ACCRINGTON Stanley have started work on £30,000 improvements to their Crown Ground pitch.

Stanley spent £70,000 on their notorious playing surface last summer but suffered continuing problems this season, with a number of postponements and unsightly lines of sand across the pitch.

The playing surface has now been dug up in readiness for a second stage of drainage work.

Chief executive Rob Heys said: “It was always a two-year process but it still should have performed better in its first year than it did.

“It didn’t look particularly good on television last week but work has started, another £30,000 is being spent on it.”