Work is well underway at Celtic Park as the club lays a brand new pitch for the new season, and it’s not just the grass that’s changing.

The turf was ripped up shortly after the final league match against St Mirren at the end of May. Drone footage from Vagesligo showed the pitch stripped down, with workers already preparing the ground. A fresh surface is now being installed.

But it’s the missing dugouts that have caught people’s attention. The full removal of the technical areas suggests something bigger may be planned. It’s not normal for dugouts to be taken out just for new grass, leading some to believe a bigger trackside update could be happening.

Brendan Rodgers has always stressed how important the pitch is to the way Celtic play. He wants quick, sharp passing and fast movement, and that starts with a good surface. Rodgers has said in the past: “You need the surface to be right. The speed of the ball, the players’ ability to trust their footing – it all starts there.”

The pitch work is expected to be finished before Celtic’s first game of the new league season, at home to whoever Celtic end up scheduled against on Saturday, 2 August or Sunday, 3 August. The hope is that the new surface helps Rodgers’ team play the kind of attacking football he wants.

As for the dugouts, no official word has been given. It’s not clear yet if they’re being moved, rebuilt, or if this is part of a larger plan. But something clearly is changing at pitch level, and it might not just be the grass.