GEOFF WEBB TWO DECADES ON THE TURF

ON THE TURF TWO DECADES

Geoff Webb was appointed the CEO of Grounds Management Association (then called The Institute of Groundsmanship) in November 2005. As he reaches the 20-year milestone in the role, he sat down with SportsNation to share his views on how the groundscare and sports turf sector has changed – and what lies ahead for it

As CEO of GMA, you’ve had a unique vantage point on the sector. How has the groundscare and sports turf sector changed and developed in the past two decades? The sector has undergone significant changes since 2005, driven by greater exposure of sport through TV and streaming channels, awareness through the rise of social media, technological advancements, increased focus on sustainability and the challenges of climate change. These factors have led to improved playing surfaces, more efficient maintenance practices and a greater emphasis on environmental responsibility. Grounds management has proven itself to be versatile, adaptable and resilient to all these changes.

How has GMA changed, if you compare the current organisation to the IOG (as it was then) you joined 20 years ago? It has evolved significantly, focusing on professionalising the sector, enhancing pitch quality and attracting new talent. There have been some major developments, such as the creation of the Grounds Management Framework, the Pitch Advisory Service, increased investment in digital resources and initiatives like #GroundsWeek, Schools into Stadia, GMA NextGen and the GMA awards. All of which have helped to raise the profile of the profession that makes sport possible.

For those who might be unfamiliar with the organisation, what is GMA and what does it do (in your own words)? In short, the GMA is a not-for-profit association that champions both professional and volunteer ground staff and the businesses that support them to make sport possible. We have a range of products and services designed to elevate career development which includes a range of training and education courses, turf care advice and guidance, events and trade exhibitions for our membership and beyond. We have spent years moving the dial of understanding of the profession within governing bodies of sport and professional leagues when it comes to the management of sports turf.

We have spent years moving the dial on the understanding of the profession within governing bodies of sport

What are the main areas of work for the GMA at the moment? We have been investing in our workforce, as well as looking to the future with the integration of new Board members - all of whom are invested and working together to enhance our membership offer, how we represent our membership to employers and stakeholders and raise the sector’s profile

The Grounds Management Framework is at the heart of a lot of your work. What it is and what does it do? In essence, the GMF provides a clear pathway for individuals and organisations to improve the quality of their sports surfaces by guiding them through a structured process of self-assessment, skill development and resource management.

The GMF has five distinct levels: basic, good, advanced, high and elite. Each level corresponds to a specific standard of playing surface and the associated expertise and resources needed to maintain it.

It is adaptable through sport and was brought about to simplify understanding of ‘how to maintain a surface’ for practitioners and non- practitioners, from professionals to volunteers.

What is the Pitch Advisory Service (PAS) and how can grassroots clubs/ organisations utilise and benefit from it? It is a key part of our service to help improve the quality of sports pitches, particularly at the grassroots level. The Pitch Advisory Service (PAS) offers expert advice and support to clubs, local authorities and other organisations involved in maintaining sports surfaces. Through our network of Regional Pitch Advisors, the service aims to raise the standards of sports surfaces and enhance understanding of sports turf management practices. We do this with our working relationship with the sports bodies, in-line with a co-ordinated plan of action which is led by their individual and collective strategic facilities plans.

Training is in our DNA and, as sport has evolved, so has our profession

How does the GMA’s work supporting grassroots differ from the work it does with elite and professional organisations and individuals? Our focus with the volunteer network is to encourage best practice by taking up our online courses which, rather like coaching qualifications, enable progressive steps to learning and development. The common factor between professionals and volunteers is developing knowledge, skills and behaviours. For professionals there are clear pressures, and we lobby and advocate as well as research what these drivers are.

For example, historically the profession has been a low paid profession and, with the development of things like the Grounds Management Framework, we can start to address the disparities that exist. Training is in our DNA and, as sport has evolved, so has our profession - and we are working hard to elevate careers and move away from the ‘accidental manager’ of the past to a well-rounded set of skills that have greater emphasis on management in general. This will enable the grounds teams to be heard, backed and supported in the workplace by their employers.

Training is a big part of what GMA does. How can those working or volunteering at community clubs and organisations benefit? We actually have a portfolio of 53 courses; these range from entry level online courses for volunteers to foundation degree level courses. We are proud to have matrix Standard accreditation (owned by the Department for Education). In fact, we are the only industry association to be accredited. We’re invested in an annual continuous improvement check to ensure we can improve our customer journey.

It also helps our staff improve their soft skills. As we are industry specific, we tend to use a lot of technical languages which can exclude those who are not used to it.

To widen the appeal, we have included more of an inclusive tone, allowing our messages to have a wider reach. Engaging in these courses will help both volunteers and professionals to enhance their skills, knowledge and behaviours which ultimately will improve the surfaces for players.

At grassroots level, the key differential is having less cancellations and more income generated as a result.

What do you see as the biggest challenges and threats the sector faces? There are ongoing threats to our profession – the ageing workforce, lack of adequate budgets and the lack of new entrants is a constant threat. The fact is: we have an ageing population, and we compete as a niche sector for a decreasing pool of 16-year-old talent, so incorporating this into critical thinking means widening the scope and influence of how we promote the sports turf sector in general as an option for school leavers. We can also promote a ‘healthy lifestyle’ approach to volunteering, especially the 50 plus age demographic. Too often, sport forgets to make the link with the fact that helping turn a pitch around is as valuable as being the coach or the referee, so we need to work on that.

For professionals, as I have said already, it’s recognising the evolution of the role of the sports turf manager in the modern-day sports environment. Employers cannot keep getting away with under-resourcing this vital area of responsibility within a sports facility. Whether that’s budgets for capital equipment and supplies or investing in staff and staff development. Hours worked, and pay, are all factors in creating good or poor working conditions.

There is lots of room for improvement, and it’s how we encourage and support wider understanding of the role with all employers and key stakeholders to improve opportunities and working conditions for our sector. We also have to accept that to be heard and recognised we have to build standards and maintain a professional approach as well.

We also have to face into the new digital age the advancement of AI and how that will shape the role of the future turf manager. We have seen the advancement of robotic technology and with good results, but facing away from these advancements won’t serve anyone’s interests

Climate change is increasingly having an impact on sports facilities. Have you witnessed that impact within your membership? Yes, definitely. Overall, like every sector, how we approach the environmental challenges we face will be very interesting. We are already into sustainability management and especially prevalent will be water use over the next decade. We have been working with others through adopting ‘The Leisure Association Water Charter’. We have committed to providing information and education to our members/stakeholders, highlighting the urgent need to move towards sustainable water sources for irrigation to safeguard the future of our industry - amongst a range of pledges, as an example. So yes, climate change and its impacts will definitely shape thinking of our sector in the future.

Linked to this are new variants of turf disease that we are seeing in the UK. We have to, though, move from symptom management to cure. This is another challenge for us as we use treatments to manage through a challenging surface – however, like humans, the grass plant is a living organism and how we approach treatment of a new virus or variant rather like we face as humans with COVID means we must invest in science and research so that our agronomists have a fighting chance of coming up with solutions to overcome such challenges. Whilst we have relied on chemical solutions for decades, with more restrictions in place, we are going to have to be agile in attitude and outlook to problem solving.

We have some excellent people who are changing the face of the old cloth cap view of what is now a progressive and exciting role in sport

What will GMA’s priorities be over the next 12 months? We have a real mix of projects on the go, ranging from our annual sector show SALTEX in November to a wider mix of engagement opportunities like the recent pilot series of GMA Connect which is designed to engage groundspeople, organisations and suppliers at a more regional level. We have our annual GMA Industry Awards next year in March at Edgbaston Cricket Club, shortly followed by the return of #GroundsWeek, our week-long awareness campaign. Our GMA NextGen group are keen to roll out further Schools into Stadia events which allow students full behind-the-scenes access to the life of a groundsperson, most recently held at Lord’s.

Our most-recent campaign was the brand new 35 under 35. Again, following the celebratory theme, it’s designed to shine a spotlight on those under the age of 35 in the grounds management industry.

We’re reviewing our approach to policy and research to ensure we have the key data and statistics to take to those we need to reach out to and influence. So, in short, a real mix of activities hence the need to invest in our own workforce and succession plan.

But supporting all of this is our membership proposition. We’ve worked incredibly hard over the past few years to revise our membership offering, and we’re now starting to see the fruits of our labour through an increased, and more engaged membership base.

Looking to the future, we want to open our sector up in terms of a representative workforce. For example, there’s a team of 15 all-female grounds staff at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final and bronze final, who will take on the preparation of the pitch at Twickenham.

This follows on from similar events in cricket at The Ashes, and in football we had an all-female team work on the WSL match between Arsenal and Tottenham. These help to clearly identify that, although we are a male dominated profession, it is a profession for all regardless of age, gender or background. We have some excellent people who are changing the face of the old cloth cap view of what is now a progressive and exciting role in sport on a par with any other role.

Geoff Webb – In his own words

Iwas always interested in sports but, growing up in the 1960s and 70s, a career in sport was not really seen as a profession. I always knew, however, that I’d somehow pursue a way to secure a role in sport. After leaving school at 16 with few qualifications, I worked in insurance within accounts for seven years, while also gaining a tennis coaching qualification. I spent five summers coaching in the USA and, returning to education in between, I completed A-levels and earned a BSC degree in Recreation Management at Sheffield Hallam University, funded by the tennis coaching.

Following my graduation, I managed a health club and, having also completed a placement at the LTA during my degree, secured a full-time role in their facilities team during the 1990s (as part of the LTA’s Indoor Tennis initiative). Together, we developed 53 public tennis centres across the UK.

I then became Head of Major Projects at the LTA, before joining the Football Foundation as Director of Facility & Stadia Development, establishing and setting the multimillion capital grant programme. In 2005, I became CEO of the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), where I’ve led the organisation’s growth into what is now the Grounds Management Association (GMA).

My early years developed a range of soft skills that enabled me to progress a career without necessarily the formal training which I have subsequently had and developed. What I still like to do is develop others and this stems all the way back to starting out coaching tennis and latterly football as a volunteer.