The rub of the green will definitely be with Leeds United when they tackle their arch Red Rose rivals Manchester United.

For the Old Trafford pitch is currently being relaid with the finest Yorkshire grass, courtesy of specialists Lindum Turf, of Thorganby, East Yorkshire.

So when Martyn, Hopkin and co enter the Red's Theatre of Dreams a week on Sunday they can rest assured that that part of Lancashire will be forever white.New Australian turf had been laid in the summer on top of a revolutionary £500,000 drainage system.

But the climate that helps it grow down under has - not surprisingly - been missing in Manchester where only five days of sunshine have been recorded since June.

And despite a last gasp bid to improve the surface by setting thousands of worms to work, the pitch dug up badly in the recent 0-0 draw with Newcastle.

So, following Saturday's win over Blackburn, the Old Trafford groundstaff, aided by a fleet of tractors, went to work to remove the old surface.

And now thicker Yorkshire turf is being laid in a race against time to ensure the new pitch is ready for the Leeds match.

Lindum Turf's sales manager Dave Snowden said the company had helped out the Manchester giants in the past, replacing the goalmouth areas when they were badly cut up during last year's rugby union international between England and New Zealand.

"We have also been involved in a lot of other football pitches including Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium, Chelsea's Stamford Bridge and the pitches of Hibernian and Hearts," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.