Chelmsford City's backroom team had a sample of the high life of European football last week - a day spent at Real Madrid's expansive training complex in Spain.

Manager Gary Bellamy, along with physiotherapist Paul Smith and groundsman Eddie Neath, flew out to the Spanish capital on Wednesday to inspect Real's facilities and a new type of all-weather playing surfaces.

City are planning to install the American designed and built surface, appropriately called 'Better-then-grass,' at the club's new stadium at Boreham.

Bellamy said: "Real Madrid are the only club in Europe to have this new playing surface so we have been given a chance to look at it closely.

"It's rubber based and is apparently better than anything else available and prevents players from picking up burn marks and other skin injuries when playing on it.''

The City trio were also be able to see for themselves the high level of training and medical amenities available at Real Madrid.

"If we find this artificial surface suitable then we plan to have it installed at our new stadium,'' Bellamy added.

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