Could a 4G pitch be coming to Haverfordwest County?

It was announced last week that Hayen would take over the Belgian champions’ youth team, Club NXT, who play in the second tier of Belgian football.

This has not deterred County’s ambitions, with the aim still to be a full-time professional side in the next two to three years.

In the latest step forward the Bluebirds are planning to change the Ogi Bridge Meadow Stadium pitch from a traditional grass playing surface to 4G in a move that could cost the club hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Club chairman Rob Edwards said the decision made financial sense and allowed the club to train in Haverfordwest on a full time basis – at the moment the Ogi Bridge Meadow pitch is only used twice a week for training purposes.

The target is for the pitch to be in place by the 23/24 season.

Haverfordwest County chairman Rob Edwards didn't know how to take Nicky Hayen's departure

Mr Edwards understood it was a sensitive subject for a lot of people moving from the tradition of grass to a plastic pitch, but he did give assurances that no ground staff would lose their jobs in the process.

“It is not commercially viable to keep up a grass pitch,” said Mr Edwards. “We have to go to Carmarthen to train and we cannot have a women or girls team at the moment.

“It is something we have to consider.”

Manager Nicky Hayen has moved on, taking a job back in Belgium

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Chairman Edwards also spoke candidly about losing Hayen who had only joined Haverfordwest at the turn of the year before departing back to his home country.

“I did not know how to take it when it came in,” said Mr Edwards.

“I am proud we had someone who was getting interest from a club like that and it’s a testament to us that we found someone like him."

Interviewing is currently on-going for the vacant manager’s job, with the deadline for applications, June 30.