English grassroots football leagues, clubs and the Football Association
This summer
Grassroots leagues across England are delaying season starts after extreme heat and drought left pitches dangerously hard. The Anglian Combination postponed its campaign by two weeks after reports of severe injuries, including fractured skulls and smashed elbows during summer matches.
England recorded its driest July since records began in 1836, leaving cracked and hardened grass surfaces nationwide. The FA is advising clubs to assess safety individually, while some fixtures are being postponed, reversed or moved to artificial pitches.