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#Groundsweek- David Todd
Wed 22 March 2023
Today we will be celebrating David Todd who is a Volunteer groundsman at Earsham Football Club, Norfolk.
I first got involved with Earsham FC as Team Manager taking the club from Lowestoft League division three to Anglian Combination division four by 2015.
During 2016 / 2017, with the help of Norfolk FA, we were fortunate to get a Football Foundation grant to purchase a John Deere compact tractor, Trimax rotary cutters and Sisis Quadraplay. This meant that we could take on the complete maintenance of the football pitch and playing field instead of contractors.
We are incredibly fortunate to have a main sponsor, Gyles Basey-Fisher, who is happy for his significant help to go towards pitch improvement, which is not always the case for sponsors at other clubs. He has kindly funded the two recent occasions that we have used end-of-season top-dressing.
Our Chairman, Peter Goodfellow, works tirelessly at gaining grants that are available. To date we have achieved grants for new changing rooms, showers, kitchen to the tune of approx. £120,000; the tractor, cutters and Quadraplay for £27,000; a Pitch Improvement Grant for over £10,000 across the six years; and most recently just over £50,000 for a borehole and in-pitch irrigation system, six in-pitch and fourteen on the perimeter.
The irrigation system has been a real game changer for us in that we no longer need to be concerned about drought periods and can therefore plan for pitch improvements in the knowledge that any money spent will not be wasted.
We spend between £2,000 and £5,000 on top of the pitch grant each year, the main difference being if we can afford to top-dress or not.
I was incredibly honoured to win the Norfolk FA grounds team of the year 2022 in the autumn. There are some fantastic football pitches around Norfolk so to have come out as the overall winner was a very proud moment for me and our club.
For the last two years I have been incredibly fortunate to have Stephen Wade as my assistant which has spread the workload particularly during the winter months when evening work on the pitch is not possible. Stephen lives in Earsham and is retired so can work on the pitch during daylight hours. Basically, I set the plan for what needs to be done during any week and Stephen gets it done! I then pick up what is left to do over at the weekends and around matches.
Between Stephen and myself, work on the pitch amounts to an average of one or two hours per day but obviously some days are higher such as match prep days. Like all grounds people devoting being a big time consumer in keeping the pitch in good condition
Biggest Challenges
- Finances- Although we are very fortunate to be able to do everything that is essential and quite a bit extra for additional improvement, as any grounds team will tell you there is no limit to what can be spent on maintaining the pitch.
- Time constraints- I also work full time so during the winter period most of my involvement is at the weekends. My assistant normally will pick up any mid-week work, however previously I would have done this additional work during my lunch hour.
- Match day weather conditions- While my managers are very understanding it is still an issue when the pitch is borderline playable, not all referees and opposition are as understanding.