Deepdale has a new pitch, and the man most responsible for it is not thinking about plaudits. Pete Ashworth, Preston North End's head groundsman, has described the project as "more of a pride thing" — a phrase that, stripped of press-release polish, says quite a lot about the unglamorous work that keeps a Championship ground fit for purpose.
What has changed at Deepdale?
Ashworth spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire about the improvements carried out at Deepdale ahead of the new season. The specifics of the work have not been set out in detail by the club in any formal announcement, but the groundsman's comments make clear that the new surface represents a meaningful upgrade rather than routine maintenance. For a second-tier club operating in a competitive division where the fixture list is relentless — 46 league games alone, plus cup commitments — the quality of the playing surface is not a minor consideration.
A Championship pitch takes punishment that a Premier League equivalent rarely faces, simply because the schedule allows less recovery time between matches and the budgets for surface technology are considerably smaller. Preston, like most clubs at this level, have to be resourceful. That is where the pride Ashworth talks about earns its meaning: getting results without the resources that top-flight clubs take for granted.
Why it matters for Preston's season
Preston finished last season with an eye on the play-off places for stretches of the campaign, and the expectation from supporters is that the club will push for the top six again. Home form at Deepdale will be central to that. A reliable, well-kept surface can influence the style of football a manager asks for; a poor one tends to flatten technical play and hand an advantage to more direct opponents.
The club has invested in improvements to the ground in recent years, and groundsmanship sits at the quieter end of that investment. Ashworth's comments suggest the staff take real ownership of the stadium as a shared civic space, which fits with how Preston North End has always presented itself: a community club with deep roots in the town rather than a vehicle for outside capital.
The bigger picture
It is worth noting that Deepdale is one of the oldest Football League grounds still in use, which gives the maintenance operation a particular character. Older infrastructure demands more from those who look after it, and the fact that the club has moved to relay the pitch rather than simply patch and repair it suggests a degree of long-term thinking about the ground's condition.
For supporters planning to make their way to Deepdale this season, the promise of a fresh surface is a small but tangible sign that work is going on behind the scenes. It will not move the table on its own, but it is the sort of detail that accumulates into a matchday experience people are more or less willing to travel for.
Ashworth's Radio Lancashire interview is available on BBC Sounds. It runs to around ten minutes and is worth a listen for anyone curious about what Championship infrastructure actually looks like from the inside.
Frequently asked
- Has Preston North End got a new pitch at Deepdale?
- Yes. Head groundsman Pete Ashworth has confirmed that a new pitch has been laid at Deepdale, with improvements carried out ahead of the current Championship season.
- Who is Pete Ashworth at Preston North End?
- Pete Ashworth is Preston North End's head groundsman, responsible for maintaining the playing surface at Deepdale.
- What is Deepdale like as a Championship ground?
- Deepdale is one of the oldest Football League grounds still in use. It is Preston North End's home stadium and regularly hosts Championship fixtures throughout the season.