ELITE FOOTBALL
The women’s team proudly representing their country, just like the FIFA and UK-based grounds experts
SPECIAL REPORT
WORLD IN MOTION Alan Ferguson, FIFA’s senior pitch management manager, is on a mission to bring British expertise to grounds teams around the world, leaving a legacy of improved pitch care after each FIFA competition
T By Colin Hoskins Features editor
The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) has played a key role in the success of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, working closely with FIFA’s senior pitch management manager, Alan Ferguson, and bringing together a small band of UK professional groundsmen to help upskill and educate the group of grounds people responsible for the stadium and training pitches used by the 24 squads for the competition. Complemented by the expertise of Andy Cole’s iTurf consultancy, as well as mower tuition input from Dennis, “the result has been a tremendous success,” says Alan, “and is a fine example of how ‘the best of British’ groundscare skills and technology can have a major impact not only on FIFA competitions now and in the future but also on how we can help raise the standards of pitch care overseas for the longer term.” As part of Alan’s remit to ensure all pitches reach
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the standards required for FIFA’s elite football tournaments, his first event last year in the United Arab Emirates, the Club World Cup, enabled him to see what was typically expected – and accepted – at the various training centres (and stadia) used for FIFA tournaments. “After initial pitch inspections for the Women’s World Cup, I instigated a strategy for pitch care that would address those areas identified for attention and I brought together a set of partners who I consider are the best in the world at what they do.” Contact was made with the IOG and Dan Prest, head of member services, learning and consultancy, put together a programme involving IOG tuition and a group of UK groundsmen to offer on-the-pitch practical workshops based around, for example, pitch repair (divoting), line marking and the correct use of mowers (in conjunction with Dennis). The sessions were held on different dates at two sites – in Clairefontaine (Paris) and in Lyon, and