FOOTBALL pitches in Malvern are to undergo a refurbishment to end the cancellation misery that has plagued local teams.

All the pitches owned by Malvern Town Council at Victoria Park, Lower Howsell and Dukes Meadow will be drained this summer before receiving "top dressing" over the next three years.

Matches have had to be cancelled and rearranged throughout this season as the wet weather and constant use has cut up the playing surface.

Each pitch will be "verti-drained" this summer and those at Victoria Park will be given a top-dressing of a sandy loam mixture, which will improve drainage and quality.

Pitches at Lower Howsell will be worked on in the next close-season, followed by those at Dukes Meadow.

The pitches will then be given a top dressing every five years.

The council's operations manager, Richard Chapman, said: "Top dressing is something the elite clubs do every year but the council has never done it before."

He said the council spent £15,000 a year on the up-keep of its sports pitches but could not reveal if fees paid by clubs for using the pitches, currently around £400 a year, would need to go up to cover the increased work.

"That's a decision for the elected members of the council," he said.

"However, I don't think they will be increased in the foreseeable future."

Joe Whitehouse, secretary of the Malvern Football League, welcomed the news and said it was about time teams got value for their money.

"Anything the council can do to improve the state of the pitches would be gratefully appreciated," he said.

"The Lower Howsell pitches are just a mudbath in the winter and then there's no grass on them by the end of the season.

"They charge so much to use them and people just want to see a return on the money they pay."