A REPORT for the English Football League on the Rodney Parade pitch problems describes the current ground-sharing agreement between Newport County AFC, Newport Gwent Dragons and Newport RFC as “unsustainable.”

Leading sports turf consultancy STRI carried out an inspection of the surface on December 5 at the request of the EFL.

And the Argus has seen a copy of the condition assessment report, dated December 12, which states that the business model of hosting three teams on a natural grass pitch must change.

Renovation work to fix the faulty drainage system is recommended for this summer but long-term the installation of a grass and artificial fibre hybrid surface, at a cost of around £1m, is the best hope of making the three-way ground share work.

County have seen one match postponed and two abandoned at half-time already this season and the report warns that more problems can be expected before the end of the campaign.

Rodney Parade is owned by Newport RFC and Dragons and Newport chief executive Stuart Davies told the Argus on January 6 that drainage work is planned for this summer.

Davies also stated that a Desso-type hybrid pitch is the ideal solution but that “Rodney Parade Ltd doesn’t have the funds” to install such a surface at present.

But the report’s damning conclusion is that the problems will persist unless the business model changes.

It reads: “The current model for pitch usage is unsustainable. There will be ongoing issues until such time that this model changes and/or major investment in a new pitch construction and hybrid grass system is considered.

“The immediate future is bleak and there is a real risk of further cancellations or abandonments of games if the fixture coincides with wet conditions.”

The report continues: “The business model needs to change. Hosting three teams on a natural turf soil based pitch in a prevailing wet winter region is clearly not sustainable.

“The only chance would be to rebuild the pitch to include a hybrid system.”

Even if the money was found for a hybrid pitch, the extent of wear on the surface would be high without the use of specialist turf lights and under-soil heating.

But a hybrid system would keep the pitch playable, says the report, while cheaper alternatives would not guarantee surface performance to the same level.

STRI says overall mean average grass coverage at Rodney Parade is down to just 17 per cent and is as low as five per cent in the centre circle.

It says work to raise the height of the pitch in the south west corner of the ground in May 2016 led to the drainage system being compromised.

There are no immediate actions which would lead to significant improvement and minimum renovation in the summer needs to be carried out to renew slit drains and the connection to primary drains.

That work would “reinstate conditions which existed at the start of 2014 season and reported reasonable playability until April 2015 (last STRI visit).”

Rodney Parade Ltd and Newport County opted not to comment further on the matter when contacted by the Argus.