Apprentice Grounds Person
NOTTINGHAM FOREST FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED
Nottingham (NG2 5FJ)
Closes on Wednesday 27 May 2026
Posted on 22 April 2026
Contents
Summary
Nottingham Forest is seeking keen and dedicated Pitch Performance Apprentices to join our Pitch Performance Team based at the City Ground, Nigel Doughty Academy, and Holme Road Training Site. The apprentice will work as part of the club’s pitch performance team and help in the preparation and maintenance of playing surfaces.
- Wage
-
£19,000 a year
- Training course
- Sports turf operative (level 2)
- Hours
-
You will work 42 across 7 days including home matchdays on an ad hoc basis. You will get a daily half hour unpaid break. You will need to be flexible in start and finish times and days that you work. However we will endeavour to give advance notice.
42 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 1 June 2026
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
- Ensure pitches and playing areas are maintained and prepared to high professional standards, under the direction of the pitch performance team
- Perform pre and post-training and match tasks, including marking and cutting, divoting, light mowing, spraying, and other tasks
- Undertake minor construction and landscaping tasks
- Operate and maintain machinery, vehicles, and equipment used for grounds maintenance
- Adhere to health and safety guidelines, ensuring work areas are clean, organised, and secure
- Collaborate effectively with colleagues and club staff.
- Maintain flexibility in working hours, including participating in weekend/midweek rota match cover
Where you'll work
The City Ground
Pavilion Road
West Bridgford
Nottingham
NG2 5FJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE
Training course
Sports turf operative (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Apply the correct rates and range of materials to sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
- Set and mark out the sports turf surface in accordance with the relevant governing body rules (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
- Prepare machinery and equipment to ensure their safe and effective use when carrying out sport turf tasks.
- Maintain levels of soil moisture using either irrigation or drainage systems.
- Inspect the condition of sports turf, make observations and communicate findings (e.g. PQS, weeds, pests, diseases, thatch content).
- Prepare the ground and established grass areas as part of sports turf renovation tasks (e.g. overseeding, turfing).
- Carry out cylinder mowing of sports turf surface(s) in accordance with set requirements.
- Carry out repair of sports turf surfaces using relevant equipment and machinery (e.g. divot repair, foot hole repair, animal damage).
- Prepare and safely operate a tractor and it's attachments.
- Select and use relevant communication styles (e.g. verbal, written, digital) to convey information to different audiences (e.g. clients, staff, suppliers).
- Adopts a systematic approach to troubleshooting and solving day-to-day resource or equipment issues.
- Identify a range of turf grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
- Carry out maintenance of sports turf surface using relevant equipment and machinery (including scarification, and aeration).
- Dispose of waste in a safe and sustainable manner.
- Apply the correct rates and range of materials to sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
- Set and mark out the sports turf surface in accordance with the relevant governing body rules (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
- Prepare machinery and equipment to ensure their safe and effective use when carrying out sport turf tasks.
- Maintain levels of soil moisture using either irrigation or drainage systems.
- Inspect the condition of sports turf, make observations and communicate findings (e.g. PQS, weeds, pests, diseases, thatch content).
- Prepare the ground and established grass areas as part of sports turf renovation tasks (e.g. overseeding, turfing).
- Carry out cylinder mowing of sports turf surface(s) in accordance with set requirements.
- Carry out repair of sports turf surfaces using relevant equipment and machinery (e.g. divot repair, foot hole repair, animal damage).
- Prepare and safely operate a tractor and it's attachments.
- Select and use relevant communication styles (e.g. verbal, written, digital) to convey information to different audiences (e.g. clients, staff, suppliers).
- Adopts a systematic approach to troubleshooting and solving day-to-day resource or equipment issues.
- Identify a range of turf grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
- Carry out maintenance of sports turf surface using relevant equipment and machinery (including scarification, and aeration).
- Dispose of waste in a safe and sustainable manner.
Training schedule
Qualifications:
Apprentices will achieve the Apprenticeship Sports Turf Operative Level 2 certificate and will then be eligible to join the IOG Register of Turf Management Professionals.
End Assessment Components:
The End Assessment forms 100% of the assessment of achievement of the apprenticeship standard.
The End Assessment will contain 2 components:
- A written and online test which will assess knowledge and behaviours and will be assessed by an independent assessment organisation. This will be graded as Fail/Pass/Merit/Distinction, weighted by 40%.
- A practical assessment assessing skills, behaviours and knowledge. This will be assessed by an independent assessment organisation. This will be graded Fail/Pass/Merit/Distinction, weighted by 60%
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- 2 other subjects (grade 2-9/E-A*)
- English (grade 2-9/E-A*)
- Maths (grade 2-9/E-A*)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Attention to detail
- Team working
- Interest in pitches
- Commitment to maintaining H&S
Other requirements
Manual labour is involved in the role, operating machinery.
Regular buses are available to the City Ground and Training Ground—1 mile from the train station.
You will be expected to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
To ensure your application has the best chance of being considered for the vacancy, you must provide information on all qualifications undertaken, stating highest grades achieved in every subject, paying particular attention to maths and English. Along with this you need to state any previous work experience.
About this employer
In 1865, a group of Nottingham-based shinney - a sport similar to hockey - players met at the Clinton Arms on Shakespeare Street. It was here that JS Scrimshaw's proposition to begin playing football instead was passed, and Nottingham Forest Football Club was born.
The founder members were, A Barks, W Brown, W P Brown, C F Daft, T Gamble, R P Hawkesley, T G Howitt, W I Hussey, W R Lymberry, J Milford, J H Rastall, W H Revis, J G Richardson, J S Scrimshaw, J Tomlinson.
The first official football match took place on 22 March 1866 against Notts County. At the same meeting, it was agreed the team would purchase a dozen tasselled caps in the colour of 'Garibaldi Red' - named after the leader of the Italian 'Redshirts' freedom fighters, who were popular in England at the time. The club's official colours were established.
In 1898, Forest moved to The City Ground after a concerted fundraising effort secured the £3,000 required. With an FA Cup in the cabinet and ambition in abundance, the future promised much for The Reds.
Looking back, 160 years is certainly a long time. The 15 young men that met in the Clinton Arms in 1865 would never have dreamt that their offspring would have played for such great prizes in Munich, Madrid or Tokyo. When they played their first semi-final of the FA Cup in 1879 they didn't even own a ground. When they won the European Cup, they had won their own league only once. When they went to Bolton on 25 November 1978, they had not lost a game for a whole year. They won the European Cup undefeated. Nottingham Forest Football Club - surely the greatest football team in the world.
After this apprenticeship
Plan to embed them into the Pitch Performance team and develop experience within the team. Give exposure to the data analysis and technology behind improving the pitch performance. Opportunities to develop into more senior roles within the team beyond this initial apprenticeship
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE
Employer Services Team
employerenquiries@myerscough.ac.uk
01995 642222
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000027505.
Apply now
Closes on Wednesday 27 May 2026
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.