Hibs groundsman reveals Lee Johnson's grass-cutting demands at Easter Road

Hibs manager Lee Johnson has placed extra demands on the head groundsman at Easter Road – by demanding the grass is cut to a particular height.

Head groundsman Colin Fraser, who has been at the club for 12 years, has revealed that he now has to factor the new manager’s demands into the schedule for his team so that the grass is at the height he requests on a matchday and there is sufficient moisture on the pitch when Hibs are at home.

Speaking to club magazine HQ, Fraser explained: “Every manager that comes in has a certain way about how he wants it to play. The new thing in football is that the manager now has a massive say in the height of cut and water – they want a lot of water on the pitch.

“The modern-day manager wants two main things; the grass to be as short as possible and as much water on the pitch as possible.

Hibs boss Lee Johnson wants the grass cut to a certain height on matchdays at Easter Road. Picture: Ross Parker / SNS

“Our new manager has shown that he is very keen on a particular height of cut, which we will achieve for him. Lee likes the grass at a certain length, so we have to plan accordingly what times we cut the grass to allow it to grow and reach that desired height.”

To meet Johnson’s demands, the ground staff work around the clock during the week and come in at 6am on a matchday when the kick-off is 3pm.

“We will start with a quick walk over the pitch to make sure everything is okay,” Fraser added. “Then, we will get the machines out and give the pitch a cut.”