Pitch maintenance is an often forgotten but a crucial aspect of the beautiful game. A poor pitch can cause problems not only with the rhythm and style of play, but also for the health of players, and sanity of coaches. An uneven playing surface slows down the pace of the game and any divots or bumps may cause minor to serious injuries to a player.
At Bonney Field, the pitch is kept in pristine shape by experienced Bonney Field Groundskeeper Tony Camarena and his crew.
Camarena and his crew take painstaking care to prepare Bonney Field’s pitch for every Republic FC home match, as well as Pro Rugby and USA Rugby play. In the 48 hours leading up to matchday, the pitch is meticulously mowed a day or so before and Camarena and his grounds crew ensure the irrigation is up and running smoothly. After the grass is mowed, the lines on the pitch are painted to exact measurements before each match.
On matchday, the field is groomed out with special equipment in order to fluff it up and create a smooth, soft pitch. Camarena takes a final walkthrough to make sure all areas of the field are in excellent playing condition. The very last step is to water the pitch just prior to kickoff.
“We water the pitch before matches so that the ball will move quickly,” said Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle. “Teams that come to play against us, they would probably prefer a slower game, so if the pitch is dry the ball moves slower, which means our attacks are slower. If the pitch is quick, then we can move the ball quickly and its more difficult for the opposition to get into position and park the bus. So we like the pitch wet. It makes for a quicker game, a more exciting game.”
Aside from regular post-match maintenance, the Bonney Field grounds crew also has to rehab the pitch following events that can be more strenuous on the field.
“Bonney Field is used for more than one type of event,” said Camarena. “We have different events that happen on the pitch, like rugby, soccer, concerts and other events, so there’s a lot maintenance that goes down for each that people don’t know about.”
After concerts and other such events, the grounds crew goes in and clears the pitch of any trash. The crew then focuses on taking out all and any divots on the pitch, and then fluffing the grass back to its original state as best as possible. The crew must also remove any equipment off the field quickly, including stages or other items that may cover the grass, so it doesn’t burn the turf when exposed to heat and sun. The last step in getting the pitch back to pristine condition is to keep it irrigated properly and undisturbed so that it may recover on its own as much as possible.
The importance of pitch maintenance, and the individuals behind it, is highlighted in a curious anecdote from across the pond. In 2009, after multiple injuries at Spanish giant Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, “Los Galacticos” decided to make a move for one of Europe’s most renowned groundsman – Paul Burgess. Burgess was Arsenal’s head groundsman and was recommended to Madrid due to the standard-setting pitch of the Gunners’ Emirates Stadium. The highly lauded groundsman became the first full-time groundsman at Real Madrid and is in charge not only of the pitch at the Bernabeu, but also the club’s training ground, Ciudad Real Madrid.
One could say that the most important player in any match is the pitch itself.
“The quality of the pitch and level of the pitch is very important,” said Republic FC Team Administrator Dustin Cleaver. “When the quality of the pitch is taken care of, it helps not only the quality of the team’s game but also helps the players play at their very best.”
Pitch maintenance is an often forgotten but a crucial aspect of the beautiful game. A poor pitch can cause problems not only with the rhythm and style of play, but also for the health of players, and sanity of coaches. An uneven playing surface slows down the pace of the game and any divots or bumps may cause minor to serious injuries to a player.
At Bonney Field, the pitch is kept in pristine shape by experienced Bonney Field Groundskeeper Tony Camarena and his crew.
Camarena and his crew take painstaking care to prepare Bonney Field’s pitch for every Republic FC home match, as well as Pro Rugby and USA Rugby play. In the 48 hours leading up to matchday, the pitch is meticulously mowed a day or so before and Camarena and his grounds crew ensure the irrigation is up and running smoothly. After the grass is mowed, the lines on the pitch are painted to exact measurements before each match.
On matchday, the field is groomed out with special equipment in order to fluff it up and create a smooth, soft pitch. Camarena takes a final walkthrough to make sure all areas of the field are in excellent playing condition. The very last step is to water the pitch just prior to kickoff.
“We water the pitch before matches so that the ball will move quickly,” said Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle. “Teams that come to play against us, they would probably prefer a slower game, so if the pitch is dry the ball moves slower, which means our attacks are slower. If the pitch is quick, then we can move the ball quickly and its more difficult for the opposition to get into position and park the bus. So we like the pitch wet. It makes for a quicker game, a more exciting game.”
Aside from regular post-match maintenance, the Bonney Field grounds crew also has to rehab the pitch following events that can be more strenuous on the field.
“Bonney Field is used for more than one type of event,” said Camarena. “We have different events that happen on the pitch, like rugby, soccer, concerts and other events, so there’s a lot maintenance that goes down for each that people don’t know about.”
After concerts and other such events, the grounds crew goes in and clears the pitch of any trash. The crew then focuses on taking out all and any divots on the pitch, and then fluffing the grass back to its original state as best as possible. The crew must also remove any equipment off the field quickly, including stages or other items that may cover the grass, so it doesn’t burn the turf when exposed to heat and sun. The last step in getting the pitch back to pristine condition is to keep it irrigated properly and undisturbed so that it may recover on its own as much as possible.
The importance of pitch maintenance, and the individuals behind it, is highlighted in a curious anecdote from across the pond. In 2009, after multiple injuries at Spanish giant Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, “Los Galacticos” decided to make a move for one of Europe’s most renowned groundsman – Paul Burgess. Burgess was Arsenal’s head groundsman and was recommended to Madrid due to the standard-setting pitch of the Gunners’ Emirates Stadium. The highly lauded groundsman became the first full-time groundsman at Real Madrid and is in charge not only of the pitch at the Bernabeu, but also the club’s training ground, Ciudad Real Madrid.
One could say that the most important player in any match is the pitch itself.
“The quality of the pitch and level of the pitch is very important,” said Republic FC Team Administrator Dustin Cleaver. “When the quality of the pitch is taken care of, it helps not only the quality of the team’s game but also helps the players play at their very best.”
