SOUTHEND United will today begin work on improving their problematic pitch - with the help of top turf experts.

Hewitt’s Sports Turf - who are currently working on the pitch at the new Tottenham Hotspur ground - have been brought in to improve the playing surface at Roots Hall.

And Blues chairman Ron Martin confirmed the club would be doing all they could to avoid last season’s problems.

“The work will start this week and it’s a major investment which needs to be made,” said Martin.

“We want to be playing passing football which is entertaining to watch but for that to happen we need a first class pitch.

“That’s why we’ve brought in John Hewitt and we will also be using the company for the pitch at the new stadium as well as the new training ground, so we’ll have that continuity.”

The Shrimpers are believed to be spending tens of thousands on the pitch improvements.

The surface was below par last season and was regularly criticised by those playing on it.

However, Martin revealed the club had also worked hard to make the best of a bad situation.

“We really did all we could last season and a lot of work went into trying to make the pitch better,” said Martin.

“We actually had the same contractors as we had in previous years and that has always been chosen by the stadium manager, not the groundsman.

“However, it was clear early on that that the reseeding was not taking.

“Further investigations, including chemical analysis, showed that areas of the pitch had ‘dead’ soil at a low level beneath the surface and therefore the growth relating to the new seeding was stunted.”

And that saw Writtle College being called in to assist.

“The college undertook the chemical analysis and the club removed and replaced those areas identified,” said Martin.

“Nevertheless, by this time we were already running out of the growing period and in that respect were fighting, as it proved, a losing battle.

“We continued to undertake other recommended works but once the cold set in recovery was always going to be limited.

“But we want to have the best pitch possible and that work will start now.”