PUB football teams can now play on a surface fit for the likes of David Beckham and Michael Owen.

The problem surface at Nuttall Park, Ramsbottom, has been dug up and replaced with a special surface using a technique usually reserved for Premiership clubs.

The top layer of the muddy, uneven pitch was removed to a depth of one inch, leaving the surface bare but with the grass roots remaining in the ground. The land was then over-seeded.

Bury Metro's Sports and Recreation spokesman, Cllr Paul Nesbit, said: "I am sure that when the new soccer season kicks off, local players will notice a real difference."

PUB football teams can now play on a surface fit for the likes of David Beckham and Michael Owen. The problem surface at Nuttall Park, Ramsbottom, has been dug up and replaced with a special surface using a technique usually reserved for Premiership clubs.

The top layer of the muddy, uneven pitch was removed to a depth of one inch, leaving the surface bare but with the grass roots remaining in the ground. The land is then over-seeded.

Bury Metro's Sports and Recreation Spokesperson, Cllr Paul Nesbit, said: "I am sure that when the new soccer season kicks off, local players will notice a real difference."