Brentford needs you!

We're looking for an apprentice groundsperson that wants to be a part of something great...

In 1962, seven years before Apollo 11’s successful moon landing, US President John F Kennedy visited the NASA Space Centre, where he introduced himself to one of the many janitors working on site.

“What are you doing?”, asked the president.

The janitor responded: “Mr President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.”

That same year, Malky MacDonald’s Brentford side, undeterred by the disappointment of falling into the Fourth Division after a season marred by financial cutbacks, pulled their socks up for another long season of English football.

With their heads down and everyone pulling in the same direction, the Bees fired themselves to a division title and promotion, picking up an impressive 27 wins along the way.

Everyone at NASA, from the astronauts to the janitors, understand that there were no small roles in a team. And every great Brentford team is exactly that: a team.

What makes us greater is having people on that team that push the club forward. People that strive for excellence, but remain respectful and humble enough to know there is always room for progress.

What else did all great Brentford teams have? A pitch to play on. That’s where you come in.

Join our grounds team as an apprentice

Brentford have come this far by making thousands of small, smart decisions. It's these marginal gains that are the bedrock of our success on and off the pitch, and in the case of the grounds team, sometimes both at the same time!

As our apprentice, you’ll take on the role of sports turf operative. You’ll get hands-on experience that will kick-start your career in sport and help make Brentford’s training ground pitches the best in the Premier League.

You’ll also learn vital groundskeeping skills, such as irrigation management to protect pitches from waterlogging, machine repair and maintenance and all the intricate measures that are taken to create world-class playing surfaces.

Most of exciting of all, you’ll be joining a club on an upward trajectory. Brentford isn’t putting a man on the moon, but our journey so far shows us that the sky is not the limit for this club.

If you’re passionate about being on our team for the next step of that journey, answer these three questions to see if you could be our next apprentice groundsperson:

1. Is Brentford’s training ground accessible for you?

The successful candidate will be able to travel to Brentford’s training ground at Jersey Road with ease. Travel to Gtech Community Stadium and the newly re-opened Wheatsheaf Park in Staines will also be necessary. Accessibility to these sites is vital to keep the grounds team flexible and proactive to the club’s needs, which will make all the difference to your education as an apprentice.

2. Would you like to obtain a qualification?

Completing the apprenticeship will earn you a sports turf operative level 2 qualification which can be a launchpad for new career as a groundsperson in sport.

This certification proves to employers that you’ve done the hard work and have a willingness to learn and improve, as well as take on feedback.

3. Do you like to be outdoors?

No surprises here, but being a groundsperson means working outdoors. Rain or shine, you’re out there getting your hands dirty to keep our pitches green, lean and pristine.

It’ll get cold, hot, wet, icy and sweaty, but you’ll be proud to do your part in taking Brentford to another level with world-class pitch maintenance.

Hear from the team!

We spoke with Justin Gray, one of the grounds staff at Brentford, about what it’s like to be part of the team.

What’s are your day-to-day tasks, and how does completing them to a high standard impact the club? “We’re responsible for cutting and preparing training pitches to ensure they meet the standard required by the coaches. We also maintain the grounds so they are always safe and presentable. There’s lots of technical aspects that go into keeping the pitches in excellent condition and the management of that directly correlates to the performance of the team.”

What do you enjoy the most about being a groundsperson at Brentford? “I enjoy working in a team who are all pulling towards the same outcome. There’s a lot of experience in our management and it’s great being able to learn from them. It’s a really satisfying job knowing that the work we do has a direct impact on the players. Looking back at the end of each day, it’s really rewarding to see what we’ve accomplished.”

Remembering where we come from

Apprenticeships at Brentford aim to bring the best talent into our team, but it’s also how we give back the community that made us what we are. We take our responsibility to our local community seriously, which is why we create these opportunities to give aspirational people a chance to achieve greatness.

It’s our mission to open our doors to the Bees family. This year, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust partnered with Indeed to host a jobs fair at the Gtech that directly addressed youth unemployment in west London.

Now, we’re introducing this apprenticeship opportunity to invest in giving back to our community. 

Applications to be our new apprentice grounds person close on 30 November 2023. Find out more information on how to apply. 

If you'd like a career in football but the grounds team isn't for you, keep an eye out for future apprenticeships opportunities on our website.