Bosses from the North Yorkshire company that laid the turf at Wales' Millennium Stadium have travelled back to Cardiff to help improve the poor state of its pitch ahead of showpiece football finals.
Inturf, based in Wilberfoss near Pocklington, originally laid the turf at the stadium in 1999, and have returned to offer aid after the playing surface was criticised in the wake of Saturday's rugby international between Wales and South Africa.
A poor pitch could jeopardise plans for the Millennium Stadium to host major football showpieces next year during Wembley's renovation, such as the FA Cup, Worthington Cup and play-off finals. However, stadium bosses have offered assurances that the playing surface will be perfect for football by the time of the Worthington Cup final in February.
And to help make sure these promises come true, Inturf - who originally grew the turf at one of its nurseries in Lincolnshire - has offered on-site assistance.
The Millennium Stadium is one of only two sporting venues in the world to use a pallet system to transfer and nurture the playing surface elsewhere, and turf experts from the other - the Giants' American football stadium in New York - have already been asked for advice.
Similarly, ground staff at Ajax's stadium in Holland - the only other venue in Europe with a comparable retractable roof - have been contacted.
Inturf managing director Derek Edwards is now in Cardiff offering an input. "This type of turf system (ITM Green-tech System) is designed for an unfriendly grass-growing environment such as lack of light or air, and that's why it was picked," Edwards told the Evening Press.
"The playing surface is actually very good but aesthetically it is not up to scratch and that needs to be sorted out. We're here trying to help."
A spokesman for the Millennium Stadium agreed that the problems with the pitch were mainly cosmetic, adding: "We've just played seven games here in three weeks after a record amount of rain. Not a single player has complained or has been injured because of the pitch."
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