Ebbsfleet United have a new addition on the pitch – and one that can move up and down at will. No, it’s not a new box-to-box midfielder but the latest in water irrigation systems intended to keep Stonebridge Road’s turf in as pristine a condition as it has been throughout the summer.

The intelligent ‘walking’ sprinklers – which were bought and paid for by MyFootballClub last season – move up and down the pitch by themselves, allowing the grass to get an even and plentiful supply of water.

Fleet’s head groundsman Craig Freeman told EUFC.co.uk, “It’s a great system that makes it more manageable to water the pitch and it does it more evenly.”

And Craig also helped clear up one mystery that has been on the lips of more than a few Fleet supporters this season. Just what is that gleaming metal object (left) behind the Sponsors’ Lounge? Well, it’s a storage tank for rain and other water that gets reused in maintaining the grass. According to Craig, “It’s extremely eco-friendly as the rainwater that soaks through the ground goes into the tank to be reused to water the pitch.”