Saints looking to fix issues with pitch

After a number of early morning inspections recently St. Johnstone are looking to fix the drainage at McDiarmid Park in the coming weeks.

Heavy rain in the Perth area has contributed to the need for inspections of the playing surface ahead of the SPL  games with Celtic on October 30, Kilmarnock on November 6 and Hearts on November 13.

Saints are hoping to improve drainage with the heavy winter months about to come, but they have warned the problem will be difficult to fix in full while the season is running.

General manager Grant Cullen told the club's official website, www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk: "We have called in a company who have worked with several SPL sides including Motherwell and they have given us a detailed report which we are acting on.

"We have had them bring in a specialist machine which essentially provides an 'earthquake' to the whole surface in a bid to improve drainage and this will hopefully help things in the short term.

"However, they have identified a deep-lying drainage problem well below the grass level and beneath the under-soil heating pipes.

"There is only so much we can do in mid-season but we are working hard to improve it as much as we can.

"The work carried out now is one of several measures we can take and hopefully we will get a break from the prolonged rain fall of recent weeks."

This would be the last thing the SPL needs after the issues with Motherwell’s pitch in the last couple of seasons, leading to a suspended fine for the Fir Park club.

Hopefully the Saints get it sorted and there is no need for any embarrassing call offs or pictures of a pitch like a potato field…..