Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley aren't the only ones who have been busy this summer at Chester FC .
While the Blues bosses have hit the ground running and started to piece together their squad for next season's National League North campaign, groundsman Mike Barrow has been hard at it making sure the pitch is ready for the first pre-season friendly on July 7 against Liverpool.
After a busy season that saw the pitch see plenty of punishment, the top layer was taken off and new seed put down three weeks ago, with Barrow faced with a dusty surface void of grass in the immediate aftermath.
But now the pitch is well on the way to being ready for the game with the Premier League giants, although Barrow admits he would have liked an extra couple of weeks to ensure it was perfect.
He said: "It's picked up well, the weather has been superb these last few weeks and are lucky that we have a good irrigation system which is a massive help, plus this brilliant sunshine. Long may it continue these next seven days before the Liverpool game.
"It's three weeks to the day now and the coverage is getting better day by day and I am on the third cut of the week and it is picking up. There are a few areas that are a little bit slower than others but three weeks in I can't complain."
"The fifth day in I started seeing the first signs shooting through and three weeks to the day now we have a good coverage out there and it is improving every day.
"I was concerned at the start because four weeks is a quick turnaround if I'm honest. People might think that 'the groundsman is moaning a bit', but after a long season six weeks would have been ideal. If we can get this Liverpool game without too much damage then I've got two weeks to the next one and it will just get stronger and stronger.
"It's been perfect growing weather. I've kept the water on it and kept feeding it and I've got a few more bags of fertiliser to go down and that will give it a nice boost as well."
Chester have a two-week break after the Liverpool friendly until they are back at the Swansway Chester Stadium.
And with the National League North fixtures released on Wednesday, Barrow wouldn't be too disappointed to see the Blues begin their campaign away from home."
"I think every groundsman would," he said.
"If we are at home we are at home. It is what it is. I would have liked a little bit more time but all I can do is reassure everybody that I'm down here seven days a week to get this as good as I can for the 7th and we will go from there, really, game by game."
