Football Pitch Equipment List

The maintenance of a football pitch will require a range of equipment, from hand tools to sit-on machinery, however, the following list is meant as a minimum, a starting point, from which improved effectiveness and efficiency of maintenance practices can be built up over time. Where budgets are generous then a wider range and number of equipment will be able to be provided for pitch maintenance from day 1.

Line marker: The simplest, with minimal maintenance and which can last effectively a lifetime is the transfer wheel line marker (e.g. Dimple Line Marker with Standard Tyres). This will often form the backbone of line marking kit, but a spray line marker (e.g. Supaturf TFS 25) may also be the marker of choice for many, although these are more expensive and require higher levels of maintenance but can be more efficient than a wheel-to-wheel transfer marker.

Mower: A rotary mower for many pitches will be fine and will produce a more than satisfactory finish, however a cylinder mower will be desired where higher quality is consistently required. The range available is vast, from ride-on triple cylinder mowers or ride-ons with rotary decks, to tractor operated 3- or 5-unit gang mowers, to pedestrian cylinder or self-propelled rotary. These latter mowers might be the main mower for where budgets are so tight that a ride-on type mower or tractor with gang unit is not affordable so at least two pedestrian rotaries would be required – see the section ‘Maintaining a football pitch with effectively no budget’, in Football Pitch Maintenance. Pedestrian rotary mowers are often used for cleaning up a higher end pitch after a match, or for occasional use for when ground conditions are very poor and when a ride-on would be unacceptable, e.g. Honda Pro HRH 536 HX). Pedestrian cylinder mowers (e.g. Dennis G860) would mainly be used for higher end clubs, and where available resources are generous.

Compact tractor, which is essential for drag brush, scarifier, aerator attachments are required.

A combination item of equipment (e.g. SISIS Quadraplay) might be suitable for many pitches, rather than dedicated types of equipment.

Light roller: for firming seed bed work at renovation time and for firming the surface following initial seed germination. It is unlikely a roller would be used as a matter of routine outside of this period and the equipment would also form part of a combination tool.

Aerator: this would either be pedestrian operated providing a minimum depth of penetration of 100mm, or tractor operated equipment often achieving 225mm with slit tines.

Decompaction: where possible a linear decompactor (e.g. Shockwave) or deep vertical spiker (e.g. Verti-drain), but in many cases where this type of equipment is not affordable to buy, then this work would be carried out by a contractor.

Spreader: This can be used for both fertiliser and grass seed distribution and would typically be a pedestrian cyclone type spreader. Where possible the use of a more specialist seed disc slotter (e.g. Charterhouse Double Disc Overseeder) or dimpled roller (e.g. SISIS Variseeder) would be available to help better incorporate applied grass seed into a renovated surface rather than distributing on the surface as achieved with a cyclone spreader.

Drag brush: typically, a 1.8m wide brush, especially where a combination unit is used (e.g. Charterhouse Multi-Sport, or SISIS Quadraplay).

Scarifier: Tractor mounted mechanical (e.g. SISIS Rotorake TM1000), or as part of a combination unit, (e.g. tine rake on the SISIS Quadraplay), with the latter being especially useful here thatch is not a major issue.

Hand Tools:Wheelbarrow, shovel, hand fork: fork minor repairs, divot fork. Measuring tape: 100m; string (preferably a reel plus twine – up to 500m), pegs / marking pins; paint brush. Buckets: for divoting; clearance of small hard litter; etc.

Sprinkler and hose: Static sprinkler, but preferably a self-travelling one; hose length to be 120m+.