Here's how The Shay pitch is looking after improvement work to the surface

Halifax Panthers return to The Shay on Sunday, July 14 against Featherstone, having moved their game on Sunday against Whitehaven to Wakefield, meaning the pitch will have had around six weeks for work to take place.

The council say there’ll be further grass growth over the next couple of weeks.

FC Halifax Town, who were forced to play three of their scheduled home matches away from the ground at the back end of last season due to the surface not being good enough, won’t play at The Shay until early August when their league season gets underway.

Sarah Richardson, Calderdale Council’s Assistant Director of Customer Services, said: “We are doing everything we can to make sure the Shay pitch is in a good condition for matches.

“We asked for independent advice from experts in sports surfaces and soil management.

"Following this, and the Halifax Panthers’ last home game on 1 June, we have taken action to improve the pitch drainage.

"This involved three intense days of work, where the entire pitch surface was stripped and replaced with a special top dressing for sports pitches.

"Grass seed and fertiliser were then applied.

"The grass is already growing back well, and we’re continuing to work with a specialist fertiliser company to boost the growth and root establishment.

"We’ll keep a close eye on the pitch to ensure the drainage is as it should be.”