November 15, 2021 12.39 pm This story is over 28 months old

Lincoln City introduce fake birds to keep crows off pitch

That explains why the Sincil Bank turf is so good!
Lincoln City have come up with a great plan to stop crows digging up the pitch, installing plastic birds on the turf. | Photo: Lincoln City FC
By Local Democracy Reporter

Lincoln City’s groundsman has put plastic bird models on the pitch to stop crows digging holes into the grass and ruining the surface.

Birds digging up turf is a real issue for football clubs, and League One side Lincoln City have introduced the unique prevention measure of placing plastic models of birds of prey onto the Sincil Bank pitch.

The club has invested in a fake owl and a fake eagle to place on the grass which will deter crows from ruining the well-looked after grass.

It’s only small, but the owl does the trick keeping crows off the pitch! | Photo: Lincoln City FC

The Imps renovated the playing surface at the LNER Stadium over the summer, improving the drainage on the pitch and often receiving compliments for the quality of the turf by League One standards.

Head groundsman at Lincoln City, Craig Housley, tweeted about his crow issues on November 9, after it was seen that the ground had been dug up for food to be buried underneath the surface.

https://twitter.com/Craig_Housley9/status/1457993998715527170?s=20

Housley told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: “Basically after the games the stands aren’t cleaned down straight away, unfortunately, the crows like to go into the stands at the very end of the game and pick out their favourite sausage roll and burger pieces, go on to the pitch and bury it for later on when they feel a little bit peckish.

“We’ve got a fake owl and a fake eagle, and at the minute they seem to be doing their job, and no birds on the pitch at the moment.”

The owl has an important role in the middle of the park. | Photo: Lincoln City FC

The plastic birds might not be the most mobile of players to ever grace the LNER Stadium, but they certainly do the job required of them.

The groundsman will be hoping the birds can keep the pitch in immaculate condition for the Imps’ next home match against Portsmouth on Tuesday, November 23, which will see former manager Danny Cowley return to Lincoln.