Halesworth Town’s Trevor Chenery helps prepare Wembley pitch ahead of England game against the Netherlands
A Suffolk groundskeeper was given the experience of a lifetime by helping prepare the Wembley pitch ahead of the Lionesses’ game against the Netherlands on Friday, December 1.
Halesworth Town Junior FC’s volunteer groundskeeper, Trevor Chenery, won a competition run by the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation as part of its Get Your Pitch Match Fit campaign.
The campaign celebrates the importance of grass pitches and the groundskeepers who maintain them for the grassroots game.
Trevor has been involved with Halesworth Town since 2006, when he managed his son’s team.
In 2020, Trevor took over as groundskeeper and oversaw a transformation in the quality of the club’s grass pitches, helped by £75k in grant funding from the Football Foundation.
Trevor was selected at random from users of PitchPower – the Football Foundation’s free web app for inspecting and improving grass pitches.
“Every football fan dreams of stepping out onto the Wembley pitch, so to be able to do that has been a dream come true,” Trevor said.
“Groundskeeping is a real labour of love and today I’ve seen that it’s exactly the same for the top groundskeepers in the country. There’s so much I’ve learnt that’ll help me take my own pitch to the next level.
“I’d like to thank the Football Foundation for all the advice and funding I have received so far by using PitchPower and of course for the incredible opportunity today.”
Karl Standley, Wembley Stadium grounds manager and Football Foundation supporter, was on hand before the game to offer expert advice, show Trevor what’s involved in getting the hallowed turf match ready, and help him put the finishing touches on England’s most prestigious pitch.
He said: “Having a quality playing surface is vital, whether you’re playing in the World Cup final or Sunday League with your friends.
“The grassroots game couldn’t function without volunteer groundskeepers giving up their time for clubs across the country and I’m proud to help the Football Foundation shine a spotlight on the vital role they play.
“Thanks to the support of the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Foundation will be investing £21 million a year to get grass pitches across the country looking and playing their best.
“I’d encourage anyone responsible for a grass pitch to keep an eye out on the Foundation’s social channels for tips and tricks on how to maintain their grass pitches and sign up to PitchPower to start their grass pitch transformation journey.”
