Mansfield Town

The latest pitch update from Carlisle United Football Club ahead of tomorrow's match

carlisleunited.co.uk, the club's official website, is reporting that: 'The Brunton Park playing surface remains in good condition beneath a covering of snow on Friday morning as preparations for the visit of Mansfield Town on Saturday afternoon continue.

'Heavy snowfall in the county through Wednesday night left the pitch buried beneath two inches of snow and the natural insulation, deliberately left in place by the ground staff, protected the playing surface against a further drop in temperature last night.

Stadium manager Dave Mitchell said: “The plan is to leave the snow on the pitch until tomorrow morning because it’s as good as, if not better, than using the covers.

“We uncovered a section of the pitch at the Warwick Road End, which is constantly in shadow, and we were pleased to find that the surface was in excellent condition. We’ll start to remove the rest of the snow early on Saturday morning so that we’re ready to go for the game later in the day.”

“Obviously it’s a big area to clear, so we’re asking fans to come along and help us from 8am on Saturday morning, if they can spare us the time,” he continued. “We need approximately 50 people in total, and they’ll be given a section of the playing area to clear.

“If anyone can help, particularly if they have a plastic snow shovel and a wheelbarrow, please let us know today so that we can start to finalise plans for Saturday morning.”

The club will keep you posted of any neccessary developments as and when they happen.