Talbot Sports Turf Installation, who have worked previously at Twickenham, Murrayfield, the Olympic Stadium and with a host of professional football clubs, started work on the surface last week.

The cost of the pitch replacement process is expected to be between £150,000 and £155,000, with further remedial work to be carried out in the summer ahead of the start of the 2016/17 season.

PSD Agronomy conducted a post-flood study and found that there was significant silt deposit over the entire playing area, increasing in thickness towards the Waterworks End. This had caused severely reduced surface infiltration and had effectively sealed the surface, hampering natural drainage.

Surface traction was assessed as being a major issue, again due to the silt deposit. Walking across the surface caused substantial loss of grass and severe blackening, due to the grass being pushed into the silt layer

Talking to the club's official website about the first phase, the removal of the existing playing surface, stadium manager Dave Mitchell said: “If it all goes to plan we should finish the removal of the top layer by close of play on the first day [Wed 6 Jan].

“We will then look to get all of the remaining debris and vegetation out of what’s left behind as part of the preparations for the relaying of the turf."

Turf laying was due to start today (Monday 11th).

“In terms of getting the turf down," Dave told Carlisle's website, "it’s been done before in a five-day timescale, but that was with good weather conditions. Our target at the moment is to have completed the relay by Friday 15 January. I think we’ll all be very pleased if that is the case."

“Having said that, I’m very confident that the pitch will be playable by the time we get to the York home fixture date. Hopefully it will all go to plan and everything else will fall into place to allow us to get that game played here.”