Wortley Football Club

Role

Steve Wells Associates was commissioned by Wortley FC to prepare and submit a Football Foundation application to seek funding for natural grass pitch improvements and developments at their home ground off Blue Hill Lane, Leeds.

The site was the playing field space attached to a former Leeds City Council secondary school (now demolished). The playable space is split into three plateaux with a former Redgra occupying the highest level adjacent Blue Hill Lane, disused tennis and netball courts occupying the middle plateau and a senior 11v11 grass football pitch at the lower level. The whole site extends to some 4.5 hectares of which only about 50% is usable.

This parcel of land slopes steeply from Blue Hill Lane at the north-east to Wortley Beck to the south-west. Within this site there are three plateaux which measure approximately 5,000m² on the upper level, the same again on the middle plateau, and 6,500m² on the lower area which is the site of the football pitch used by the Club and next to which the new changing rooms have been built by the club.

The proposed works centred on improvements to the existing grass pitch to the lower level, along with the creation of new grass pitches on the middle and upper plateaux after the removal of the Redgra and macadam courts.

The proposed developments saw the addition of the following new grass pitches as set out on the plan below:

• one 9v9 pitch
• two 7v7 pitches
• two 5v5 pitches

Scope

The scope of works was as follows:

• site preparation and earthworks
• import and spread topsoil
• install primary piped drainage system
• install secondary drainage system
• top dress, cultivate, fertilise and seed
• provide stone car parking
• supply and install fencing
• supply and assemble playing equipment
• maintain area through establishment

Details plans and specifications, accompanied by measure bills of quantities were sent out to competitive tender to established sports turf contractors who were well- resourced and experienced. The lowest and highest scoring tender was from Chappelow Sports Turf Ltd.

Timing

A start on site was achieved in September 2019 but works were suspended and then delayed because of exceptionally bad weather throughout Autumn 2019 and then in February 2020. Works recommenced on site in March 2020 as the first wave of Covid-19 spread across the country and ‘lockdown’ was imposed. Because of the nature of the work, the contractor was able to carry on during March, and the into the driest April / May on record. Nevertheless, the new grass pitches were developed and maintained by the contractor during their initial establishment.

The new 5v5 pitch created on the bottom level north of the senior 11v11 pitch.

The senior 11 v11 pitch on the lower level improved with new primary and secondary drainage, selective herbicide, fertiliser, sand top-dressing and over-seeding.

Football goals were supplied as part of the contract but not assembled since the club was not going to use the pitches until September 2021. The MH Goals (Mark Harrod) supplied are FA compliant and are as shown in the photo below.