Manager Keith Hill has praised the recent investment in the pitch and the hard work of the ground staff after Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two fixture against Morecambe went ahead despite heavy rain over night on Friday and into Saturday morning.
He told Dale Player: “Two or three years ago the fixture would definitely have been called off because there would have been standing water on the pitch, but because of the investment and the good work that the ground staff are doing, it was game on.
“The pitch was as perfect as you could get for this time of year under the weather conditions that we have experienced, so it is credit to the Football Club and the ground staff that the investment that we wanted has now been put into the pitch and that we are now getting what want out of it.
“I’m really, really pleased that we’re in a position where the players are happy with the pitch, not only the players, but also the opposition. I think our current home form is a result of the investment in the pitch. That’s investment in terms of money and obviously what the ground staff are doing.
“The pitch is an important as any player recruitment for the style of football that we’re trying to promote. We often talk about the crowd being the twelfth man, well the football pitch is as well because it has been outstanding all season and it will only get better next season because we can build on it now, with respect to further investment. We’ve got to support the ground staff because they are only as good as the investment that the club has been willing to invest.
"I'm really, really happy with the state of the pitch."