Latest news with #BestWorstPitch
Daily Record
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Erin Cuthbert teams up with Specsavers to launch Best Worst Pitch campaign to help grassroots clubs
The Scotland star is bidding to help with the new campaign. Irvine footballer Erin Cuthbert has teamed up with Scotland team-mate Kirsty Smith in a new partnership with Specsavers. The initiative, called Best Worst Pitch, aims to provide 50 teams who are most in need of a helping hand with things like professional line painting equipment and GPS pitch mapping, pitch maintenance equipment, as well as maintenance training to help them maintain their pitches through the next season and beyond. The announcement comes as UK football governing bodies have recently highlighted that maintaining grassroots pitches across the UK is one of the main issues facing the sport. With councils stretched for funding, the responsibility for maintaining club pitches, often falls on dedicated members of the grassroots football community. It's a challenge Specsavers has seen up close, having renewed its sponsorship deal with the Scottish FA, to become the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner. The deal will see the 24-year partnership continue for the rest of the season as Specsavers strives to support the growth of Scottish football in both the men's and women's game. Erin, who is coming off a sixth successive Women's Super League title with Chelsea, said: 'I called my papa 'Net Man'. He's no longer with us but he was always there, two hours early putting the nets up and sorting the pitch out. 'It's little efforts like that that keep grassroots football alive. It's absolutely vital that we get it right at this level so that young players can improve and have a better chance of succeeding in the sport.' Scotland team-mate Kirsty, who plays club football for West Ham United, added: 'Grassroots football is the heart and soul of the game. It's important that we back the communities and dedicated volunteers who keep it running. 'I remember how tough it was playing on a rough pitch, but it didn't hold me back, it just made me realise how important these pitches are. 'This is a campaign I'm really proud of – The Best Worst Pitch initiative will ensure that pitches are in the best condition possible so that everyone can enjoy using them.' In addition to providing equipment, Specsavers is also offering training and education to the selected clubs, aiming to tackle some of the long-term challenges faced by grassroots teams and the volunteers who maintain their pitches.
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Specsavers partner with Scotland internationals Kirsty Smith and Erin Cuthbert to launch Best Worst Pitch Campaign
The new initiative aims to breathe new life into underfunded grassroots football pitches across the country. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Specsavers has partnered with Scottish international stars, Kirsty Smith and Erin Cuthbert to launch the Best Worst Pitch initiative. Open to clubs across the UK, the initiative will provide 50 teams who are most in need with professional line painting equipment and GPS pitch mapping, pitch maintenance equipment, as well as maintenance training to help them maintain their pitches through the next season and beyond. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Clear and accurate line markings are vital not just for ensuring structure and fairness in the game, but also for helping players and officials navigate the pitch-enhancing visibility, spatial awareness, and overall safety throughout play. Erin Cuthbert is backing the search for Scotland's Best Worst Pitch Kirsty Smith said: 'Grassroots football is the heart and soul of the game. It's important that we back the communities and dedicated volunteers who keep it running. 'I remember how tough it was playing on a rough pitch, but it didn't hold me back, it just made me realise how important these pitches are. 'This is a campaign I'm really proud of – The Best Worst Pitch initiative will ensure that pitches are in the best condition possible so that everyone can enjoy using them.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The announcement comes as UK football governing bodies have recently highlighted that maintaining grassroots pitches across the UK is one of the main issues facing the sport. With councils stretched for funding, the responsibility for maintaining club pitches, often falls on dedicated members of the grassroots football community. It's a challenge Specsavers has seen up close, having renewed its' sponsorship deal with the Scottish FA, to become the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner. The deal will see the 24-year partnership continue for the rest of the season as Specsavers strives to support the growth of Scottish football in both the men's and women's game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Erin Cuthbert added: 'I called my papa 'Net Man'. He's no longer with us but he was always there, two hours early putting the nets up and sorting the pitch out. 'It's little efforts like that that keep grassroots football alive. It's absolutely vital that we get it right at this level so that young players can improve and have a better chance of succeeding in the sport.' Specsavers have also documented the difficulties of grassroots teams through the Best Worst Team campaign, highlighting the real struggles faced at pitch level and further underlining the brand's long-standing commitment to supporting the grassroots football community. Speaking about the struggles of pitch maintenance, Chairman of current Specsavers Best Worst Team, Tunley Athletic, Craig Doughty said: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's a real slog sometimes. Every week, rain or shine, I'm out there doing two full laps of the pitch just to get the lines marked. 'The equipment we've got is ancient - it clogs, it leaks, and it takes twice as long as it should. 'On dark evenings or when the wind's howling, it feels like it takes forever. But I do it because I love this club, it means everything to the community.' In addition to providing equipment, Specsavers is also offering training and education to the selected clubs, aiming to tackle some of the long-term challenges faced by grassroots teams and the volunteers who maintain their pitches. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The ultimate goal is to improve the quality and longevity of these pitches, ensuring local communities can continue to enjoy them for many matches to come. Kim Bull, Specsavers' PR and Social Lead, said: 'Over the last two seasons supporting clubs that need a bit of help with their eyes and ears, as well as their game, we've noticed the effort that goes into keeping grassroots clubs running. 'People like Craig, who quietly put in the hard work behind the scenes to keep pitches playable, is what grassroots football is all about. 'This initiative means we can support more clubs and communities, like Tunley. By making faded lines more visible, we're helping players to see the beautiful game more clearly. And hopefully make fewer mistakes!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To have a chance of being part of the Best Worst Pitch initiative and help improve the quality of your local club's football pitch, apply online
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Gary Neville launches new campaign to save Britain's 50 worst football pitches
As a robust right-back and Sky Sports pundit, Gary Neville was never afraid to make his mark - but now he is taking on a new crusade to help save Britain's grassroots pitches from decay and neglect Gary Neville has launched a major grassroots initiative to improve 50 of the worst pitches in Britain. The Manchester United legend is fronting a nationwide campaign to help Sunday league teams who play on lunar landscapes with barely-distinguishable line markings, or surfaces pockmarked by dogs ' mess and broken glass, to enjoy smarter, safer pitches. Sky Sports pundit Neville threw his support behind the scheme because football's professional branches cannot flourish if the roots are decaying. The former England defender and part-owner of Salford City has been signed by optical giants Specsavers to head their Best Worst Pitch initiative - which will provide 50 clubs with line-painting and pitch maintenance equipment. Neville, 50, said: 'Anyone who has played football at one point or another has played on a dodgy pitch. Grassroots football is the foundation of our sport and it's great to be a part of the Best Worst Pitch initiative supporting the communities and volunteers who make it possible.' This weekend's FA Cup final and the all-English Europa League final in Bilbao will be played on pristine surfaces. But on the bottom rungs of the ladder, hard-up councils are stretched for financial resources to provide professional line-painting equipment, GPS mapping, pitch maintenance equipment and ground staff training. Responsibility for maintaining pitches in public spaces often falls on volunteers - including pre-match 'sweeps' of the playing area to clear it of debris or canine calling cards. Specsavers are long-standing investors in the grassroots community with their annual search to find Britain's 'best worst team'. Their current 'champions' are Somerset League strugglers Tunley Athletic, whose chairman Craig Doughty admitted: 'It's a real slog sometimes - every week, rain or shine, I'm out there doing two full laps of the pitch just to get the lines marked. "The equipment we've got is ancient—it clogs, it leaks, and it takes twice as long as it should. On dark evenings or when the wind's howling, it feels like it takes forever. But I do it because I love this club—it means everything to the community.' Where professional football was once played on pitches resembling Amazon swamps, or sandy beaches after the tide has gone out, most clubs in all four divisions enjoy billiard-table surfaces. But further down the scale, obscure markings and uneven grass pitches are a major problem or even a health hazard. And clubs on the lowest steps of the pyramid cannot afford to install all-weather, low-maintenance 3G pitches.
