Grounds notebook
Grass, kept playable
Practical, source-dated guidance for looking after a natural-grass football pitch on volunteer time — what to do, when, with what, and when to stop and call for help.
The core guides
- Maintenance calendar
The whole year, month by month: mowing bands, feeding, aeration, repairs and drainage checkpoints.
- Equipment checklist
What kit the work actually needs, staged from essential to specialist, with buy, share or hire logic.
- Waterlogged pitch
The wet-day decisions: protecting players and the surface, and what recovery looks like.
- Drainage
How water is supposed to leave a pitch, the checks that keep it moving, and the signs a contractor is needed.
Going deeper
- Grass cutting
Height bands through the year, blade care, and the mowing mistakes that thin a sward.
- End-of-season renovation
The May-to-July reset: sequence, timing and protecting new growth.
- Volunteer basics
New to grounds work? The handful of jobs that matter most, and where help exists.
Scope, stated plainly
These guides paraphrase dated national guidance for natural-grass pitches. They are not a site-specific assessment: soil, weather, usage and a qualified grounds professional can all overrule a page. Funding for this work is covered under funding routes; matchday checks under matchday.