Key Takeaways
- The Wembley grounds crew works for more than eight hours before each match to prepare the famous 7,140 square metre pitch
- They use special “lay and play” grass technology and trained falcons to protect the surface from pigeons
- The team mixes experienced staff with new apprentices to maintain the highest standards
Karl Standley and his assistant Cameron Hutcheon stand in the south-west corner of Wembley Stadium. They hold cups of hot tea. Standley usually drinks coffee. But on match days, he chooses tea to respect his mother. She drinks tea whatever the weather.
When the referee starts the game, the two men look at the pitch. It covers 7,140 square metres. The grass shines with perfect green colour. They watch it like lions watching their territory. They have controlled every possible detail. For a short time, the football teams share the pitch. On this day, Manchester City and Southampton play on this special ground.
Standley leads the grounds and surface transitions at Wembley. His team has six members. They are only halfway through their working day. They started eight hours ago. But the hardest work is now complete.
The morning began in silence. The stadium holds 90,000 seats. All were empty. The team brushed dew from the grass. They cut every blade of ryegrass to exactly 22 millimetres. Team member David Moulds set each mower to this height with great care. The team sharpen the blades themselves. They test each blade on paper strands.
“You would not use a simple knife for an operation,” Standley explains. “It would not heal. We need blades as sharp as a surgeon’s tool. A rough cut could bring diseases to the grass.”
Standley spent 90 minutes alone painting the white lines on the pitch. Another team member painted the penalty spot at the east end.
At the same time, Brendan Abbott and Liddy Ford put up the goalposts. They moved the posts into position with perfect timing. Abbott has worked at Wembley for 17 years. He led every movement. Ford followed his instructions. They joined the team only 18 months ago. But with help from Standley and Hutcheon, they are growing fast. They have already led the team during women’s national team matches.
When all jobs on the whiteboard were complete, the team rested and ate. They then entered “game mode”. The team teased apprentice James Cruz gently. He had filled his salad box too full during the week. The group shows strong friendship and clear organisation. Later, Cruz offered to work late even though he would miss his bus home. The team rejected this offer quickly.
“We discuss problems as a team,” Standley says. “We have seen these situations before. We know how they end. Our culture allows everyone to tell me if I am wrong. They feel safe to speak. Many decisions come from years of experience.”
Standley, Moulds and Abbott have worked at Wembley for 57 years between them. Moulds and Abbott recently celebrated 20 years at the stadium. Moulds remembers their first year. “We expected to prepare pitches immediately. But we spent the first year doing office work instead.”
The team took moisture readings during the previous 48 hours. They also collected data on ground hardness and grip. Artificial intelligence turned this into a full report. The team decided to use 24 sprinklers. These would spread 2 millimetres of water evenly before warm-ups. They would add one more millimetre after warm-ups and at half-time. Standley controls this with a radio device. “We could use a phone app,” Hutcheon says. “But hackers could attack that system.”
During watering, Hutcheon and Standley stand near the tunnel. They wear suits and greet players and officials. Each team knows their warm-up area in advance. The grounds team remind them gently. Some teams follow the rules exactly. Others take small liberties.
Broadcasters also need attention. They try to change the watering times to keep their presenters dry.
When players return to their dressing rooms, the grounds team get their first chance to repair the pitch. They often have very little time. Finals and international matches include ceremonies and military displays. But a semi-final gives them about 12 minutes to fix small damages.
On Saturday, referee Craig Pawson blew his whistle. This was Standley’s signal to return to the south-west corner. He spoke into his earpiece. He said “blue valve off”. The entire team heard this. The irrigation system stops during play.
This shows their extreme attention to detail. The team often talks about “the one-percent improvements”. They take no risks. They do everything possible on the day and before it.
The “lay and play” pitch for the FA Cup semi-finals began life in August 2025 at a secret location. In January, workers cut it into over 700 strips. Each strip measured 10 metres by 1.2 metres. They drove these strips overnight to North London. “Our record for installing a pitch is two and a half days,” Standley explains. “We set this record between a concert and the 2025 Community Shield.” They will probably break this record later in 2026.
The ground staff created this idea themselves. They first made the parts during a barbecue in Standley’s garden. “I still owe my wife and daughter a baking tin,” he says with a smile.
Two days before the match, a falcon sat on duty. The stadium releases birds of prey weekly. This keeps pigeons away from the growing residential area nearby.
One day before the match, Abbott and Moulds worked for four and a half hours. They made 1.8 million small holes in the ground. This lets air into the soil and makes the ground softer for play.
While Southampton and Manchester City played, the grounds team watched carefully. They kept spare corner flags ready for emergencies. Half-time gave them another chance to repair the pitch. They worked quickly, fetching forks from their perfectly organised storage area.
Among them were Yousef Shah and Josh Wenham. They were on work experience for the week. The King’s Trust arranged this placement. This organisation works with the FA to help local young people find employment. Wembley offers opportunities to new people. “Someone gave me a chance once,” Standley says. “So we must do the same for others.” Shah left the pitch smiling widely. “Two weeks ago, I could not imagine doing this,” he said. “It is so cool.”
When the match ends, the team starts working again. First, student Dylan Samways led a group with orange brushes. They pulled the brushes lengthways across the grass. “This is drag brushing,” he explains. “We stand the grass up to remove loose dirt.”
Lewis Arscott, who travels from Exeter for match days, started the next task. Four lawnmowers picked up the remaining debris.
Darkness fell. The team formed their final repair groups. Simon Rudkins, head of grounds at Lewes FC, and Chris Horsler, head of grounds at a state school, discussed a new tool they were testing. The atmosphere was calm and friendly.
Soon after 10pm, the team pushed hard to finish the evening work. This would make Sunday’s job easier. Standley gathered everyone. “We have a rule,” he said. “When the teams arrive tomorrow, they must not see any signs of today’s game.” Nine hours later, the entire process began again.