On Saturday 4^th May, the Guernsey FA will again be coordinating delivery of a further round of pitch assessments for local affiliated football clubs as part of the FA Pitch Improvement Programme (PIP).

In 2016 The FA launched an £8 million commitment to improve football pitches across the country over a four years period through the introduction of the PIP, which is aimed at delivering improvements to more than 2,000 grass pitches. The programme involves The FA facilities & investment team working in partnership with the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) to develop a grass pitch maintenance service which can be utilised by grassroots football clubs, with the simple aim of improving the quality of grass pitches. One of the great challenges that many clubs in grassroots football face is maintaining grass pitches to an appropriate standard for affiliated players to enjoy participating. The Guernsey FA coordinates the PIP in the island to ensure a grass pitch maintenance service is available to those affiliated clubs either owning their own ground or with the security of a long-term lease agreement.

The key principles behind the programme are to provide clubs, and their pitch providers, with expert advice and practical solutions for developing and maintaining their grass pitches, and improving playing surfaces across the county and the following details what a club/organisation can expect to receive through a PIP visit:

Visit undertaken by IOG RPA or other suitably qualified and agreed person – average visiting time is 90-minutes, although this will vary depending on the site.

A Performance Quality Standard (PQS) test is conducted across the site, the results of which will be clearly detailed in the report.

A Soil Analysis Test (SAT) if required and recommended, the results of which will be clearly detailed in the report

A detailed report outlining key issues and practical solutions

A suggested 12-month maintenance plan reflecting key issues and recommendations relating to machinery and product needs, as well as other useful operational and management information.

Access to FA Official Suppliers schedule of rates, expertise and networks

Guernsey FA Chief Executive Officer, Gary Roberts commented that;

‘Earlier this season we supported local clubs with nine pitch assessments in October, which extended the number of assessments to over 40 pitch assessments since 2016 for local clubs – and at no cost to those clubs. These reports provided clubs with invaluable information in relation to maintaining pitches throughout the Winter period, and these next assessments will then produce reports that will provide guidance and advice for clubs in relation to repairing and preparing pitches ahead of next season.

The GFA recognises that everybody playing football wants to play on the best possible playing surface and on that basis committed to providing clubs with expert guidance and advice as to how best to maintain and improve pitches. We hope that all local clubs will take advantage of this free opportunity.’

For more information about the pitch improvement programme please contact the Guernsey FA:

Tel – 01481 200443

Email – admin@guernseyfa.com