Building a Championship-ready hybrid surface at Preston North End FC

After nearly three decades of service, Deepdale’s ageing playing surface has been replaced with a state-of-the-art hybrid pitch. Head Groundsman Peter Ashworth takes Pitchcare inside the engineering, agronomy and planning behind one of the Championship’s most significant pitch redevelopment projects.

A historic surface

Preston North End FC, founded in 1880, stands as one of England’s oldest professional clubs, carrying a heritage that far outweighs its modest trophy haul of two First Division titles and two FA Cups. Born from a cricket club with a brief flirtation with rugby, Preston fully committed to association football in 1880. Under the forward thinking leadership of William Sudell, the club embraced professionalism early, recruiting gifted Scottish players and quickly rising to prominence.

Their dominance peaked in the late 1880s. The 1888–89 season remains the stuff of legend: Preston swept both the inaugural Football League and the FA Cup without losing a single match, earning the immortal nickname The Old Invincibles. They retained the league title the following year and famously recorded a 26–0 FA Cup win over Hyde, still one of the most emphatic victories in British football history.

The club’s last major silverware came in 1938 with an FA Cup triumph featuring a young Bill Shankly. Postwar consistency was shaped by Tom Finney, the beloved “Preston plumber,” whose 187 goals in 433 appearances cemented him as the club’s greatest icon.

After Finney’s retirement, Preston slipped from the topflight and endured financial turbulence. Stability returned through the Baxi ownership in the 1990s and later Trevor Hemmings, helping the club re establish itself as a steady Championship presence. Deepdale, their home since 1878, is still football’s oldest continuously used stadium, a living monument to the club’s enduring spirit.

The work commenced and new drains were added.

The pitch that sparked a reset

By 2025, Deepdale’s playing surface had reached a crossroads. Installed following the club’s return from an artificial surface in the mid-1990s, the pitch had served Preston North End for almost three decades. But modern football places very different demands on a surface than it did thirty years ago.

As the only non-hybrid pitch remaining in the Championship, maintaining consistent performance throughout the season had become increasingly difficult. Reduced sunlight from the South Stand roof, heavier player usage and a relentless fixture schedule all placed additional pressure on an ageing construction. While careful management and seasonal renovations prolonged its lifespan, it became clear that incremental improvements alone could no longer deliver the standards expected by players, staff and supporters.

“When a pitch reaches a certain age, you can only keep repairing and refining it for so long,” explained Head Groundsman Peter Ashworth. “We had reached the point where a complete rebuild offered the best long-term solution for the club.”

The decision was not simply about replacing worn turf. It was an opportunity to redesign the entire profile from the ground up, incorporating modern drainage, irrigation, undersoil heating and hybrid reinforcement technologies capable of supporting the demands of the modern game.

For Peter and his team, the project represented the beginning of a new chapter for Deepdale, one built on stronger foundations both literally and figuratively.

Removal of the old upper and lower rootzone. 

Choosing the team to deliver

Peter explained that the process began with tenders sent to three companies. After exploring several ways to finance the project, J. Mallinson (Ormskirk) Ltd emerged as the obvious choice.

They were local, understood the region’s conditions, and brought a long history of high profile pitch builds across the country. “Their experience spoke for itself. They had delivered quality work at stadiums we knew well.”

Mallinsons remained confident even as the timeline tightened while the club waited for approval to begin. “They never doubted the job could be achieved. Even when the deadline was close, they were calm and assured.”

Seeing their work first hand at other stadiums confirmed the decision. “You want to trust the people rebuilding your pitch. We had seen their results and we knew they were the right choice.”

Left: Exposing old 1980’s clay drain pipes. Right: Trenching perimeter irrigation pipe work. 

The tech beneath the turf

When I asked Peter to explain the science beneath the new pitch, he described a rebuild that started quite literally at the bottom. The old drainage system had been in place long before the artificial surface of the eighties and had long since reached the end of its useful life. It could no longer move water quickly enough or cope with the intensity of modern football. “The foundations of any good pitch start below the surface. If the drainage cannot keep up, then nothing above it will perform properly.”

Heating, irrigation and infrastructure

One of the most significant upgrades was the installation of underground heating pipes, approximately 17 miles of them, marking a major step forward for Deepdale. The club had never had undersoil heating, and its absence had been felt during periods of sharp frost.

Although the pipes will be connected to a boiler at a later stage, their presence alone represents a huge leap in winter resilience. “Heating gives you control. It protects the profile, keeps the surface workable and stops winter from dictating your schedule.”

A full new irrigation system followed. The previous setup had become unreliable and inconsistent, making moisture management increasingly difficult. The ring main has now been increased from 63mm to 110mm, allowing the team to run up to four sprinklers at a time, a major improvement in efficiency and coverage. “Water is one of your biggest tools. If you cannot apply it evenly, you cannot grow evenly.”

Laying of perimeter irrigation system. 

Rootzone engineering and nutrient programme

Above the infrastructure sits a brand new lower and upper rootzone engineered for improved drainage, stability and nutrient retention. The old material had become compacted and tired, restricting root development. The new profile creates a healthier environment for growth and the grow in programme has been equally meticulous.

Peter and the team followed a staged nutrient plan:

Step 1 – Rootzone amendment

• 40 tonnes of Zeolite
• Nutrigrow 0 24 24 at 80 g/m² Ameliorated into the upper rootzone to improve nutrient retention and cation exchange capacity.

Step 2 – Early establishment nutrition

• Xtend Renovator 12 20 12 at 35 g/m²
• Naturvigour humic/bio amendment at 20 g/m²
• TE bag at 10 g/m² Worked into the upper portion of the rootzone to support early root development.

Step 3 – Seeding

The pitch was seeded using Origins R14, applied at 50 g/m² (25 bags total).

Surface levelled ready for stitching.

Step 4 – First emergence support

• Convert 20 0 7 (14 bags)
• Seed Pack 1 (Growing Solutions)
  o 30L Consolidate Links
  o 10L Consolidate P
  o 10L Consolidate K
  o 10L Turf Carb
  o 1L Seed Power
  o 1L Zinc Seed Power (a micro nutrient blend of copper, manganese and zinc) was applied only on the first pass to stimulate germination.

Step 5 – Wetting agent and follow up nutrition

• Seed Pack 1 was reapplied four days later at the same rates, minus Seed Power, alongside a wetting agent to maintain moisture uniformity.

Step 6 – Controlled release nutrition

• Xtend CRF 20 5 10 at 50 g/m² Purchased by Mallinsons to support steady growth through the early establishment phase.

Step 7 - Hybrid stitching

The final stage was stitching the surface with Grassmaster hybrid fibres. These were installed at 20mm centres to a depth of 180mm, anchoring the natural grass, increasing stability and allowing the pitch to withstand far greater use.

“Hybrid technology is the standard now. It gives you durability without losing the feel of natural turf.”

Peter explained that the new pitch would transform match day by increasing confidence. The hybrid system will finally give players the stability and reliability they lacked on the old surface during winter months. “Playability was always on a knife edge in harsh weather. Now we know the pitch will hold firm.”

Improved percolation rates mean water will move through the profile far more efficiently, removing the need for last minute aeration to ensure fixtures can go ahead. “The pitch will now cope with rain in a way the old one simply could not.”

The upgraded irrigation system allows the team to cover more areas more quickly, smoothing matchday rhythm and reducing pressure on staff. A cleaner, more consistent visual appearance will also be noticeable. “We will hear more positive comments than negative ones.”

Beyond matchday, the benefits are far reaching. A top quality hybrid pitch will help attract players from higher levels who expect elite playing conditions. Premier League clubs will have greater confidence sending loan players to Deepdale. Reliable playability strengthens the club’s position in the league calendar.

The new surface also opens the door to hosting additional fixtures, England Under 21s, women’s internationals and even concerts or end of season events. “This pitch gives the club room to grow and the upgrade gives us momentum. It will bring new events, new possibilities and a future that feels full of promise for Preston North End,” Peter said, sounding genuinely energised by what lies ahead.

His optimism was unmistakable, not just relief at completing a long overdue rebuild, but a real excitement about the opportunities the new surface will unlock for the club. Thank you, Pierre, for your time and insight. I’ll look forward to seeing how the pitch fares over the next campaign. Good luck to everyone at the club as they begin this new chapter at Deepdale.