Since the Tigers were eliminated from the Championship play-offs earlier this month, the Championship season is officially concluded. Hull City has started a £1.5 million restoration of the playing field at MKM Stadium.
The field received harsh criticism in the winter after suffering severe damage during one of the wettest seasons ever. Former manager Liam Rosenior frequently brought up the poor quality of the field and how it affected his team’s results.
In order to prepare for Hull FC’s next home game against Leeds Rhinos on June 15, the first of two consecutive home games for the struggling Rugby League team, a brand-new pitch is being laid. Work has already begun, and groundstaff is taking advantage of the first extended dry spell since last summer to make progress.
In an interview with Hull Live earlier this year, vice-chairman Tan Kesler acknowledged that the pitch wasn’t up to par and detailed the team’s future improvement plans, which will come at a considerable financial cost to the organization.
“The lifespan of that pitch has expired and I can promise you that it’s another big investment that we’re putting in this summer and you’ll see,” he continued.
“Our new pitch will be entirely different. We’re asking for a more accommodating attitude from the city council since that’s another item we’ll have to remove from the football budget and apply to upgrades and developments. When asked about the financial impact on the team, City’s vice-chairman responded, “It costs £1.5m.” “Plus another £700,000 over the year for maintenance.”
Kesler further clarified that Hull FC will not be making a direct contribution to the new pitch, but rather that the club’s future expansion and success will bring in money that will be used to maintain the field and other facilities.
“It would be unfair to ask Adam (Pearson) to do that because he’s also trying to make his team competitive,” added the coach. “While it would have been fantastic if they could have added additional cash, I never anticipated that. We are close friends, and all I ask is for his side to play well and for the football and rugby teams to provide the greatest entertainment this city has to offer. It’s not as though we’re waiting on them to take action. We will utilize the money we get from them if they are successful to fund the pitch and development, which benefits us in any case.”
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