Less fertiliser and more data: how Liverpool works on its top pitch |
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Data-driven work and robotisation are changing the field manager profession
During Husqvarna Living City, trade magazine Fieldmanager spoke with head field manager Warren Scott of Liverpool FC. He has worked at the club for more than 27 years and has seen the profession change completely. Less fertiliser, more data and the use of robots have, according to him, turned field management into a different profession than when he started. 'We are no longer lawn mowers, but grass scientists.'
During Living City, Husqvarna annually presents the press and a select group of relations with the latest developments in machines and technology. There are also speakers from practice. This year, one of them was Warren Scott, field manager of Liverpool FC. Scott welcomed the winners of the Greenkeeper and Fieldmanager of the Year Awards last year and remembers that moment well. In Barcelona, we spoke with him about his view of the profession and the changes he has seen in recent years.
Permavoid
The main pitch of Liverpool FC has a pitch construction with Permavoid. The system works well, but he would not choose it again. 'It does what it needs to do: it buffers and drains water well. But it remains a plastic crate system and therefore has limited load-bearing capacity,' he says. This became clear when the new stand was built. 'We could not easily access the pitch with heavy machinery. That made logistics more difficult.' As an alternative, he would now opt for a stone sub-base. 'That is stronger and you do not constantly have to calculate maximum loads. In terms of cost, the difference is not large either. Permavoid was only more expensive during construction, mainly due to installation.' The construction was carried out by Hewitt Sportsturf, an English contractor. 'Hewitt mainly works in the south, J. Mallinson in the north. We work with both.'
Less fertiliser through data
One of the biggest changes in recent years is the way fertilisation is managed. Liverpool no longer works with fixed fertilisation programmes. Scott: 'We stopped that five years ago. Now sensors and leaf analysis determine exactly what the plant needs. In the soil there are probes at 10, 20 and 30 centimetres that measure EC and moisture. We link that data to leaf analyses, so we know exactly what is being taken up. We only fertilise when the plant asks for it.'
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'For phosphorus and potassium we now use 90 percent less than before'
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The effect is significant, according to Scott. 'For phosphorus and potassium we now use 90 percent less than before. In the past there was so much in the soil that we could have managed for ten years. That was simply too much. We now mix fertilisers ourselves with ICL. We still use nitrogen, but in a targeted way and much less than before. The result is lower costs, less pressure on the soil and nutrition that is better matched to the crop.' He stresses that many managers still rely too much on standard advice from suppliers. 'Every bag tells you how much to apply. But that number is not based on your situation. Data allows you to make well-founded choices for your own pitch.'
Towards pesticide-free management
Scott is positive about herbicide-free management, because Liverpool already hardly uses these products. 'Maybe once a year, usually after renovation,' he says. He does not see weed control as the biggest issue. Fungal diseases are, in his view, the real challenge. He mainly tries to manage these by making the plant more resilient, including with calcium and targeted nutrition. Completely working without fungicides is, at this moment, not realistic. 'UVC light is an interesting development. Combined with robots, it could become an important alternative to fungicides in the future. It will not solve everything, but it will reduce pressure.'
Robotisation saves time
Another major change is the use of Husqvarna robotic mowers. Liverpool currently uses 17 robots on 80,000 m² of landscape areas around the stadium and training complex. 'Those slopes and embankments used to take a lot of time. Now robots mow those areas daily. That allows our staff to focus on data analysis, irrigation and technical work.' Although the robots mainly maintain the surrounding grass, Scott says the pitches have clearly improved as a result. Robots are not yet used on the sports pitches, but he does not rule this out in the future. 'The quality of the cut is now good enough. At the moment we are running a pilot on a sports pitch with the CEORA, and I am positively surprised by the mowing quality. For us, robots are not yet a realistic option on the pitches because they leave grass clippings behind. Once robots have a solution for that, I would not rule out using even more robots for mowing.' Other robots working for Liverpool include the line-marking robot from Turftank. Scott: 'This gives my team more time for other tasks.'
New roles for field managers
These developments are rapidly changing the work of a field manager. 'Twenty years ago, the work consisted of mowing, aerating, topdressing and fertilising. Now we work with laptops, sensor data and robot software. In my team there are people who specialise in irrigation, mechanics or data analysis. You need different skills,' says Scott. Working at top level also brings pressure. 'The pitch is visible to millions of people. Everyone has an opinion about it. A poor patch of grass near the goal is highlighted on TV, but nobody sees the three matches played in one week. With experience, you learn to deal with that. Not every pitch has to look perfect every day.'
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'Look at the best in the profession and share knowledge with each other. That is the strength of our sector'
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The head field manager did not start his career in turf, but at a television broadcaster. Through his father — also a field manager — he entered the profession. He has now worked at Liverpool FC for 27 years. That experience forms the basis of his advice to colleagues. According to Scott, good field management starts with craftsmanship, not with budget. Small mistakes can have long-term effects. He points, for example, to turning mowers on the playing surface, which leads to compaction and damage to the profile that is difficult to repair. His message is clear: invest in the basics, work precisely, do less rather than too much, and keep learning. 'Look at the best in the profession and share knowledge with each other. That is the strength of our sector.'
This article was previously published on 15 December 2025 on the Fieldmanager](https://www.fieldmanager.nl/article/52376/minder-mest-en-meer-data-zo-werkt-liverpool-aan-zijn-topveld]Fieldmanager) website.
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