Staffordshire FA are delighted to announce a formal partnership with Rigby Taylor, as the two organisations continue to work together to support grassroots football clubs across the county with the improvement of their grass pitches.

The Association has enjoyed a healthy working relationship with Rigby Taylor for several years now, and the evolution of a formal partnership between the two organisations is a key development in the Staffordshire FA grass pitch improvement strategy. 

For over 100 years Rigby Taylor have developed an innovative and industry-leading range of products, from Premier League to grassroots sports clubs, there are products and programmes available to suit all surfaces and budgets. 

Staffordshire FA have been actively striving to improve grassroots football pitches across the county since 2012, via various programmes and initiatives. Throughout that period, Rigby Taylor have supported many grassroots football clubs across Staffordshire with some of their core products such as grass seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and line marking products and paints. 

Gareth Thomas, Partnerships and Communications Officer at Staffordshire FA, commented; “We are delighted to enhance our relationship with Rigby Taylor, who we have enjoyed a healthy working relationship with for several years now. Nationally the Football Association are looking to improve 20,000 grassroots football pitches across the country and Staffordshire FA will be playing our part to ensure that we meet and exceed our local targets.”

“Staffordshire FA and our member clubs have made some great strides in recent years with regards to improving natural turf services, supported by the County FA’s grass pitch improvement strategy. Grassroots football clubs who manage and maintain their own pitches are now able to access significant funding from the Football Foundation to support them with improving their pitches on an annual basis.”

He continued; “In addition to investing in appropriate pitch maintenance equipment and contractor services, clubs are also able to access funding to invest in core products too, such as seed, fertilizer, chemicals and line marking products. This is where our partnership with Rigby Taylor can really support clubs, ensuring that they invest in the most suitable products for their surface and budget. We look forward to developing this partnership as we collectively work towards improving as many pitches as possible across Staffordshire.”

Phil Dewhurst, Rigby Taylor’s Regional Sales Director, responded by saying; “As a company we have for many years supported grassroots football and have previously partnered with The FA in their national Pitch Improvement Programme.  This initiative with the Staffordshire FA however is exactly what grassroots football is all about, with a County FA and supplier working together as partners to directly support member clubs with the aim of improving the quality of grass pitches and therefore ultimately the quality of the football being played.”

For further information on the partnership or the Staffordshire FA grass pitch improvement strategy, please contact Gareth Thomas at Staffordshire FA via gareth.thomas@staffordshirefa.com

Pictured from left to right: Phil Dewhurst, Rigby Taylor Regional Sales Director; Gareth Thomas, Staffordshire FA Partnerships & Communications Officer; Glen Howard, Rigby Taylor Technical Sales Manager.