Morpeth Hockey Club Pitch Update: Rejuvenation & Maintenance

In September 2025, Morpeth Hockey Club entered discussions with England Hockey regarding funding for a full pitch replacement. By December, it became clear that we were not currently eligible to access their loan scheme. As part of that process, England Hockey requested a formal pitch survey, which was conducted across December and January by two independent Contractors

The Survey Findings

The good news is that both reports confirmed our pitch still has a solid pile height. However, the infill has become heavily compacted and contaminated with sand, silt, and dirt. Rather than a full replacement, the reports strongly recommended a pitch rejuvenation—a major restoration project costing £27,000.

Pitch Closure 

Rejuvenation works will be carried out by Replay Maintenance on Monday 10th August to Friday 14th August. There will be no access to the pitch during this period.

What is Rejuvenation?

Unlike standard weekly brushing, rejuvenation is an intensive restoration process. Replay Maintenance will extract the compacted, contaminated material from deep within the carpet fibers and replace it with clean, kiln-dried silica sand. This targets the root cause of surface degradation, restoring proper drainage, ball roll, and traction—extending our pitch’s playable lifespan by 3 to 5 years at a fraction of the cost of a new carpet.

Ongoing Maintenance Plan

To protect our investment, we have also signed a 12-month contract with Replay Maintenance (£2,700) for six professional deep-brushing sessions throughout the year. Each visit includes:

• Debris removal and fiber sweeping via a multi-brush system.

• Decompaction of the top infill layer.

• Redressing and redistributing the clean infill for even coverage.

• detailed post-visit pitch report.

How You Can Help

While these professional visits keep the pitch in peak condition, our regular weekly brushing remains vital. We have a fantastic dedicated team handling this, but we are always looking for extra hands. If you’d like to help keep our pitch in top shape, please reach out to Ash Whitehead