It really is Sandy Park as pitch is stripped

Sandy Park is living up to its name as there is no longer a blade of grass in sight!

Contractors have stripped the pitch down to the foundations as they prepare to lay a new hi-tech DESSO Grassmaster hybrid playing surface costing about £1m.

Other developments will see the stadium's capacity increase from 10,750 to 20,600 and the club's conference and banqueting facilities also expanded.

The main part of the £.5m works being carried out this summer will see the existing West Grandstand undergo a £7.5 million transformation, doubling its capacity for usage on both match-days and events throughout the course of the week; while other plans will see a new East Terrace developed in time for the start of next season.

Chiefs Chairman Tony Rowe is delighted with progress so far.

He said "We built Sandy Park with a view to getting into the Premiership. We are not intending to go back to the Championship so we are looking at the future of our sport and where we want to go and Sandy Park when it is finished should be one of the best rugby stadiums in northern Europe."

Mr Rowe reflected on the Chiefs rapid ascent saying he sometimes has to pinch himself.

He added: "I can remember back 12 years or so ago when we were still at the old Country Ground. My Saturdays always used to start with breakfast with my deputy chief executive Keiron Northcott in the clubhouse. We would sit there planning the future and I would say, 'if we do this and do that we could be in the Premiership within so many years' and he would say, 'the Premiership is OK but I want to see us in Europe, in the Heineken Cup'.

"Needless to say we have been planning it a long time but when it actually arrives it is great. It is fantastic for the club, fantastic for the supporters and we have some brilliant supporters."