Works on site commenced in April and were substantially completed in the October.

In total some six full size football pitches were constructed. More than 20,000 tonnes of topsoil was removed from site and even greater volumes of aggregate, sand and rootzone imported, this was organised and controlled entirely by White Horse Contractors management and workforce.

The pitch construction was to a very high specification, the design of which, was provided by Professional Sportsturf Design.

Following the topsoil removal, the areas were laser graded using a D6M LGP Bulldozer; after which, came the installation of both a comprehensive drainage and irrigation system. Over 12,000 metres of drainage pipe was installed controlling not only what precipitation may occur but also a high and seasonally variable water table.

A 100mm depth gravel carpet was laid using 6mm gravel over a geotextile protected formation, the pitches were then constructed in layers using the following; firstly lower rootzone sand to 150mm depth then upper rootzone mix of 125mm depth finally 25mm of fibre sand was incorporated into the surface upon which 65,000m² of special washed turf was laid. The club’s decision to use turf in place of seed was to ensure that the pitches were brought into use for the forthcoming season.

An innovative form of under pitch heating was installed to three of the six pitches. The system, provided by Inditherm Plc consisted of hundreds of conductive polymer mats and many thousands of linear metres of cabling, linked to 22 underground transformer pits, all of which had to be incorporated between the lower and upper rootzone sands.