Grassroots groundsperson – an important cog in the system

James Kimmingsin Football

We spoke to a new volunteer groundsman, Dan Roberts, to find out what it is like working on a budget and the importance of grassroots staff for the future of football.

Dan has been working in turfcare for the last six years, however, he has only recently become the volunteer head groundsman at his local football club, Braunton FC. He reflected on how tricky it has been to manage work, rest and play when volunteering.

“There are a few challenges with being a volunteer groundsman; funding, time management, the equipment and the number of games required at grassroots. I recently spoke to Devon FA and we have secured funding from the GMA for a six-year improvement plan. The key principle behind the service is the offer of advice/practical solutions from images I send to them – which should improve the pitch overall during the six years.”

“Previously, the club also received funding from the Devon FA for a new John Deere tractor, as well as a spike aerator. It was over £22,000 worth of equipment and has been massively helpful.”

Despite the club being located in a small village, it is still an extremely busy venue. Dan commented: “We have over four hundred children playing at the club including the U16s, U18s, the female teams, the disability teams and then we have the three men’s teams. This number of teams means we have a lot of games to manage; from August to May, we have at least three games a weekend on the main pitch, which is why the funding is so essential to produce playable surfaces week in and week out. We maintain the main pitch and the second pitch which are both 11-a-side, plus a 9 v 9 pitch and a five-a-side pitch.”

“Volunteer grounds staff are one of the most vital cogs in running a club; without them, the pitches would turn into a mud bath. My son plays at the club, and I want the surface to be safe for him and his friends to play on. If the pitch is flat and there are no bumps, the playing experience is so much better. My main focus was to improve the pitches to allow the young players to benefit and develop. If kids are playing on grass up to their ankles and divots all over, they are not going to enjoy the game as much.”

Before and after renovations

Dan is busy doing renovations at the moment, he analysed how it is going so far: “I have hired all of the equipment we needed, including a verticutter, disc seeder and tractor – which turned out to be the biggest price of the renovation. It was worth it though to be able to verti-drain all the pitches over one weekend. We have used 100kg of seed on the first team pitch and then 40kg of seed on the second pitch.”

“Despite the renovations, the club still wanted to train on the pitches - which proved challenging at times and meant it took slightly longer because I had to stop and start. We have suffered with a lot of thatch which needed to be taken out before we could start seeding.”

“I have come in with a lot of ambition and I want it to be the best pitch in Devon. I have a list of projects to complete but, when you have three games being played every weekend, it is hard to push for the best due to limited resources. Our irrigation system is a tap and hose, and we just have to accept that working in grassroots means you work within your means.” 

Dan concluded by telling us how he fits being a volunteer groundsman into his day-to-day life: “I have my job which I work from 7am until about 6pm. I have two children and a very supporting wife, who is thankfully on board with grounds management. This position is something I am extremely passionate about and, potentially, something I’d like to do when I move on from my current job.”