Bradford City use coronavirus lay-off to carry out pitch repairs

The pitch missed out on important repair work last summer and rather than risking that happening again, the Bantams have used the coronavirus break to get to work.

No date has been set for the resumption of English football, but Football League chairman Rick Parry wrote to clubs earlier this month telling them not to expect to be back in training before May 16.

If the season is completed, it is likely to mean a short turn-around before the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

There are also discussions around whether behind-closed-doors matches should be played at neutral venues in what is left of 2019-20, but no decisions have been made, and if it does happen, it might be asking a lot for it to extend all the way down to League Two. With clubs lower down the pyramid facing severe problems because of the lack of revenue, there is still a possibility English league football could follow the examples of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and non-league football in abandoning the season.

That uncertainty was behind the decision to act now.

“This is work that would usually take place at the end of the season,” said Bradford's director of communications Ryan Sparks. “It would have always been May so, in essence, we’ve brought it forward by two or three weeks.

“We had no choice. Because of the lack of clarity about when we could potentially restart, if we’ll ever restart, you have to make decisions.

“We couldn’t wait until late May or June because then potentially we’re bringing the players back on the ‘old’ surface, which was in need of repair.

“Then you’d be starting a new season on the same surface.

“You also have to consider the weather. We’ve been in a patch now where it has been quite good and we’re taking full advantage of that.

“It’s the fact that we don’t have a solid enough idea that has made us take the decision.

“We’ve decided to do it now because we think this could be our only opportunity to do so.”

Despite McCall's unhappiness with the pitch, Bradford's home form has been the saving grace in a disappointing season. The former midfielder favours a passing game helped by a better surface than the one his team were playing on before the March 13 suspension of matches.

Bradford are ninth in League Two, with nine matches left – five due to be played at home.

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