End in sight in Premier’s pitch battle

SEMPLE STADIUM’S weather-beaten pitch should be back up and running and available for action again by the end of March.

Heads groundsman Padhraic Greene has confirmed that if the weather is kind temperatures improve the ground could be reopened inside the month.

But there are no guarantees for the home of Tipperary GAA (above) which was heavily affected by a mixture of heavy rain and a concentrated fixtures schedule.

Speaking to Tipp FM, Greene outlined how the pitch needed fresh drainage to be installed to cope with the deluge of water (inset) that fell on it throughout January and February.

With works ongoing on the pitch, the Tipp footballers played their Division 4 National League game against Waterford last weekend in Bansha, slipping to a surprise draw.

The scheduled home game against Wexford on March 16 will presumably have to be relocated too though the hurlers were able to play their two allotted home games, both in February, at the Thurles venue.

“We’ve had seven matches in the first eight weeks of the year, it’s probably taken its toll on the surface,” said Greene. “We had 100mms of rain for January and 135mms of rain for February, compared to last year (when) we had only 17mms for February, so it’s chalk and cheese when you consider what we’ve had.

“We’ve had to strip the sod off (in a section). We’ve actually put in primary drains across the pitch to help with that going forward.

“This (drainage work) has been done, there’s no standing water thankfully so you would say that the drain is definitely working already.”

Tipperary will begin their Munster SHC campaign next month but aren’t scheduled to have a home game in Thurles until May 19 against Cork.

“The plan, if everything plays ball, the weather, and if temperatures are up, we’d be hopeful by the end of the month we’d be back up and in action,” said Greene.