The time has finally come for the pitch works to start!!
We raised enough money through Crowdfunding at the end of last year (almost £10k) but had to wait for spring for the work to begin, and it’s all been happening this last week!
We are very pleased to have Lewis James Playing Surfaces ( @LJPS247 on Twitter) carrying out the works for us who have a great reputation and are doing an amazing job so far!
I haven’t got a clue about the work needed to upgrade a football pitch, but am learning along the way. Lewis has kindly explained the works that are being carried out and this is my understanding of it?! 🙊
Preparation:-
I haven’t been cutting the pitch for a little while because we knew these works were going to start soon.
This meant the first job that needed doing was to cut it right down to see the state of the pitch. This also gave them a starting point for the renovation works to begin.
The pitch after being cut and rolled. Also a close up photo of the actual state of it with bald patches everywhere and poor quality grass.
It took the guys the best part of a day to cut and roll it and get a clear picture of the state of the pitch. From afar it looks great but when you get close you can see there are bald patches all over the pitch! Also the majority of the grass that is on there at the moment is no good, and the pitch would soon turn into a mudbath if played on!
Following the cut they could then start the real work!
Hollow-core aeration:-
Next step was to put holes all over the pitch to help with aeration and drainage
Before going any further they had to hollow-core aerate the pitch which means putting 6 inch holes all over it. This helps release any gases out of the ground and lets in plenty of oxygen into the soils. It also aids with drainage and root growth and gives a harder wearing playing surface, which is vital for our 10 teams that will be using it!!
Sand dressing:-
60 Tonne of sand placed over the pitch
Then it was time to spread 60 tonne of sand over the pitch. This would fill the holes previously made which will continue to help with drainage and allow water to pass through the surface. They also used the sand to dress the surface and help level the pitch as there were some areas with dips in etc.
Seed and fertilizer:-
Disc seeding and fertilising the pitch
The final work for now was to disc seed the pitch. This is where the seeds are placed into the ground instead of spread over the top where the birds can eat them! It also means that the grass will hopefully grow stronger and will then be better for the pitch.
Fertilizer was then spread across the pitch to aid the growth of the new grass.
Next steps:-
We now have to keep off the pitch for the next two weeks while nature takes its course. We’re hoping for a little rain to help with the growth but since the works were finished on the weekend we’ve yet to have a drop! That’s my take on the work that’s been done anyway, Lewis may wonder what the hell I’m on about! Either way we’re really chuffed with the work done to date and we cannot wait to see our new pitch grow!
Some drone pictures of the pitch in it’s current state
Other news:-
We are still working on getting changing rooms at the ground and will soon be installing a new water service and getting the electric made live again. We have some really big news that we hope to be able to share in the near future but have to wait until things are confirmed before doing so!
In the meantime we are hosting a night out this coming Friday the 22nd April in the Dany 7pm. Everyone is welcome and tickets are £10 each. The night will involve a great singer Dave Bartlett along with disco afterwards. There will also be a raffle on the night and all monies raised will go directly towards installing the foundations and drainage for our new changing rooms.
Please get in touch through our social media or website if interested in attending?
Thanks for reading and for the continued support! KJ