number of weeks in pre-season during which the club had no pitches available on which to train while those at both the stadium and training ground were under renovation.
“Following extensive consultations with our grounds staff – who sought advice from industry-leading pitch experts – it was unanimously concluded between the Board, first team and grounds staff that work on the stadium pitch should be carried out as a matter of priority to leave a window of time this summer in which to carry out work at Roundwood.
“As people will know, we are incredibly fortunate to have an award-winning grounds team here at Rotherham United which gives you the necessary background on their credentials, but the challenges that we have faced this season in respect of the weather and other contributing factors has made their job notably more challenging.
“We are extremely confident that our pitches at the stadium and training ground will be as good as they have ever been as a result of the investment which has gone in over the course of this summer and the one just passed.”
It starts..... full primary drainage, secondary drainage, laser grading, and irrigation upgrade. Day 1: Establish site and remove all vegetation. pic.twitter.com/8cm5aDL0VU
— Dave Fellowes (@DaveFellowes) April 8, 2024
Day 2 at Roundwood: been a slow one due to weather conditions. Loads of heavy rain. Lads have cracked on despite. Continued stripping off vegetation with koro, digger, and turf cutter. Spoil started to be moved pic.twitter.com/krhSn44Gdz
— Dave Fellowes (@DaveFellowes) April 9, 2024
Taken from Player Facilities Manager Dave Fellowes' X account
