Following being named our Grounds Team of the Year as part of this year’s England Football’s Grassroots Football Awards, the volunteer grounds team at Nutley FC were delighted to take up an invitation from Brighton & Hove Albion to visit the Amex Stadium for their game vs. Manchester City.

The team of Charlie Stevenson, Gavin Paisley & Ben Scot were given a (very nearly) access-all-areas tour of the stadium in the afternoon prior to kick off, noting Brighton's commitment to engaging the local community along the way which had been made evident by the invitation to visit.

Following their winding journey through the depths of the stadium, the team were then able to spend the rest of the day with the Seagulls' Grounds Team.

The opportunity to talk pitch maintenance tactics and receive advice from professionals working at the elite level of football was an invaluable one, from advice on dealing with wormcasts, to discussing the challenges of growing a grass pitch in a stadium environment.

The team then worked with the matchday grounds staff pitch-side during the players warmups, helping to repair the pitch prior to kick off and again prior to the second-half. An experience that won’t be easily forgotten on a day when Brighton performed superbly to topple reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City.

Facilities and Investment Officer, Tom Saunters had this to say: “The work that volunteers at Nutley FC have put into improving their grass pitches is so deserving of recognition, from accessing funding via The Football Foundation to the countless hours spent enhancing and maintaining their facilities.

“We’re very grateful to Brighton for the experience they have put together for the grounds team at Nutley FC and look forward to their continued support in helping Sussex FA to support Grounds Volunteers across the County.”

For further information on grounds team development opportunities or pitch funding please contact: