The Grounds Team of the Year (GOTY) award, is a great way for volunteers to be awarded for their voluntary hours in ensuring that the pitch is well maintained in preparation for games. The top 3 grounds within Hampshire will receive the following recognition:

1. Be invited to attend the Hampshire FA Grassroots Football Awards Evening.

2. All 3 winners will receive a tour of a professional ground.

3. All 3 winners will receive line-marking paint and/or equipment from Hampshire FA's sponsors, Fleet Line Markers.

Hampshire FA are consulted by Sport England on the loss of any playing fields through the National Planning process; Hampshire FA will therefore consult with clubs on any issues identified. We also work closely with Hampshire Playing Fields Association whose remit is also to protect the playing fields and to provide small grants.

Hampshire FA's Facilities & Investment Manager, Sacha Nicholas is also the National Governing Body representative on the Hampshire Playing Fields Association Board. For more info, contact our Facilities team here or call us on 01256 853017.

The emergence of Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) and in particular 3G Football Turf Pitches (FTPs) has impacted significantly on the way football is played and delivered throughout the country. FTPs offer a quality playing surface throughout the year, allowing for increased opportunities for training and match competition at all levels and ages. In a wider context and when delivered against a strategic setting such as a school site, they enhance curricular activity and provide quality playing opportunities for the wider community.

The FA has changed the Standard Code of Rules regarding the use of FTP’s that will now allow more clubs and teams to use these types of pitches. The rules have become effective from 2014/15 season and provided a FTP has been tested and appears on The FA Register it will be allowed to be used for affiliated match play in all competitions outside the National League System (NLS) i.e. Step 7 and below including Women’s and Youth Football.

Click here for The FA 3G Football Turf Pitch Register.

The FA expects that the facility operator should commission and pay for the cost of this so that the site ensures that the pitch is safe for use for all participants and meets insurance liabilities (see Testing 3G FTP’s price list).

On completion, a copy of the test report will need to be sent to The FA so they can review and determine if the pitch is suitable for competitive play. If suitable the pitch will be added to the register and the facility operator, County FA and Leagues will be notified of this. If not suitable then the site should not be used for affiliated competitive play (adult 5 a side leagues not included) until remedial work has been undertaken and another test performed. If a pitch needs to be re tested and this is not done on the same day, there will be an additional charge.

The pitch will need to be tested every three years to remain on the register. Any pitch certified under the FIFA Quality Programme for Football Turf will be added to the FA register for three seasons plus the additional period from the date of the field test and the register will be regularly updated. For further guidance on the use of artificial pitches refer to the downloadable guidance notes on this webpage or contact our Facilities team here or call us on 01256 853017.

With the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and The FA, Hampshire FA run a pitch maintenance programme where you can book a visit with an experienced groundsman to assess the current condition of your pitch and maintenance equipment and offer suggestions for improvement. If you are interested in booking a visit, please contact our Facilities team here or call us on 01256 853017.

Please click here for the contact details of our regional pitch advisor.

One of the recommendations from a visit will include advise on future maintenance; if you need a specialist contractor for the works required, our commercial partners at Southern Ground Care may support you with this. Hampshire FA can also support with guidance on pitch maintenance through bespoke workshops; the first workshop that was held took place at Winklebury, Basingstoke in relation to winter maintenance.

Improvements to facilities in the National League System are an important part of the sustainability and development of clubs wishing to adhere to the standards and requirements of The FA’s Ground Grading.

The FA Regional Managers, in conjunction with leagues within the National League System undertake a schedule of annual Ground Grading visits at Grade E and above. These visits are to ensure compliance with the grade currently played at and are carried out on a three-year cyclical basis. Ground Grading is also undertaken to identify works required for those club who may anticipate promotion to the next step at the end of a season. As such is it vitally important that clubs who are successful on the pitch maintain the same level of detail and investment into their facilities.

The FA advocates the implementation of a Facilities Development Plan for all clubs within the National League System. Reference to the Facilities Development Plan will assist clubs in identifying the necessary standards required for progressing to the next level. Ground inspections often reveal poor quality standards as a result of the lack of maintenance. This can lead to a range of defects affecting the function and performance of facilities which may result in a Club not achieving the required Grade. The Facilities Development Plan provides information on the implementation of a maintenance programme, helping to reduce potential longer term defects. As such short-term investment can reduce maintenance costs in the longer term.

Click here for all Ground Grading documents on The FA's website. 

Need to contact us?
By Phone: 01256 853017
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For clubs who need funding support for ground grading there are two options, the Football Stadia Improvement fund and the Hampshire FA Senior Clubs fund, for more details please click here or see the enclosed document at the bottom of the page.

Please contact our Facilities team here for more details or call us on 01256 853017.

Funding is also available through the Football Foundation small grants scheme to purchase ground maintenance equipment following advice from a visit. If it is determined that your pitch needs new drainage, you will need to have an independent agronomists report done to assess the extent of works and the costs involved. There is currently no funding available for routine maintenance. Click here for The FA Pitch Improvement Programme.

Click here for the funding & grants page on Hampshire FA's website. You can also click here to view Energise Me's funding page. 

Power up your grass football pitch with the Football Foundation’s PitchPower.

Check out the latest article article on our site here.

What is PitchPower?

Created by the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, PitchPower is a free easy-to-use web app that allows grassroots football clubs and organisations from across the country to inspect and improve their grass pitches.

How does it work?

PitchPower puts the power in your hands, making it quicker and easier than ever before to carry out inspections of your grass pitch. Once you’ve signed up for PitchPower, you’ll be guided through the process of a pitch inspection from start to submission. After you’ve submitted your results, you’ll receive an assessment report from the experts at the Grounds Management Association (GMA) with practical recommendations for how you can improve the quality of your grass pitches. From Spring 2023, you’ll also have the opportunity to apply for Football Foundation funding to support you with making the improvements identified through the app.

Find out more about how PitchPower, here:

https://footballfoundation.org.uk/pitchpower/how-it-works

Why should we use it?

If you’re responsible for the maintenance of a grass pitch, you should be using PitchPower. It’s the key to improving the quality of our grass pitches and reducing the number of matches postponed - allowing more people to enjoy grassroots football more often. 

Success stories

PitchPower is nothing new to football clubs and organisations with over 4,000 already submitting an inspection using the PitchPower web app. One of those is grassroots football club Hambledon FC – you can watch their story here.

Ready to supercharge your surface?

If all clubs/orgs can sign up for PitchPower please direct them through to https://pitchpower.org.uk/