The ageing profile of groundstaff at community sporting venues has been described as a “ticking timebomb” that could jeopardise participation across a range of sports in the coming years.
With grassroots sport facing a period of enormous uncertainty when a return to action is permitted after the coronavirus shutdown, research has shown that the availability of playing surfaces for football, rugby and cricket, is being threatened by a looming shortage of skilled groundstaff, with a marked decline in the number of younger people embarking on careers in the industry.
Cuts to local authority resources have already compromised the ability of groundstaff to keep community football pitches, in particular, available throughout the winter and research for the Grounds Management Association, the professional body, has prompted further