The 15,000th report completed on award-winning PitchPower app

After only five years in action, 15,000 reports have now been completed on PitchPower, the Football Foundation’s free web app that helps clubs and organisations across the country improve their grass pitches.

Created by the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation and launched in 2020, PitchPower has helped groundskeepers across the country get their pitches match fit.

The app’s landmark 15,000th report was made in Norfolk by Horsford F.C. for their pitches at Horsford CE Primary School.

The app has allowed the Club to transform their pitches with their initial report, made in 2020, rating five out of six as their pitches as ‘poor’ or ‘basic’, whilst their landmark report scores the same pitches as ‘good’ to ‘advanced’.

Following the initial PitchPower Report, the Club were provided with advice on how they could improve their pitches by experts at the Grounds Management Association, and funding opportunities through the Football Foundation to support the maintenance work that was required. Horsford accessed £52k to help carry out the work required.

Roger Lawson, Volunteer Groundskeeper at Horsford F.C. said: “I take real pride in ensuring the pitch is mowed for the weekend and is ready to go for the team, regardless of the weather. PitchPower has helped me in this weekly work as well as our helping with our longer-term renovations. This means we now have excellent pitches for our teams. In fact, our pitches are now award-winning following recognition from the Suffolk FA for the standard of our surfaces.

“The progress we have made thanks to the app has meant we rarely have to postpone matches, can provide a good surface for the players and maintain the quality in the long term. This in turn has played a huge role in the Club’s overall progress and it has even contributed to our recent well-deserved promotion to the Senior Division of our league.”

Chris Smith, Head of Programmes at the Football Foundation, said: “It is wonderful to see PitchPower pass this milestone. Since its launch in October 2020, PitchPower has helped thousands of groundskeepers to improve their pitches across the country, and not just football pitches – it is available for rugby and cricket surfaces too.

“The pitch at Horsford is just one example of what can be achieved, allowing clubs, often made up of hardworking volunteers, to have access to the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their pitches. Ultimately, this work is what keeps the show on the road for teams, improves the quality and resilience of grass pitches for the long term, and allows more people to access a great place to play.”

The app has not only allowed them to track this progress but has equipped them with the knowledge, skills and funds necessary to make a real difference to their playing surface.

To find out more: https://footballfoundation.org.uk/pitchpower