BEWDLEY Town's upgraded pitch was officially unveiled last Saturday.

The town's mayor, councillor Anna Coleman, was on-hand to open the new playing surface ahead of the club's FA Vase encounter with Rugby Town.

The Ribbesford Meadow ground has seen major improvement works to help combat waterlogging issues thanks to a grant of £34,966 from the Premier League, delivered by the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF) – the largest funders of non-league football in the country.

The funding has enabled the club to perform vital drainage works to improve the surface. Before the project the grass pitch was prone to persistent waterlogging, resulting in numerous home games being postponed or cancelled, especially during the winter months. The works will help the club consistently fulfil their fixtures in the future.

Their upgraded playing surface will help the club put on more effective and safer training, whilst also eradicating fixture cancellations. This will benefit the club’s two senior teams and their youth teams, from under-8 to under-16 levels.

The facility will also be used by local league and county cups as a venue for finals, including the Worcester and District Football League; the Kidderminster and District Football League, and the Stourport and District Youth Football League.

Geoff Edwards, chairman of Bewdley Town FC, said: “The project will give confidence to the club in regards to advertising our fixtures, without risk of them being cancelled. We would like to thank the Football Stadia Improvement Fund for their support, and we are very grateful for their investment.”

Meanwhile, Bewdley were knocked out of the FA Vase with a 4-1 defeat against Rugby Town on Saturday.

There attention returns to league action when they face a difficult trip to Wolverhampton Casuals this Saturday.