The brand new surface will be tested for the first time when League Two club Bury visit Highbury on August 1, then Bolton send a select XI two days later.

Richard Sharrock, from Longridge-based Danvic, is confident the pitch will be ready for the Bury game.

He said: "The warm weather combined with the newly installed irrigation system has been promoting good grass growth.

"I don't see any reason why the pitch shouldn't be playable at the start of August. There are a couple of patches but they have been reseeded. We are on schedule despite losing two weeks in early May because of the heavy downpours."

Left-back John Hills said: "A decent pitch hopefully means we can play decent football every week."

Town's Blue Square North fixtures are out tomorrow.