NATURAL GRASS PITCHES
FOCUS ON NATURAL GRASS PITCHES With the weather becoming increasingly unpredictable in recent years, natural grass pitches have often borne the brunt of harsh winters and long, dry summers. Whilst floodlit 3G pitches offer fantastic all-weather alternatives to guarantee playing time, the majority of community football still takes place on natural grass surfaces. That is why we are committed to ensuring we help to maintain natural grass pitches across the country, too. Over the last 12 months, our natural pitch grants awarded have gone towards new drainage systems, pitch maintenance equipment and the levelling out of surfaces, helping to reduce postponements and enable players to continue playing on traditional grass surfaces.
TEETERING ON THE CLIFFE EDGE – EMERGENCY FUND PRESERVES FUTURE OF STORM-HIT CLIFFE FC Maintaining natural grass pitches poses a challenge to community clubs under normal circumstances, but when they are subject to an extratropical cyclone, the aftermath is an altogether different prospect. This was the situation that Yorkshire-based Cliffe FC were forced to contend with after Storm Desmond struck in December 2015. The club’s Cliffe Park home ground was left in a desperate state following heavy rain and gale force winds, with pitches completely waterlogged and access to the changing rooms obstructed by flooding. The extent of the water covering the surface of the field was such that a local family of ducks had taken up residency on the pitch in the absence of any competitive football.
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FOCUS ON THE FOOTBALL FOUNDATION
The pitch was rendered unplayable for over six months, and, with the club forced to rent alternative venues and travel further for training and matches, the increased cost to players was significant. However, as part of the Foundation’s Emergency Football Relief Fund, the club were given a grant of £14,839 to install a new state-of-the-art drainage system as well as to perform vital surface improvement work. The progress since has been remarkable.
