THERE has been much research in sports pitch construction and drainage. Unfortunately, however, much of this work is costly and is only currently undertaken on superior football pitches or individual private grounds.
Dilemma
There are thousands of football pitches plagued with drainage problems and little is done to overcome the shortfalls. The costs to repair and maintain have not been considered in the annual maintenance budgets and authorities face the difficult task of trying to produce acceptable pitches with inadequate funds. With the disastrous condition of pitches their use is restricted and children are compelled to other activities or using completely unsuitable facilities in search of recreation.
Monitoring the maintenance programme is seldom undertaken and often the main limiting factors are not properly addressed. Essential yet simple
In recent years as a result of lottery grants the authorities, Sport England and the Football Foundation, to name a few, have published guide notes for proper construction and maintenance and provided funds for many deserving projects. Again though, regrettably the methods prescribed are well beyond the scope of any private or community organisation without these supplementary funds.
Drainage With most pitches
procedures are left out of the programme and soon a chain of factors contribute to the steady deterioration of the facility.
Looking at the facts, firstly,
the great majority of pitches have been developed on heavy clay soils which dominate the country.
Secondly, the construction methods adopted have in many cases contributed to their downfall. Thirdly, there has been no appraisal of the essential needs in the annual maintenance programme to ensure the best playing surface possible on the pitches.
constructed on heavy clay loam soils measures to improve the drainage must be a high priority. With the main use being football in the autumn and winter months poorly drained pitches become a nightmare. Besides the installation of the complete drainage system there are essential considerations, often overlooked, that go a long way to producing a pitch that can survive without a full- scale drainage system.
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www.sherriffamenity.com 15
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