It's Turf at the Top 

Wembley starts search for the UK's most skilled Head Groundsmanager

28 March 2005

With just over a year until the new national stadium officially opens for The FA Cup Final on 13th May 2006, Wembley Stadium has started its search to find the person who will be tasked to maintain the perfect pitch – the position of Head Groundsmanager.

The new Wembley will be the most exciting stadium in the world and the playing surface will be its centre piece. The appointee will need to maintain a superior playing surface that is worthy of ‘the venue of legends’.

Wembley Stadium will once again host all home England Internationals, The FA Cup Semis & Final, The Challenge Cup Final and a host of other music and sporting events. The advertisement will appear in the April issue of Groundsman Monthly, published on 30th March.

Patrick Gosset, Chief Executive of The Institute of Groundsmanship, commented; “This is undoubtedly the most prestigious grounds management position in the country. We are very fortunate, in that we have considerable strength in depth when it comes to world class groundsmen. I am confident that whoever is lucky enough to be appointed to this exciting role will do England and Wembley Stadium a great service.”

The hallowed turf is currently being developed by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), Robert Everett, head of construction, added; “We employed the latest technology to grow the Wembley turf and the new groundsman will be a key member of the pitch team, contributing a high level of skill and technical experience.  We are looking forward to working closely with the groundsman and I feel confident that we have produced a turf that the nation can be proud of.”

If you would like to apply for the position or find out more information please contact Metzger Search & Search Limited on phone 01628 817 100, email abcv@metzger.co.uk quoting reference 47764/7/AB/GM or click here.

Applications:

• The closing date for applications is 30th April 2005. It is anticipated that the Head Groundsmanager will be appointed by November 2005.

Turf Facts:

• Grasses used for football pitches have been researched and developed by turf growers over the last 30-years
• The grasses for Wembley have been selected from 250 different varieties undergoing testing by STRI
• The grasses are evaluated for appearance and strength
• Each square metre of turf will contain 150,000 to 200,000 leaf blades
• The grass roots are the most important part of the turf ensuring a firm and stable playing surface
• To help the grass roots maintain stability fine polypropylene fibres 35mm long have been mixed into the growing medium.  Best described as “hairy sand” there are approximately 1.6 million fibres in each square metre of the pitch
• The growing medium for the pitch contains approximately 95% sand for good drainage
• It will be possible for approximately 50,000 gallons of water to drain through the completed pitch in one hour

Pitch-side Facts:

• Unlike some modern stadia, which suffer from poor playing surfaces because sunlight rarely reaches the pitch, Wembley Stadium has been designed with a partly
• Retractable roof which will be left open between events, as grass demands direct sunlight to grow effectively
• Computer models of air movement and sunlight were scrutinized to ensure the design worked effectively
• In addition, the sliding roof can shelter all of the 90,000 fans in the stadium – making Wembley the largest stadium in the world with every seat under cover
• On sunny days the roof can be retracted to ensure that television pictures are not obscured by dark shadows, at 3pm on FA Cup Final day only the two Southern corner flags will be in shadow