Investment to improve quality of grounds: Yesterday, the GMA’s CEO, Geoff Webb joined England Manager, Gareth Southgate and stars from cricket, rugby union and rugby league to mark a game-changing multi-sport, multi-million-pound investment announcement.
As part of a £92 million, three-year multi-sport investment commitment, the Football Foundation has extended use of their FREE revolutionary pitch inspection app, PitchPower, to cricket, rugby union and rugby league clubs.
Investment to improve quality of grounds
Through PitchPower, community clubs and organisations are able to carry out their own grass pitch inspections and receive bespoke advice and recommendations from experts at the Grounds Management Association to improve the quality of their grass pitches.
PitchPower has already been a game-changer in transforming the country’s grass football pitches. In its trial alone, PitchPower helped to inspect almost 5,000 football pitches, leading to £8.6m of Football Foundation investment.
The app is now available to rugby league and is set to go live for rugby union at the season opener on 17/18th September, whilst cricket will follow at the next season.
Beyond inspections, from Spring 2023, a new £15m funding pot will also be made available via the Football Foundation over the next three years enabling cricket, rugby league and rugby union clubs to apply for a grant funded by the Sport England National Lottery fund.
Football Foundation says, “Grass pitches are essential to grassroots sport. Better grass pitches will mean fewer matches will be postponed and more people can play more rugby, cricket, and football. The PitchPower app will help revolutionise the quality of grass pitches across England. We know that more opportunities to play improves not only physical health but also mental wellbeing, the places we live and the local economy too.”
GMA Chief Executive, Geoff Webb says, “The Ground Management Association is proud to have been a key delivery partner in the pilot for the PitchPower app and continues to work closely with the Football Foundation as we extend the service to a wider sporting community enabling cricket and rugby to also start reaping the benefits. If there’s no ground, there’s no game. As simple as that, so we welcome this additional investment to support grounds management.”
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