Introduction
The type and amount of work required will vary considerably, so assess your individual needs accordingly.
High specification, sand profile type pitches which are expected to have a high carrying capacity will require a higher maintenance input than a general football pitch on a local authority park which is expected to be used for one game per week, if the weather is suitable.
Mowing
This will continue on a regular basis until growth starts to slow down. Professional football pitches will typically be mown to 25 - 30mm in height, whilst local authority pitches will typically be between 25 and 50mm. Wherever possible box off the clippings, although this will be unlikely on the more general football pitches.
Presentation
This can include chain harrowing on lower quality pitches, to drag brushing and sweeping the surface on higher quality pitches.
As mowing frequency decreases, the pitch presentation operations will become more important - especially for higher profile games and those that are televised.
Leaves can be a problem on some pitches which are located near to trees.
Clearance of these leaves will be required not only to make the pitch playable, but also to reduce the chance of disease attack. A machine such as the Amazone Groundkeeper will help to produce a clear surface which is well groomed.
Divoting
After each match the pitch should be divoted. Wherever possible, the divots should be trodden back down and replaced by hand immediately the game has finished. Depending upon the level and intensity of play, this can take up to a day or two to complete in its entirety. Realistically, such levels of detail can only be achieved on the more professional pitches.
Lower standard pitches will usually have to make do with a short spell of divoting by the groundstaff, with a chain harrow (smooth side down) being used to finish off and tidy up the surface, with excess divots being removed from amongst the links of the chain harrow.
Line Marking
Prior to each match the pitch should be overmarked to complete the finishing touches to a well presented pitch and one which complies with the laws of the game.
Where pitches are being maintained to a lower quality, then overmarking of just the worn parts of the lines - typically around the goalmouth, penalty area and centre circle - are overmarked.
The whole of the pitch will be overmarked maybe once a week on these types of pitches : It is unlikely that the markings will be retained for much longer than one week in some areas, as winter rain will wash away the markings quite rapidly.
Disease Control
Fusarium patch disease can be a problem on heavily maintained areas which are enclosed within stadiums. In such circumstances, light levels and air flow are reduced, increasing the likelihood of a disease attack. Chemical application will most likely be the only realistic control method.
Leaf spot on perennial ryegrass and smooth-stalked meadow grass might be evident during warm, wet autumn weather.
Pest Control
The most likely pest damage will be from earthworm casting and this will start to smother the sward unless remedial action is taken. Dispersion of the casts, when dry, through brushing or chain harrowing will be necessary. The chemicals which are currently available, only appear to give limited control for a short period of time.
A slight acidification of the surface may be considered, however, both perennial ryegrass and smooth-stalked meadow grass thin out with acidification. The sort of low pH levels which can be sustained by fine turf swards are not suitable for football pitches as the suitable grasses would not grow to any extent.
Leatherjackets can be a serious pest by feeding on the grass roots over the autumn and winter period. If they are present they will probably need to be controlled with the use of chemicals, typically in October or November when the grub is large enough to absorb the dose and yet not too large that the thick cuticle of the grub effectively resists the chemical.
Aeration
Whenever soil conditions are suitable, a regular programme of aeration, usually slit tine, will invariably be carried out.
If soil conditions are too wet, then aeration will reduce the drainage potential of the football pitch through both smearing from the tines and compaction from the operating unit; this can be quite significant in some cases.
If in doubt it is best not to undertake mechanical operations which could lead to a deterioration of the playing surface.
The need to continually question the reason for undertaking a particular operation in individual circumstances is interestingly illustrated by Baker, (1994) in 'The effect of the frequency of slit tine aeration on the quality of soccer and rugby pitches', The Journal of the Sports Turf Research Institute, pp44-54. He shows that regular slit tine aeration, in unsuitable ground conditions, can result in a reduction in ground cover and water infiltration rates. This would result in a detrimental effect on the playing quality of a football pitch and is the opposite to what is expected from the operation.
Rolling
On most pitches this would not be carried out over the autumn and winter period.
This operation has also recently been reviewed in a study (Mooney & Baker, (2000), 'The effects of grass cutting height and pre-match rolling and watering on football pitch ground cover and playing quality', The Journal of Turfgrass Science, pp70-77) that also identifies rolling as an inadvisable practice, "except perhaps at the very beginning and end of the season when the surface is firm and grass growth vigorous".
On high sand specification pitches, where stability and erosion can be a problem, especially as vegetation content starts to be reduced, then a light rolling of the surface, under suitable rootzone moisture conditions, can help to maintain rootzone and grass root cohesion for a bit longer.
Irrigation
For the vast majority of pitches this will not be carried out over the majority of the playing season. However, for professional pitches with a high sand content and especially those with undersoil heating, irrigation will be required to prevent the rootzone from drying out too much. The rootzone can also get too warm from using the undersoil heating and irrigation is consequently used to cool the rootzone, helping to reduce potential damage to the grass plant.
Iron
To improve the colour of the sward, especially for televised or important games, an application of a liquid iron can be given to produce that darker green effect. An application rate of 4-6 g/m² might be considered suitable.
Overuse of iron on football pitch swards will lead to a thinning of the grass and deterioration in overall sward quality.
Frost Protection
This can only realistically be achieved at professional level due to the expense involved.
One method employed to provide some form of frost protection is to install undersoil heating, although during the winter this encourages soft growth at a time when most grasses are effectively in a dormant stage of their life cycle. In addition the roots and rootzone can be warm and frost free, yet the surface leaf blades can be frosted resulting in a turf which is relatively easy to tear.
Coverage of the pitch with a special surface membrane can also be considered as a method of protecting the surface layer from frost.
During the winter, the air temperatures within stadiums can be slightly lower than outside of them.
Soil temperatures on a shaded part of a pitch can be significantly lower than areas of the pitch which are exposed to full sunlight, with reports showing that an average of 5°C difference can typically occur. (Source: Baker, (1995) 'Gloom dooms superstadia pitches', Turf Management, May, p.20). Shaded parts of a pitch during the winter might conceivably be frozen, or be very close to frozen, for a considerable period of time if protection methods are not initiated.
Fertiliser Application
It might be desirable to apply a fertiliser during February, particularly if a high sand content pitch is being managed and if the pitch is located in the South of England. If the pitch comes out of use at the end of April to the first week in May, an early April application may be considered to enable nutrients to be readily available in the soil solution by the time renovation commences.
Weed Control
If a selective herbicide has been given following the renovation period and this has proved to be ineffective, then September is usually another good time to spray again.
At the end of the playing season when spring growth has been taking place for a few weeks and it is observed that growth is becoming strong and vigorous, then a selective herbicide might be applied if needed. Several weeks should be left before carrying out overseeding as part of the renovation programme to ensure that there is no harmful chemical residue present which might reduce the ability of the grass seed to germinate.
Algae can be a problem on some pitches during the spring, especially those which are subject to a lot of shade throughout the autumn and winter months. This can usually be removed by scarification or similar types of operations.
Top-dressing
The application of a sand which is typically within the 0.125 - 0.500mm size range can help to maintain a dry surface and improve drainage - particularly where hand forking or spiking has been carried out beforehand. This will also aid traction between a players boot and the ground.
Whilst most of the yearly top-dressing will have been applied during the renovation and summer period, occasional selective applications during the winter months can aid pitch playability. Make sure, therefore, that a reasonable supply is kept in stock to be used over the playing season.