The Grounds Management Association (GMA) is thrilled to
announce the expansion of its highly successful Pitch Advisory Service into
Wales, marking a significant milestone in grassroots sports development.
This exciting expansion, backed by the Cymru Football Foundation (CFF) with
funding from the Football Association of Wales (FAW), aims to elevate the
quality of grass football pitches across Wales by providing local clubs with
essential guidance and resources needed to maintain top-level playing surfaces.
Craig Bellamy, Head Coach of the
Cymru Men’s National Team said: “The Pitch Advisory Service Wales will make a huge
positive difference to football clubs across Wales – it’s a great tool to
tackle an ongoing issue across the country and hopefully we’ll start to see
grass pitches improving and less games being called off as a result.”
Building on a
decade of success in England, where the Pitch Advisory Service has
transformed grassroots sports, the GMA is set to bring its expertise to Welsh
football clubs. Since its launch in 2014, the service has supported over 12,500
clubs, helping to assess almost 50,000 playing surfaces across football,
cricket, rugby league, and rugby union.
Now, Welsh clubs will benefit from the same proven model, supported by the
GMA’s dedicated pitch advisors Daniel Bradley (Key Account Manager – North
Wales) and John Sullivan (Regional Pitch Advisor - South Wales).
Jason Booth, Chief Operating
Officer at the GMA said: “Over the past ten years, the GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service has
demonstrated just how critical quality pitch maintenance is to the success of
grassroots sports. We’ve helped countless clubs across England to reduce match
postponements and enhance the overall playing experience. By expanding into
Wales, we’re excited to bring these same benefits to Welsh clubs and
communities. Grassroots sport is the heartbeat of many communities, and we’re
eager to support even more grounds teams and volunteers in creating the best
possible playing surfaces for everyone, therefore increasing participation in
sport across the nation.”
Currently, only 21% of grass pitches in Wales are rated as “good” against
the GMA’s Grounds
Management Framework, but with the launch of the Pitch Advisory Service in
Wales, the GMA aims to raise that standard. The initiative will work in tandem
with the CFF’s Equipment Fund - a
grant scheme that supports grassroots football clubs has re-opened - offering
Welsh clubs not only financial support for equipment but also expert guidance
on maintaining their pitches to the highest standards.
With the guidance of the Pitch Advisory Service Wales, local clubs will be
better equipped to maintain playing surfaces that are both resilient and
sustainable, ensuring more people than ever can enjoy the game.
Aled Lewis, Director at the Cymru
Football Foundation said: “We are thrilled to be launching our partnership with the Grounds
Management Association to support the improvement of grass pitches across the
country. We recognise the current and future challenges in delivering quality
grass pitch surfaces and we are confident this partnership will provide
valuable support to our football family in addressing these challenges.”
As the GMA celebrates a decade of grassroots pitch improvement in England,
its expansion into Wales marks an exciting new chapter for the Pitch Advisory
Service. Clubs across Wales are encouraged to reach out for support by
visiting: Pitch Advisory Service Wales.
Clubs can also explore the free resources available through the GMA’s
Grounds Management Toolkit, which offers essential maintenance guidance for
volunteers: resources.thegma.org.uk.
