Craig Levein confirms Hearts will install new hybrid pitch

Hearts have finalised plans to install a new hybrid pitch at Tynecastle Park costing nearly £1 million.

The modern surface will be laid this summer and should be ready for use when Betfred League Cup group matches start in mid-July.

Club officials chose a hybrid pitch after spending the last few weeks considering whether or not to stick with grass. A sum close to seven figures will be invested in the project. On top of £15million spent on the new main stand, it is the latest phase in Tynecastle’s redevelopment.

Hearts replaced their grass pitch in February last year, but that was only designed to be a short-term solution. The turf will now be completely ripped up including the underlying soil – a process which has not happened in almost two decades. Manager Craig Levein confirmed the plans to the Evening News today and praised club owner Ann Budge for giving her backing.

Hearts will have a new pitch by the start of next season. Pic: SNS

“It will be a hybrid pitch and the whole investment isn’t far off a seven-figure sum. It’s a huge amount on top of all the other things we’re investing in just now,” he said.

“Again, it just shows the commitment from Ann that she wants to try and help on the footballing front as well as everything else.”

Levein stated that the pitch is expected to be ready in time for the start of the competitive season in the middle of July. “The company doing it are fairly confident so that gives me confidence that it should get done in time. It will be a good surface for the players to play on going forward,” he said.