Grounds Management - June 2020

Making sport possible

STAR STUDENT

GMA award winner Callum Allsop

FLUID DESIGN

A high-tech solution to water management

KEEP LEARNING

Find out about GMA’s new digital courses

CALL TO ARMS

GMA rallies volunteers to get pitches fit for play

IT’S TIME TO TALK Wembley grounds manager Karl Standley opens up about mental health

June 2020 | £4.00

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT

JUNE 2020

WELCOME

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Adapt, Evolve, Diversify The Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped the way every business operates, including the GMA which has quickly adapted and created new programmes, products and services as the foundation for us to grow when we emerge from this situation.

We have had to take some tough decisions, not least moving SALTEX to March 2021 (see page 8) and the fact that, for the time being, this magazine will be produced in digital format with hard copies available only on request.

This is part of the overhaul of our communications as we move forwards.

What is also important is to reflect on what the GMA has achieved during the past few weeks, including: • The introduction of Level 1 online training (and we are currently developing Level 2 and 3 courses) • Made available membership fee deferral for those impacted by Covid-19 • Re-branded this magazine • Launched Covid-19 guidance (which is freely available on our website – www.thegma.org.uk) • Published the white paper ‘Back to Play’ campaign (see page 4) that has featured nationally to a reach of 115 million people • Launched the GMA Live networking webinars (see page 9).

We know our members’ lives and work are impacted and we want to ensure our services and benefits support our members in a variety of ways, so we will continue to adapt and evolve in the coming months.

14 REGULARS

FEATURES

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Industry news GMA has issued a rallying call to get grassroots sports back up and running

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SALTEX news An update on the scheduling of the next SALTEX

Mental health in grounds care Wembley grounds manager Karl Standley shares his story, plus advice on looking after your own mental wellbeing

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GMA Student of the Year Leicester City FC’s Callum Allsop on gaining valuable experience

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Technical update: Permavoid The exciting results of STRI’s trials on water management using Permavoid tiles

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GMA update GMA Live is helping people to stay connected

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GaNTIP update How Silverdale Athletic FC tackled problems caused by poor ground conditions

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Grow with the GMA GMA’s new online training courses

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In action Products from Rain Bird, Headland Amenity, Toro, Infinicut and Foley Company

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Product showcase Equipment to help with natural and artificial turf maintenance

This magazine is printed using paper from responsible sources

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT Geoff Webb Chief Executive Grounds Management Association

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Editorial address: 28 Stratford Office Village, Walker Avenue, Wolverton Mill East, Milton Keynes MK12 5TW | t:01908 312511 GMA membership and general enquiries: t:01908 312511 | e:membership@thegma.org.uk Magazine subscriptions: Jo Cornford | t:01908 312511 | e:accounts@thegma.org.uk Subscriptions: £72 UK | £82 Europe | £112 rest of world Published by: James Pembroke Media ■ Editor: Colin Hoskins | e:editor@thegma.org.uk | t:07785 293077 Publisher: James Houston ■ Product editor: Lizzie Hufton | e:lizzie.hufton@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk | t:01225 337777 Head of design: Simon Goddard ■ To advertise in this magazine: t:020 3859 7097 | e:sales@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT is published monthly by the Grounds Management Association. All material is copyright of the Grounds Management Association and may not be reproduced without permission. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any advertisement appearing in the journal and cannot be held liable for editorial omissions or errors. The views expressed in the journal are not necessarily those of the Grounds Management Association.

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 3

UPDATE

UPDATE | NEWS

THE LATEST HEADLINES FROM GMA AND THE INDUSTRY

GMA NEWS

GMA’s rallying call to reinstate grassroots pitches THE GROUNDS MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (GMA) has gained widespread national media coverage – and encouraging words of support from such sporting greats as Lawrence Dallaglio and Will Greenwood – for its rallying call for more volunteers, increased investment and more resources to improve access to community sport as the Covid-19 lockdown eases. Its ‘Back to Play’ white paper issued last month highlighted how: • With the right care and investment, 1.4 million more children could play football and rugby each week on existing grass pitches in England post lockdown – and four million more matches could be played on existing football pitches each year; • Half a million more children could play cricket each season; and • Planned strategic investment in sports grounds will enhance people’s physical and mental health as well as provide huge benefits both socially and economically.

WE’RE URGING PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED AND CONTACT THEIR LOCAL TEAMS RIGHT NOW 4 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

The data – gathered through national Playing Pitch Strategies, the GMA-led Grounds and Natural Turf Investment Programme (GaNTIP) data and a national survey of over 4,000 people – not only gained invaluable national media coverage in outlets such as The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian and the Independent, but the resulting social media support from the sporting world also included comments

by TV presenter Gabby Logan.

‘Back to Play’ also highlighted the impact if nothing is done. Over the next decade, one in five football and rugby players, and half of cricket players, will be left unable to play weekly or seasonally. This equates to over half a million players a week, and 170,000 players during a cricket season.

Geoff Webb, CEO at GMA, said: “Playing and watching sport has been sorely missed. Now is the time to ensure pitches are playable when games resume. We know that if we act now, we can turn the tide and even improve access to local grass pitches.

But, without immediate long-term investment and care, the huge benefits of sport for mental and physical health, community cohesion and the economy, will be lost to millions every year.”

He added: “We’re urging people to get involved and contact their local teams right now. The whole nation – Government, sports bodies and members of the public who love sport

– must help kick start sport as we are freed from restrictions.”

Jason Booth, GMA’s director of technical and learning, commented: “We have around 56,891 rugby union and league, football and cricket grass pitches in England today. That’s one pitch for every 984 people. While pitch improvement programmes such as GaNTIP are making huge strides, more needs to be done to support grassroots sports and increase playability. With the right approach, we can reduce cancellations, increase year-round participation, engage new participants and promote active lifestyles.

“We also recently launched Level 1 online courses to help upskill even more volunteers. Priced at just £25, the courses have been really successful so far – we’ve seen grounds staff use it as a refresher, as well as a learning tool for those with little or no experience. It’s a good little boost to help people on their volunteering journey.”

Visit www.thegma.org.uk/backtoplaywhitepaper to read the full ‘Back to Play’ report.

Visit www.thegma.org.uk/learning for details of Level 1 online courses.

NEWS | UPDATE

C OV I D -1 9

Footballers are beginning to resume training

Football and cricket players resume training THE GOVERNMENT has published guidelines for the safe return to training for contact sports, but only when each sport’s governing body deems it safe to do so.

Premier League and English football league teams had already returned to some training in mid-May, but the new guidance suggests two or three athletes could train together, moving to groups of four to 12 and eventually full team training. The move is phase two of a three-phase plan ending with resumed play behind closed doors, expected in June or July.

England’s men’s cricket team has also started making a phased return to training with a proposed resumption of play in England and Wales on July 1.

Meanwhile, there is also hope on the horizon for grassroots sport. The Government supports the return of grassroots football “as soon as we safely can”, according to health secretary Matt Hancock, speaking at the Government’s daily briefing on May 21.

Golf courses and tennis courts in England have been permitted to re-open while Scotland was expected to follow suit shortly afterwards.

Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, added at the Government briefing: “I definitely hope that football will be available – possibly with some degree of change of how it’s played; there may have to be some ways we think it through – in advance of a vaccine.”

PEOPLE

Symbio appoints new business development manager

TURF HEALTH COMPANY Symbio has appointed Jeremy Hughes as its new international business development manager, taking over from Martin Ward, as it expands its international business. Jeremy will provide product support and training to the company’s growing number of distributorships as well as direct support to a number of golf resorts and football clubs throughout Europe. Jeremy has been with Surrey-based Symbio for five years as technical sales manager for the Midlands, north-west England and west Wales.

NEWS IN BRIEF

www.symbio.co.uk

1971 Toro Greensmaster back in service Dan Ashelby, winner of Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year 2018, has had a unique opportunity to use a vintage Toro Greensmaster pedestrian mower, and says it “cuts like a dream”. The 1971 machine was bought by his dad, Mark from Mark Ashelby Grounds, on eBay as a collectible – but the pair couldn’t resist giving it an outing. Dan says: “It’s been great to use one of the very first Toro machines to arrive in the UK, well before I eventually did!”

New president of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers

GMA mental wellbeing webinar

Paul Hemingway, who spent 29 years in various roles at JCB before retiring in 2018, has become the new President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE). IAgrE CEO Ed Hansom said: “I wish Paul the very best of luck for his two-year tenure. He has some great ideas, grounded in practical experience, which will definitely move the Institution forward.”

The GMA Live: Back to Play webinar on June 16, commencing 19.30, explores mental health strategies and considerations to help those working across the grounds sector adapt to ‘new’ working environments. Speakers include Helen Waddington, head of case work at Perennial, and Karl Standley, Wembley Stadium’s grounds manager (see pages 10-11).

To sign up for the webinar, visit thegma.org.uk/news.

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 5

UPDATE | NEW PRODUCTS

GROUNDWOW

GroundWOW Special FX Launched in October 2019, GroundWOW was developed to make printing on ground as easy as printing on paper.

GroundWOW SPECIAL FX can print any logo, any colour, any size, on any surface. Deployable in under 10 minutes, it features autonomous vehicle technology, artificial intelligence and an end-to-end print management and ad-space platform, delivering accurate ground-print images.

Tony Rhoades, GroundWOW founder, chairman and CEO explains: “GroundWOW customers will be the first in the world to have the power of full colour autonomous AI printing at their disposal for sports sponsorship and advertising applications, delivering compelling executions, unlocking revenue and activating dormant or underutilised ground real estate.”

In December 2019, world-leading horse racing organisation, The Jockey Club, engaged GroundWOW to bring its

technology to The Festival presented

by Magners, at the Cheltenham racecourse. The commission was for a large scale (25m x 20m) Magners Irish Cider logo in the middle of the historical racecourse.

Talking about the impact of the current coronavirus pandemic, Tony says: “Sponsorship is the lifeblood of organisations at every level in sport and from day one, pre-pandemic, our messaging around cost-efficiency and

the ability to generate revenue with technology already resonated. Toplevel businesses in sport were already focused on making money and saving money, and the need to recover quickly from the pandemic might just sharpen that focus a bit more. We only foresee enhanced prospects for automation and technology in accelerating sport’s return to normal.” www.groundwow.com

ICL

SY N G E N TA

SierraformGT CalMag

Greencast GDD Calculator

ICL has launched SierraformGT CalMag, a new homogenous slowrelease fertiliser supplying calcium, magnesium and trace elements for turf growth. It should be applied to fine turf or stadia pitches through late spring, summer or early autumn. The nitrogen content is mostly slow release (MU) based to create a sustained release and steady, even growth. The new analysis also contains the mineral polyhalite to supply potassium, calcium and magnesium when soil testing indicates that these are required. The added SeaMax (soluble seaweed concentrate) in the mix aims to bring benefits from plant rooting and stress tolerance.

The new Syngenta Greencast Growing Degree Day calculator is free to use for all registered Greencast members and will give turf managers an accurate tool for timing the use of Primo Maxx II growth regulator and other actions.

The GDD Calculator will automatically generate a predictive email notification when a user-defined Growing Degree Day (GDD) target is approaching, giving the user time to assess local conditions and decide what actions to take.

Syngenta technical manager Glenn Kirby said: “We know that GDD can be a useful guide to many turf management actions.

“However, from my own and other greenkeepers’ experience, the challenge in a busy working schedule is finding the time to regularly record the temperature information and the reliability of that weather data source.

“The GDD Calculator does that all autonomously, and provides easy to interpret information in time to use for everyday decision making.”

www.icl-sf.co.uk

www.greencast.co.uk

6 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF

NEW PRODUCTS | UPDATE

Woods Equipment New rake and box scraper Woods Equipment has added box scrapers and landscape rakes to its expanding range. The rakes – which offer working widths of 1.3m to 2.4m, for tractors of 25-45hp – feature a boxtype structural tine beam that holds the spring-loaded steel tines 1in apart.

Adjustable angles and the 360-degree pivot control the flow of material to left, right or centre while gauge wheels allow depth control.

The reinforced steel A-frame with reversible cutting edge (and replaceable) scarifiers enable the new box scrapers to handle the toughest spreading and grading jobs. BSM models have a 6.35mm plate welded inside the end plates for extreme conditions and extra durability.

Scraper widths from 137cm to 213cm are available. www.simon-richard.co.uk

Syngenta SOIL SCOUT

Soil Scout wireless sensors Using Soil Scout underground wireless sensors to measure soil moisture, salinity and temperature in multiple spots – as well as detect infield soil quality variations – and monitor this data in real time on a simple dashboard, sports turf managers can optimise the maintenance of each part of a pitch and save time and money.

Indeed, by analysing such soil quality parameters, users can move from merely scheduling irrigation sprinklers to only water where needed, or to reduce or increase watering, in turn controlling the soil’s wellbeing and optimising turf growth. Optimised irrigation will create energy savings (less ‘pumping’ time) and, of course, less water costs.

In addition, Soil Scout enables users to correlate growth potential with the soil data and therefore predict the plants’ requirements for nutrients, and disease incidence can be reduced through accurate predictions of peak disease activity.

The result can also be more

effective preventative applications of fungicides and bio-stimulants – again more cost savings. And more accurate aeration and topdressing regimes, as well as the reduced use of fertilisers, mowing and aeration, can be established.

The resulting data – available from different areas of a pitch and available in real-time via Cloudbased technology – allows users to apply different maintenance plans for separate areas and to improve pitch maintenance efficiency levels, reduce labour costs and save time.

Also, this evidence-based approach provides a data trail that can be used to justify the applications of costly resources, therefore demonstrating sustainability.

The maintenance-free sensors (with batteries that last for more than 10 years of continuous operation) are easy and quick to install; users can start with a small number of sensors then add more as required. www.soilscout.com

Acelepryn reauthorised for use The Emergency Authorisation for the use of insecticide Acelepryn, for the control of chafer grubs, has been re-approved for the 2020 season.

Its use is permitted on affected greens, tees, fairways and horse race courses until August 30. An Emergency Authorisation has also been submitted for the treatment of leatherjacket infestations, which would allow application up to the end of October. www.syngenta.co.uk

ICL LockStar label update ICL has announced an update to the UK label of its residual herbicide, LockStar.

The label update includes extended use of the product meaning that LockStar can now be applied all-year round instead of the previous limited window between February and June. Previously, LockStar could only be used on natural surfaces not intended to bear vegetation. However, the new label update grants the use of the product on amenity vegetation (around).

This will allow for the herbicide to be applied in a wider range of situations and be used in areas such as around the base of unsusceptible shrubs, trees, plants and other amenity areas. www.icl-sf.co.uk

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 7

SALTEX UPDATE

TECHNICAL UPDATE | COVID-19 ADVICE

SALTEX rescheduled for March 2021

KEEP IN TOUCH SALTEX 2021 will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on March 3 & 4, 2021. Visit www.gmasaltex.co.uk for more information. Follow SALTEX on Twitter and Facebook

Chris Bennett SALTEX press officer

In light of continued restrictions surrounding mass gatherings, combined with the unprecedented impact of Covid-19, the Grounds Management Association’s Board of Directors has taken the unanimous decision to reschedule this year’s SALTEX to March 3 & 4 next year DE SP I T E E ARLY O P T I M I SM , the decision has been made to move SALTEX, taking into account the best interests of all parties. This decision has been guided by discussions with industry bodies, as well as exhibitors, and is based on ensuring the safety of everyone connected with the event. By acting now, the Grounds Management Association (GMA) says the move gives the sector an opportunity to re-group and recover ahead of the show. GMA is also realigning the following year so that SALTEX runs in Spring 2022.

A new opportunity Speaking about the announcement, David Carpenter, independent chair of the GMA, said: “We would like to reassure our community that personal wellbeing remains our top priority. It is a case of mixed concerns at the moment, but I am hugely optimistic because I believe that the rescheduling of SALTEX will result in a much stronger show in Spring 2021. The new date will enable even more people to visit and celebrate the innovation, technology and the passion that the grounds industry represents – including excellent networking opportunities, as well as focusing on new business needs.”

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA said: “This has been a difficult decision to make, and I hope all our exhibitors join forces with us to mark a return to more ordinary working conditions in the not too distant future. Professional and personal lives have been placed on hold, and that will have a knock-on effect. We want to help ease that load.

“We’ve seen the grounds community come together and

8 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

adapt during this challenging period, and we hope that exhibitors will help us host something beyond a trade show – a celebration of what our industry can overcome when working together.”

GMA also believes that holding the 75th SALTEX on March 3 & 4, 2021 will help companies get the respite required to adjust to changing professional and personal circumstances. The organisation understands the impact of Covid-19 on many businesses and individuals in the grounds management industry.

Geoff Webb continued: “Next year, the event will provide a huge opportunity for our sector to regroup, reunite and celebrate. After this difficult period, the show will help to rekindle the economic activity of the industry. Until then, all our thoughts and support are with those facing the challenges posed by the spread of coronavirus.”

GMA is pleased to be able to honour all existing bookings and has also secured the same halls at the NEC to minimise disruption for exhibitors. It is also in the process of contacting exhibitors with new payment terms, with later dates, and it is also working with companies that may require further assistance during this challenging period.

GMA and its SALTEX partners are working closely together to assist businesses with the transition. GMA can be contacted for further support via SALTEX@thegma.org.uk ■

For SALTEX sales and sponsorship: Matthew Knight: matthewknight@rabdf.co.uk Charles Neale: charlesneale@rabdf.co.uk Luke Perry: lperry@thegma.org.uk For SALTEX invoicing enquires: Alan Clarke: accounts@thegma.org.uk

COVID-19 | GMA UPDATE

GMA LIVE BRINGS VIRTUAL NETWORKING TO LIFE Luke Perry, Grounds Management Association (GMA) director of events and SALTEX, discusses how the GMA Live webinars are the ideal networking medium during the Coronavirus pandemic

Colin Hoskins Editor

How is the GMA adapting to the changing circumstances created by the pandemic?

Like many, we’ve moved very quickly as an organisation to adapt to a digital ‘working from home’ environment. We’re an active, outdoors industry, so I’m sure that the restrictions have been demanding for many in the sector.

What is great, however, is the interest in our online learning and our newly-launched webinars. We often get feedback that our members love attending events to network and learn with like-minded friends and colleagues. So, we acted quickly with the aim to replicate a networking and learning experience with the GMA Live webinars.

The first webinar was held on 13 May. What was the response?

The next GMA Live takes place on Tuesday June 16.

Visit thegma.org.uk/news to sign up.

Hugely positive, with over 400 delegates signing up. In the current circumstances, we’ve really seen the grounds community come together, share knowledge, exchange resources and grow closer than ever. We’re

really proud of that, and we’re pleased that GMA Live was exactly what the industry was looking for.

What are the next steps for GMA Live?

Our first webinar coincided with our new report, ‘Back to Play: the season beyond no sport’, and this month we’re running a second GMA Live webinar also along the theme of Back to Play – this time from a business and mental health perspective.

Mental Health Awareness Week was a big focus in May and we recognise that the wellbeing of employees requires close consideration in new working environments. This is all about how we adapt to that ‘new normal’.

We’ve teamed up with an expert and industry-leading panel of speakers to present all points of view across the sector.

Our aim with the session is to provide grounds staff, volunteers, employers and businesses with a rounded view of how they can best support others and themselves going forward. ■

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 9

FEATURE | MENTAL HEALTH

“IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE” In a revealing debate about mental wellbeing at last year’s SALTEX, Wembley’s grounds manager Karl Standley opened up about how he suffered in a situation – which could happen to anyone – where he mistakenly thought the answer was to simply work longer and harder, only to arrive at thoughts of ending it all

Andy Carmichael Freelance writer

10 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

KARL STANDLEY MOVED to the Wembley National Stadium in 2006 and, in subsequent years, he had been promoted by The Football Association (FA) to a point where, in 2016, he became head groundsman and responsible for the most famous, and commented on, football pitch in the world. (He was appointed grounds manager in March 2020.) While there had always been a lot of work and pressure involved in keeping the surface at the standard expected for cup finals and international matches, what often goes unreported are the number of other events hosted on the pitch. In 2017, not only were there charity games, corporate days and concerts but also the long-standing NFL London games.

Tottenham Hotspur had also taken up residence while its stadium was being redeveloped, adding more than 30 additional fixtures.

Managing this schedule to his satisfaction, and what Karl identifies as his “drive for perfection” in the surface, “simply became too much”, he says. Modern grounds management is not just about turf, it is also about project leadership across multiple, and sometimes competing, concerns. Imagine that, with the results constantly being watched and commented on by a worldwide audience of millions.

MENTAL HEALTH | FEATURE

Karl (far right) says he is grateful for his teammates’ support. Left to right: Ross Souroukides, David Moulds and Brendan Abbott

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 11

FEATURE | MENTAL HEALTH

Not sleeping was the first indication that something wasn’t right, but Karl ignored it. “You feel you should just get on with it,” he says. “That’s what you do, isn’t it?”

He started losing weight, something his wife Alex noticed, and became irritable at home, on the rare occasions he was there. Karl was waking and being physically sick, something he attempted but failed to hide. Pushed by Alex to visit a GP, he was diagnosed with complete exhaustion and told he was in poor mental health – despite working for incredibly supportive employers in The FA and alongside loyal colleagues in a positive atmosphere with no excessive demands placed on him. Karl had found himself in a situation where he felt the solution to his worries and own unrealistic expectations was simply to work longer and harder.

Turning a corner It was one early rain-swept morning, driving to work, when he realised that he had reached his breaking point. He just wanted it to end.

Talking to the GP and attending therapy was the start of improving his mental health.

Just as it had been a gradual decline, so it would be a measured return to good wellbeing.

The FA “has been fantastic”, he says and has given him every consideration and involvement in their own efforts to make this subject more recognised and addressed. He is grateful of the importance The FA places on the mental wellbeing of its workforce, which includes an Employee Assistance Programme and a private medical scheme, run by BUPA. The organisation has also partnered with Headspace, an industry-leading online resource for mindfulness which provides tools and guidance on mediation. Externally, the organisation’s Heads Up campaign has been visible throughout the course of the season. In partnership with the Heads Together initiative (www.headstogether.org.uk), the campaign aims to harness the influence of football to generate the biggest conversation ever on mental health.

Karl is similarly appreciative of his team-mates and the support he has had from other grounds staff and those involved in the industry. The wave of positive messages he received when going public about this on social media – and after his debate at last year’s SALTEX – is something that clearly means a lot to him and his desire to help those who may be experiencing similar poor mental health. ■

In a future issue we will report on the mechanisms and strategies that have helped Karl, and others, improve their wellbeing.

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MANAGE YOUR WELLBEING…

BY TALKING ABOUT IT

Talking about your feelings is not admitting to weakness. You wouldn’t ignore a problem with your pitch – you would address it. Apply the same thinking to any worries you may have about your mental health YOU MIGHT SEE mental health described as wellbeing, or psychological or emotional health.

The word association for some might sound negative, a stigma and something we are not comfortable talking about. But mental health is a feature we all share. Think of physical health: we know we have times when we feel fit and healthy, and others when we might have aches and pains.

Mental health is the same, we have good mental health and bad mental health, and that situation can improve and worsen. Therefore, we need to treat them similarly. Just as someone might share news of their bad back with you before heading to their GP or physio, so we should learn to talk more about difficulties we might be having with our state of mind.

There are numerous potential triggers for such difficulties, including financial concerns, relationship breakdown and physical injury.

MENTAL HEALTH | FEATURE

Employment is also a major factor. We may spend more time at work than in any other location or engaged in any other activity. Consequently, there is a direct relationship between what we do for a job and our mental health.

As Rachel Baird, senior media officer at the Mental Health Foundation, says: “What happens to us at work affects our mental health and, equally, our mental health affects everything including our work.”

The type of work we do, and a lot of the experiences we have, are things that most of us will recognise and have in common.

The inner critic Grounds management is an often-misunderstood profession. Some people can be dismissive of the knowledge and skills required, not knowing the science, mathematics and engineering that underpins the work. Others seem to consider themselves experts on what a surface needs and when it is playable, despite the grounds staff dedicating every resource they have – often in the face of adverse conditions.

Grounds people are often an outlet for blame – a batsman’s mistimed shot or a striker missing an open goal. Yet grounds staff are often harder on themselves than any critic, feeling there is always something that can be improved. Working in all weathers can be a bonus, but sometimes it can be relentless. And some of you will return home and try to get motivated to continue a distance learning course. Amidst all this, it is sometimes easy to miss the many positive factors and reasons why you continue what you do; the key role you play in sport, the freedom from an office environment and your pride in your work. Yet it remains a challenging job, with numerous points of stress and opportunities to develop anxiety.

A review of mental health in professional athletes by Souter, Lewis and Serrant (2018)

Learning to share concerns and problems can help improve mental wellbeing

identified that “the physical and psychological demands placed upon them by the sporting environment may predispose athletes to developing depression”. The parallels are clear: grounds people work in the same kind of environments in physical and psychologically demanding jobs. Anxiety and disorder symptoms have been found to be more than twice as frequent among elite rugby league competitors than in the general population (DuPreez and Graham, 2017). You may have more in common with the players who grace your surfaces than you might think.

A lot of you work alone, or perhaps just have part-time help. Even if you work in a team, tasks such as deep aerating a series of pitches can be a very slow and solitary business, with a lot of time to dwell on whatever may be on your mind.

We all have moments when we want to spend time on our own. Some of us even think we would be happy on a desert island but, at heart, we are social animals and we need contact with others and a chance to talk.

It is not easy though, either speaking about problems or asking if someone has them. Fear, embarrassment, not wanting to appear somehow broken or unable to cope are all very real concerns. It perhaps might help to know just how common mental health problems are: • A survey of GPs by MIND identified 40% of visits by patients concerned mental health.

• According to an NHS study, 1 in 6 people in England experience a common mental health problem (such as anxiety or depression) in any given week.

• Peer-reviewed research found that depression was the second leading cause of years lived with a disability worldwide, behind lower back pain. In 26 countries, depression was the primary driver of disability.

• There were 8.2 million cases of anxiety in the UK in one year.

• A YouGov poll of 4,619 people found 74% of respondents have felt so stressed that they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.

The sports turf community can be very closeknit with strong networking and links between individuals. We must never forget to use those networks and to talk to each other more often about mental health. ■

Useful sources of help: For GMA members who may require personal mental health support, please visit www.perennial.org.uk/bigwhitewall.

This 24-hour anonymous service enables GMA members to join fellow professionals in accessing advice. www.mentalhealth.org.uk www.mind.org.uk

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 13

STUDENT OF THE YEAR | CALLUM ALLSOP

“I APPRECIATE WHAT I’VE ACHIEVED” GMA Industry Award winner Callum Allsop continues to enjoy life to the full and he describes being part of Leicester City FC’s grounds team as “my perfect job” NAMED AS THE 2019 GMA Toro Most Promising Sports Turf Student of the Year, 30-year-old Callum Allsop is senior sports turf and grounds manager at Leicester City FC’s Belvoir Drive training ground – a 24-acre site comprising pitches and training areas of varying constructions overseen by Callum and a team of 11 staff. That Leicester City is a club of great ambition has been seen in its headline-grabbing victories and recruitment, and that is matched behind the scenes where plans are well advanced for the move to a new 181-acre facility. This will include the equivalent of 16 full-size pitches, 16 acres of woodland and nine holes of golf, and it is occupying the majority of Callum’s time. Given his background, he appreciates that “it’s my perfect job”.

At a time when the industry is wondering how to attract younger recruits, Callum’s journey to this

14 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

position offers valuable insight. Cutting pitches aged 14 for the team managed by his dad, he sought a career in football after leaving school only to be told by an agency that it would be difficult. He secured a greenkeeping apprenticeship at Lutterworth Golf Club and says his time there was enjoyable and rewarding, helping him develop practical skills and an understanding of the need for record keeping and planning. However, by his own admission, he could never reach an allconsuming interest in the game as he “is not very good at golf” and “football has always been my sport”. Subsequently, when Leicester City advertised for an assistant groundsperson, Callum was keen to apply.

While there are similarities in managing the physical properties of modern golf green constructions and top-level football pitches, it was

Callum’s research and attention to detail that made a vital contribution to his successful interview. He explains that he employed an attitude that he learnt at school – to prepare thoroughly. He investigated mowing heights, how to mark the pitches and the types of task that would be expected of him. It clearly left an impression and, he says, he was “stunned” to receive the congratulatory phone call.

Team support Since starting with the Foxes in 2014, Callum has enjoyed a rapid rise, mirroring the success of the football team and reflecting head of sports turf and grounds, John Ledwidge’s development of the other on-pitch team. Callum jokes that the end of every season has seemed to herald a celebratory event and is quick to recognise the role his colleagues have played in his personal success.

Callum (far right) is grateful for the experience he’s gained at Leicester City, including (right and bottom right) off-pitch landscaping

CALLUM ALLSOP | STUDENT OF THE YEAR

Andy Carmichael Freelance writer

“I appreciate what I’ve achieved and where I’ve come from,” he says, “and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had from John and the team.” Of his GMA award, he adds: “I wouldn’t have done well if the grounds team hadn’t been supportive.”

That award was based on his approach to the Level 3 Sports Turf Management programme, an accreditation he undertook on a remote learning basis with Myerscough College and received in December.

Having already attained the Level 2 qualification in Work-Based Horticulture (Sports Turf) while at Lutterworth, Callum clearly enjoyed the opportunity for greater study, despite many late nights in front of the computer and the familiar challenge to grounds staff of maintaining an appropriate work-lifelearning balance.

An important piece of advice he is keen to promote is to tackle assignments in a timely fashion. “When you are set work, do it straight away, even if that’s just a little bit,” he says, rather than letting the tasks gather

dust and become onerous. Aware that the education route is not always straightforward for some in the industry, his attitude is to treat each submission “as if it were a portfolio you want to share at an interview”, taking pride in the opportunity to showcase your abilities.

Highly complimentary about the support he received from his college tutor, longterm Callum would like to add more certificates to his wall, but first there is maintaining the quality of Belvoir Drive and being part of organising the move to the larger site.

Continuing development Callum’s major project for his higher sports turf qualification focused on off-pitch landscaping, something that will be particularly relevant at the new training facility and reflects the way his duties have altered as he has risen to a managerial level. Acknowledging how much of an “eye-opener” his initial experience of how many academy players there were to accommodate across the site (the club having a good track record of graduating youngsters to

the first team), Callum feels that people have also been successfully developed within the grounds team so roles can be confidently handed on as each person progresses. Communication and organisation are key, “so we can build a team that will carry on what we take pride in ourselves”.

Included in Callum’s recent projects was taking responsibility for a machinery tender – which meant spending a lot of time in front of the computer – as well as being heavily involved with the club’s sport science department, testing pitches to identify the likely impacts on players and the choices they make.

In language familiar with successful Olympic programmes, he mentions the crucial “one to two per cent gains” that may make the difference to outcomes and appreciates “what we do to the pitches can affect the results”.

To this end there is a close working relationship between all club staff, and it is this spirit of togetherness and attention to detail that defines the ongoing success of both Leicester City FC and Callum. ■

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 15

TECHNICAL UPDATE

TECHNICAL UPDATE | WATER MANAGEMENT

Dr Christian Spring STRI research operations manager

GOING UNDERGROUND PERMAVOID is an incredibly strong plastic tile, made from 90% recycled materials, that measures 0.71m x 0.35m and is composed of 95% air space. The system was originally developed for managing water as part of sustainable drainage schemes, such as under car parks. It can be ‘tanked’ by being wrapped in an impervious membrane, giving the ability to store tremendous amounts of water in a very flat profile. The water can then infiltrate into the soil over time or the outflow can be controlled to attenuate water. The system has evolved by the creation of wells in the tiles in which wicking cylinders can be inserted to create a passive irrigation system (the Blue2Green system) that can pull water out of the tanked tile, allowing it to be taken up by plants.

16 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

In the laboratory STRI’s research encompassed a range of scientific trials: • Laboratory evaluation of the wicking system, its components and interaction with growing media • Field evaluation of the Blue2Green system in both arid and tropical climates • Field testing of Permavoid as a drainage layer and its ability to reduce rootzone depth • Permavoid’s use in temporary sports surface constructions • Integration of Permavoid in modular pitch solutions • Integration of pitch profile systems, such as Sub-Air, with a passively irrigated Permavoid raft.

In all trials, Permavoid had benefits above conventional solutions alone.

Initial testing on evaluating the science and efficacy of the wicking components aimed to assess: • How did the wicking systems work and under what conditions did they work optimally?

• How effective was the passive irrigation system at pulling water into the growing medium?

• What spacing would be optimal in sports turf installation with typical sand-based growing media?

The wicking components were tested by looking at the rate and extent to which dyed water was drawn up by the materials when they were sat in a reservoir of liquid (Fig 1). It became clear that when they were pre-charged with water, they tended to respond more rapidly than when dry (Fig 2).

To evaluate how the wicking system

WATER MANAGEMENT | TECHNICAL UPDATE

A six-year research project by STRI into an innovative water management system based on the Permavoid geocelluar tile system has produced some startling results – both in the laboratory and in the field – for cool and warm season grass playing surfaces

worked in pulling water through a growing medium, eight clear Perspex tanks were set up; each with a Permavoid tile in the bottom, a wicking cylinder at one end of the tile and

Figure 1: Testing the wicking components using dyed water

Figure 2: Performance of dry vs pre-soaked wicking components

wicking geotextile membrane laid on top of the tile, as it would be when installed in the field. Half the tanks were filled with a medium-coarse sand-based rootzone; the others were filled with a medium-fine rootzone – both spanning the typical range of materials found on sand-based football pitches and golf greens. This was to assess the effect of rootzone particle size on capillary rise and how this interacted with passive irrigation.

The rootzones were initially tested dry, to see how the sub-surface irrigation system would work on new installations in drier climates, when rootzones may be more hydrophobic at the point of installation. The rootzones were wetted from below and the trial repeated to reflect situations where growing media were not hydrophobic. The tanks were topped up with dyed water and progression of the dye up the front soil profile was measured, to assess not only the peak rise of the irrigation water but also the consistency of rise with distance (to look at optimal spacings between cylinders).

The results validated the passive irrigation concept. Initially, when the rootzones were dry, the rate and total extent of wetting front rise was similar (Figs 3 and 4, below). This was not quite as soil physics would predict!

It would be expected that the rise in

the wetted front would be greater in the finer textured rootzone. However, once the rootzones had wetted up and became less hydrophobic, results were more consistent with soil capillary rise theory (Figs 5 and 6, overleaf). Under these conditions the level of rise was significantly greater in the medium fine rootzone. The rate of rise was also quicker once rootzones had been prewetted. This has important implications for establishing seedlings, when their root systems are shallower and less well developed.

An interesting conclusion from this would be that, as stadia are using coarser rootzones, then profile depths would need to be much shallower to attain any benefit from sub-surface irrigation or a suspended water table. This is especially relevant when considering the average depth of rooting in stadia, where rooting is often confined the upper 100mm of the profile.

Field trials Field research (in Bingley, Yorks) was then carried out on both cool and warm season grasses, with the cool season trial focusing on: • Comparing the performance of Permavoid with a conventional gravel raft.

• Investigating if it was possible to

Figure 3 (left) and 4 (right): Passive irrigation results with differing rootzones

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 17

TECHNICAL UPDATE | WATER MANAGEMENT

use a shallower profile with the Permavoid tiles and how this affected surface performance.

• Assessing wear tolerance and turf performance.

A fully replicated and randomised block design trial was constructed and two groups of treatments were under investigation – depth of rootzone installation and rootzone grading. The treatments evaluated were: Rootzone depth

Rootzone grading

1. 300mm over gravel raft

A. Medium-fine

2. 50mm over Permavoid

B. Medium-coarse

construction profile (300mm rootzone over gravel). In addition, the performance of the 200mm over Permavoid plots was similar to both 300mm profiles.

This has led to greater flexibility when designing pitch profiles with Permavoid as the drainage layer. There are systems now on the market where 200mm of the right grade rootzone are being used.

However, it was not surprising that under adverse growing conditions – in this case drought stress – shallower profiles became stressed more quickly.

But they could be successfully managed by adjusting management inputs.

3. 100mm over Permavoid

Down under

4. 200mm over Permavoid

The results from this trial were stunning.

But the results were transformational when we carried out a trial at STRI’s Australian research facility where the test plots had the Blue2Green system installed. The aim was to assess if supplying water from beneath to warm season turf could result in meaningful water savings, compared to supplying water conventionally through surface irrigation. The average water saving was 34% and the benefit under hot and dry summer conditions resulted in up to 60% water savings. This shows how much water is lost, and therefore unavailable for the plant to take up, under high evaporative conditions.

In addition to water savings, the passive sub-surface irrigation also resulted in greater consistency in soil water content, with values being maintained at optimum levels for healthy grass growth. This opens up tremendous opportunities; not only to save water but also to effectively harvest and store water from across a facility, allowing it to be re-used when needed. ■

5. 300mm over Permavoid

Grass was established from seed (using a seed mix typical of professional football pitches), and nutrient and irrigation inputs were made to ensure plant health. The trial ran for two full football seasons when there were routine assessments of turf quality and colour, grass cover, soil water content, surface hardness, surface traction and water infiltration rates. Wear was applied to replicate the level of stress typical of high wear areas of a pitch.

Permavoid performed as a drainage layer. And the results from studying the different depths of rootzone were thought provoking. When installed over Permavoid, it was possible to maintain a high performance playing surface on rootzone constructions ranging from 300mm to 50mm. Throughout the trial, turf and playing performance on plots with 300mm rootzone over Permavoid were the same as a conventional

The ‘play anywhere’ surface STRI’S WORK on Permavoid also included research into temporary sports surface solutions all including Permavoid as the base construction. This was because of its inherent qualities of being very strong, quick to install and remove, effective at spreading load and helping to prevent damage to the surface below, as well as its ability to hold and store water. The spectrum of surfaces ranged from natural and artificial turf pitches and temporary golf tees. STRI was also involved in the development of a portable hockey pitch system (see The Groundsman September 2019).

In addition, it is not just STRI that is finding Permavoid a solution to technical challenges. It has been installed by two Premier League clubs and it is the drainage layer of choice for the StadiaPitch system – a novel modular pitch solution that allows for the rapid and flexible changeover from a natural turf pitch to an event floor in less than 12 hours. www.stadiapitch.com

Visit www.strigroup.com; and www.polypipe.com/wms for more information about Permavoid

Figure 5 (left) and 6 (right): Soil capillary rise differences

18 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

GaNTIP UPDATE

“Every cloud has a silver lining!”

Silverdale Athletic FC’s determination for continual pitch improvement, coupled with a commitment to follow maintenance recommendations from the Pitch Improvement Programme, has resulted in the club winning the 2020 Staffordshire FA 2020 Grounds Team award ONE CHALLENGE facing clubs that have requested help from The Football Association’s Pitch Improvement Programme (PIP) is having sites with complex geological backgrounds and inherently poor soil and drainage.

There are numerous areas of the Potteries, for example, where there are ‘restored soils from open cast and quarry spoil’ – and that includes the Silverdale district of Newcastle-under-Lyme. The Silverdale Colliery was established in the Kent’s Lane area in the 1830s and was operational until 1998 when, as a result of the Coalfield Regeneration Project and collaboration with Newcastleunder-Lyme Borough Council and Barratt Homes, a community centre was planned with two football pitches (11 v 11 and 9 v 9) and a training area.

But developing the site was extremely challenging – primarily because mineshafts directly

beneath the pitches had been capped by thick concrete slabs and covered with several metres of heavy engineering clay. The subsurface conditions were also far from ideal, with no topsoil layer and very little subsoil. This presented substantial problems in achieving the appropriate gradients to assist with natural drainage. Turfdry was appointed for pitch construction and it arranged to use excavated subsoil from the adjacent Barratt Homes development and incorporate it as a suitable subsoil layer. Good quality topsoil was ameliorated with sports sand to complete the upper soil profile.

The pitches were constructed to a high specification, including lateral geo-textile membrane drains at 2m centres.

Problems appear For a number of reasons, the pitches were left unmaintained for 15 months and were finally brought into use by Silverdale Athletic FC in January 2014. However, by May 2014, the club reported significant issues – such as poor pitch levels due to sunken drain lines, significant

Built on difficult ground, Silverdale Athletic’s pitches are now in good condition

20 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

Kevin Duffill Regional pitch advisor West Midlands

moss presence, an anaerobic soil profile, poor sward quality and high levels of weed.

Renovation work As a result of PIP/Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme involvement, an intensive renovation programme was instigated, comprising significant topdressing (to restore levels and repair drain lines), a turf nutrition programme, intensive deep and surface aeration, and regular weed control. By 2015, the pitches had improved significantly to being able to support 60/70 matches per season with minimal postponements.

The typical annual maintenance budget is £10K-£15K and, fast forward to 2020, the club continues to follow the PIP recommendations with limited mowing and aeration equipment – a ride-on mower plus the use of a slitter and drag mat.

Contractors are used to undertake key operations such as deep aeration, weed control and end-of-season renovations.

Now, says club chairman Marko Djukic, “we have playing surfaces we can all be proud of”. ■

Visit www.thegma.org.uk for details of the Grounds & Natural Turf Improvement Programme

www.tmsystem.co.uk

@Infinicut

UL LT T I M AT AT E T U R F M A N A G E M E N T. The cassettes of the TMSYSTEM™ provide verticutting, shallow solid tining, brushing, cleaning etc. for exceptional overall Thatchmaster surface quality RazorCutter and appearance UltraGroomer to benefit both Scarifier playing surface and TurfClean player alike.

PowerBrush SarelRoller StarSpiker SMARTVibe™ StaticBrush SMARTCut™

Compatible with most mainstream OEM triplex and fairway mowers for the remedial and curative maintenance on all sports turf surfaces.

GOLF & SPORTS TURF

GROW WITH THE GMA DURING COVID-19

New online training hits the mark!

Grounds Management Association has successfully launched a new series of online Level 1 training courses to help build a cohort of skilled grounds staff and volunteers to make sport possible across the nation

Dan Prest GMA head of technical and learning

THE GROUNDS MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION has responded to these uncertain times by launching a range of Level 1 online training courses to ensure that professional and volunteer grounds staff, as well as other stakeholders including club chairpersons, are suitably informed and educated to make the right decisions at the right time with available resources when sport resumes.

GMA’s well-established and respected oneday, face-to-face training courses have been revamped to improve access. This will enable a low-cost introductory education route for those involved in the maintenance of football, cricket and rugby union and rugby league pitches.

Enrolment is easy – learners have 28 days from enrolment to complete a course, which will typically take just four to five hours. The learning materials can be downloaded and printed, and participants will subsequently be signposted to practical videos to use.

Stretch yourself In addition, GMA is also currently developing its existing Level 2 and 3 training courses for winter pitches and cricket for online delivery.

The above new online courses complement the existing online GMA Level 2 to 6 qualifications. It’s all about ‘stretch and learn’ – GMA wants to not only help you prove that you have the knowledge but also stretch your learning while you are achieving that. Indeed, over recent months, this approach has proved very popular with a significant increase in enrolments and it enables you/your employers to keep all members of the team engaged during these uncertain times.

Visit www.thegma.org.uk/learning for details of the courses and enrolment, along with news of GMA’s new part-time online tutor who is also looking at ways to encourage people to join GMA Learning.

I FEEL I’VE COME A LONG WAY IN MY THINKING AND UNDERSTANDING, AND IT’S BEEN GREAT TO CHALLENGE MYSELF OUTSIDE OF WORK VIA HOME LEARNING TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL OF IMPROVING MY EDUCATION TO A HIGHER LEVEL WHILE GAINING A DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF TURF MANAGEMENT – Michael Williams, Whitgift School

Commenting on his recent Level 5 Professional Diploma in Turf Surface Management – the first person to complete this online accreditation – Michael Williams, senior groundsperson-irrigation specialist at Whitgift School, said: “I found these courses (Levels 4 and 5) to be outstanding and a great credit to GMA. It’s been an eye-opening journey this past two years and, combined with a Level 3 Diploma, completes four years of turf management studying. I’m obviously delighted to gain these brilliant professional qualifications with great support from Whitgift School.” ■

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 23

IN ACTION

Controlling the flow at Fulham FC Sportsturf Irrigation has been using Rain Bird products at Fulham FC’s grounds for four years, saving time and money and giving great results Sportsturf Irrigation, under Andy Burbridge, has been managing Fulham FC’s irrigation requirements for over four years. During this time Andy has not only supplied the Rain Bird irrigation system for Craven Cottage, but also for the club’s Motspur Park training facilities. Here, five pitches are irrigated by pitchside and on-pitch sprinklers, all controlled by two ESP-LXD controllers.

“Sportsturf Irrigation’s technical knowledge and professionalism coupled with excellent response times have been vital to us and key to our longstanding working relationship,” says Dave Tatnell, head groundsman.

Sportsturf Irrigation was originally called in to examine specific leakage problems with existing irrigation mains and unacceptable levels of water wastage at Motspur Park. The company’s ability to provide a solution, including installation of a new pump set, resulted in Fulham FC seeking advice on how to improve the existing irrigation at the training ground to make it more effective, more controllable and able to meet the needs of modern football training regimes. Water conservation and reducing expenditure on water were also very important requirements.

“Our approach with any project of this type is to look at the site as a whole. We used our experience to provide seamless integration of irrigation across the whole facility rather than on just a pitch-by-pitch basis,” says Andy.

The first Rain Bird ESP-LXD controller was specified to control the irrigation for three training pitches constructed from sand and soil, and sand and fibre. A second unit controls the more demanding irrigation requirements of two hybrid SISGrass pitches. Eagle 950 pitchside and 8005 on-pitch turf top sprinklers provide uniform and highly

reliable irrigation and two 150m3 water tanks were also installed next to the pump house where the controllers were located.

The Rain Bird IQ Cloud Sportsturf desktop management Irrigation’s Andy system is located in the Burbridge (right) with Fulham’s Motspur Park pitchside Dave Tatnell office. Its flexible programming allows grounds staff to carry out many different functions including comprehensive coverage to the pitch stopping and starting irrigation for pitch preparation and to “slick up” programs and stations, using event logs the new hybrid pitch in just four minutes to check on activity, and increasing at half time on match days. Irrigation or decreasing watering schedules in is all securely controlled using another accordance with predicted weather Rain Bird EXP-LXD decoder-based conditions. Water can be saved by controller which allows PC, smart reducing sprinkler usage by as much phone or manual operation pitchside by as 50% in wet spells and if necessary the grounds staff. increasing it during dry weather. This All of Sportsturf Irrigation’s level of control, combined with the current 12 Rain Bird installations impact of the new irrigation system can be closely managed using the right across Motspur Park, is estimated IQ Cloud management system. to bring in financial savings on water Andy runs both desktop and mobile usage by as much as £15,000 per annum. versions of the program, allowing him It was also important for the via a communication cartridge to grounds team to change irrigation interrogate at his convenience all of his regimes and override pre-programmed customers’ Rain Bird ESP-LXD irrigation schedules as quickly as possible during controllers under his management, training sessions. “We can be asked to including Fulham’s. ‘slick up’ just certain parts of the pitch “IQ Cloud is very versatile and for certain periods of time or even allows me to change programming just for training sessions with certain schedules on behalf of clients, players. Through GSM modules mounted run diagnostics and fault-finding in the controller, we do this easily programs, identify emerging problems pitchside with our customised mobile before the customer does and make Rain Bird app that we can use from our recommendations for improvements. smart phones,” says Dave.

This more often than not means not Sportsturf Irrigation has worked having to go on site, saving my clients’ alongside contractor Kestrel Contracts time and money and in the football at Motspur Park since summer 2016 and world especially, where reaction times with Clive Richardson Limited sports are paramount, this helps to ensure the ground design and construction at best possible service,” says Andy.

Craven Cottage. In 2017, a new Rain Bird irrigation system was installed For more information visit there and was required to provide www.rainbird.eu

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 25

IN ACTION

Level playing fields Two very different soil types presented problems for Dauntsey’s School in Devizes, which enlisted the help of Headland Amenity The 14 hectares of natural sports surfaces at Dauntsey’s School in Devizes are a tale of two halves.

The main playing fields are located on a natural greensand belt, creating an acidic soil profile with a pH level below six. The remainder of the site is on a relatively heavy clay loam with pH levels above seven.

Head groundsman Dale Gleed has been working with Headland Amenity to optimise plant health across both areas.

Headland Amenity conducted soil analysis at the site and created a programme to raise pH levels on the greensand areas. As a result, Dale has been

Dean is pleased with the multifunctional performance of the Infinicut FX

All-in-one solution The dedication of a greenkeeper and his volunteers meant Wantage Bowling Club could invest in an Infinicut FX and TMSystem cassettes 26 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

Multigreen has improved the appearance and health of Dauntsey’s School’s pitches

applying CalciComplex organic soil amendment in the spring and again in the autumn. Through the inclusion of dolomitic limestone, CalciComplex can gently raise soil pH and provide additional nutrients in acidic profiles. Dale says this has increased the viability of ryegrass on the field, which helps it cope with the wear demands of the school’s winter sports.

“On the other areas we’ve been using Multigreen, either the 15-022 or 28-3-15 formulations,” says Dale. “The great thing with this is, because it has a ‘temperatureonly’ controlled release, we can apply it as early as the February

half term and not have to be restricted to tight application windows around school fixtures when the conditions allow.

“This has delivered fantastic improvements in the plant strength, sward density and overall appearance of some of the pitches – particularly our cricket outfields.”

Dale concludes: “It’s unlikely that we’ll ever get the pH levels to balance but with Headland’s support, the right products and regular analysis we know we’re going in the right direction.”

Having played bowls from the age of 10, in 2012 Dean Gibbons combined his passion for the sport with his interest in turf maintenance, becoming greenkeeper at Wantage Bowling Club. Dean, 28, brings youthful enthusiasm to improve standards whilst exploring new, greener alternatives for the club.

On his recommendation, the club purchased a 22in Infinicut FX and a selection of TMSystem cassettes last year, meaning he can now mow, aerate and verti-cut the green, all with one battery-powered unit.

Over the last few years Dean has gradually taken on all of the maintenance work at the club, meaning it no longer requires the service of external contractors – the savings from which went towards purchasing the Infinicut in July 2019.

“I’d had my eye on the Infinicut for a few years. The fact it is battery powered makes it greener and quieter to operate and the range of cassettes available meant we only needed to fund, and subsequently

store, a single machine.”

During a regular season, Dean and his team of volunteers mow the green up to four times a week, and say the “simplicity of use and manoeuvrability of the Infinicut has taken the strain off the maintenance.” Their TMSystem cassettes – the SarelRoller and UltraGroomer – are passed over the green on a bi-weekly basis. The SarelRoller helps to improve filtration rates and gaseous exchange into the upper rootzone, while the tungsten carbide-tipped blades of the UltraGroomer minimise ‘puffiness’ and remove thatch.

“The flexibility I have to conduct those three tasks, exactly when we need to, means our green is now in better shape than ever,” says Dean.

He remains a keen player and hopes that the quality of the bowling surface may encourage new, and perhaps younger, players.

For more information visit www.headlandamenity.com

For more information visit www.infinicut.com

IN ACTION

Crystal Palace maintains trust in Toro Crystal Palace Football Club is pushing to improve its facilities and has invested in more Toro and TYM machinery to help Crystal Palace Football Club’s investment in the development of its stadium and academy training ground facilities includes the purchase of more Toro machines to add to its fleet.

Bruce Elliot, head of grounds and estates, explains: “There’s a big push for category 1 status and a huge part of that is investment in the training grounds. If we get planning permission, there will be a new full-sized pitch and nine new pitches at the academy.

“We’ve had Toro machines at the club performing well for the last four years and while we did look into other brands, there was really no comparison.”

With TYM tractors also included in the deal, it’s also an investment in distributor Reesink Turfcare, says Bruce: “We first added Toro and TYM machines to our fleet in 2016 and have always been impressed by the work and results

they’ve helped produce.”

It’s a significant investment which will benefit the Selhurst Park stadium, academy grounds and training grounds.

There’s a ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator and TYM T293 tractor for the stadium, a Reelmaster 3575-D light-weight ride-on cylinder mower and Workman MDX utility vehicle for the academy grounds, and two Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers and a ProCore 864 tractormounted aerator with a 39hp TYM T393 tractor for the main training ground.

These join the ProCore SR70 deep-tine aerator, Workman MDX-D and TYM T353 compact tractor purchased in 2016 for the training ground.

Bruce continues: “We started to see the benefits of Toro and TYM very quickly four years ago and it’s important we maintain those standards now. We’re

Looking sharp with the Foley Company Starnes Engineering has benefited from time saving and reliable grinding using the 633 Accu-Pro from the Foley Company Jamie Starnes, grounds care and agricultural engineer, set up Starnes Engineering in East Sussex four years ago and offers grinding as a key service. “Relief grinding makes such a difference to the quality of cut and the general wear of the machine, units and grass itself. It’s a vital thing to do

Starnes Engineering is making good use of the 633 Accu-Pro

for anybody, but it is time-consuming,” says Jamie.

He has found that using the Foley Company 633 Accu-Pro, an automatic relief grinder, enables time savings while maintaining quality of results.

“It’s just so user-friendly compared to anything else that I’ve used,” Jamie explains. “It’s easy to use and set up, and it’s accurate. And the fact it’s automated means you can leave it to it, so you’re gaining productivity time.

The Toro ProCore 864 aerator and TYM T393 tractor are part of the new set of machines

confident that if the redevelopment goes ahead, we’ll be able to rely on Toro and TYM to provide the excellent standard of turf care maintenance we need.”

For more information visit www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

“I was looking for something that was fully automated that would speed up the whole process. When I’ve used other grinders to relief grind, I’ve had to stand there and manually push and pull the machine through each individual blade whereas once the Foley is set up, it can be left alone.”

The 633 Accu-Pro features the Accu-Touch 3 Control system, which provides a step-by-step tutorial for new technicians, while more experienced operators can use the system to tell the machine what they’re working on and it’ll do the rest. Automatic placement features, the Accu-Reel Selector and Cylinder Height Stop, automatically locate the reel for a fast and easy spin and relief grind in one set-up, and work with the pre-set relief angles to provide handsfree relief.

For more information contact ProSport UK at prosportukltd@gmail.com

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 27

PRODUCT SHOWCASE NATURAL & SYNTHETIC TURF MAINTENANCE

WIEDENMANN

Little and often works best With aeration happening differently for everyone this season, Wiedenmann UK and its dealers are ready to help.

Having come through one of the wettest starts to the year and then only benefiting from a short period of dry weather prior to lockdown, plans and flexibility have been turned upside down.

“Little and often” still seems to be the preferred choice of aeration programmes. Wiedenmann UK offers a huge variety of tine options to accommodate the “little” including 5mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 25mm solid tines.

For those wanting to hollow core, and use multi tine heads for finer work, the Terra Spikes can be fitted with multi tine

holders. Each multi tine head can hold up to 12 solid needle tines or coring tines in sizes 6mm, 8mm, 11mm, 12mm and 17mm inside diameters.

With regards to how often, if time is not on your side, the range of belt driven Terra Spikes can help. Several models achieve output of a hectare of surface with the classic 2x2 pattern within a

normal working day. A fast machine is capable of exploiting even the narrowest window of opportunity, so in prevailing weather the decision to “go” can be taken at short notice.

Use “heave” action as your friend; all machines cause a certain amount of heave, even shallow pedestrian models. With some machines you can set the heave differently relevant to depths, speed and soil types that are being worked on. A clean pattern and surface will be down to the conditions and how appropriately you have set the machine relevant to what you are trying to achieve. wiedenmann.co.uk

MAJOR

GKB

Major keeps students moving

Dressing to impress

Sport is an important part of the curriculum at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, which has nine cricket squares, 10 rugby pitches and five football fields. Keeping these facilities at a high standard is head groundsman Graham Cox and his team.

Blundell’s School recently bought two new Iseki TG6495 50hp compact tractors and a Major 4m Swift trailed roller mower. “We chose what we consider the best for our purposes – equipment that gives greater performance and efficiencies,” explained Graham.

“We liked that the Swift was gear-driven, meaning there were no belts that would need adjusting.”

The Major Swift is a 4m trailed roller mower that folds to 2.4m for transport. It is constructed using Strenx 700 MC structural steel, which is lighter yet stronger than ordinary steel. The reduced weight minimises ground compaction and its rollers mean it leaves a clear striped finish in all conditions.

“This year, we were able to get onto the grass six to eight weeks earlier than historically because of the Swift being lighter and trailed,” says Graham. www.major-equipment.com

The Ecodresser from GKB Machines offers grounds managers the ability to dress natural grass sport pitches in a costeffective way.

Often sports pitches need more aeration, especially when wanting to create the best seeding conditions. The GKB Ecodresser enables this in one simple operation. Developed in the 1990s with the Council of Rotterdam, the GKB Ecodresser removes the need to buy and spread dressing. Extracting the desired dressing soil from the existing upper level, it uses this to bring the overall cost down.

Combining multiple operations into one, the GKB Ecodresser is a reliable machine for maintenance of sport pitches. With the combination of cutting discs, coulters and fixed tines, the turf is intensively aerated whilst the dressing is applied to the upper layer and the sub layer is also being aerated.

Offering the ability to level imperfections too, the machine carries recycled dressing onto the conveyer belt and scatters it in the desired area. This creates excellent seeding conditions, improves drainage conditions and enhances the rooting. To ensure minimal operating damage to the turf, the GKB Ecodresser is equipped with a cutting roller. These adjustable blade rotors extract soil from the upper layer and the heavy-duty rotor is protected with slipping clutches on each blade flange.

Ensuring the aeration of the upper layer are the coulters, which are spring-loaded to remove the risk of damage from stones that may be present. There is also the option to equip the GKB Ecodresser with a stone screen and collection tray. www.gkbmachines.com

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 29

NATURAL & SYNTHETIC TURF MAINTENANCE | PRODUCT SHOWCASE

JOHN DEERE

Six of the best Following the launch of John Deere’s first commercial electric battery-powered walk-behind mower, the PRO 43B, at SALTEX 2019, another six new rotary machines are available for 2020.

John Deere commercial walk-behind mowers are capable of mowing grass areas up to 5,000m2 depending on the model.

They are designed to be easy to operate and transport and are highly manoeuvrable, even in difficult areas or around landscape features and other obstacles.

An additional battery mower, the variable speed PRO 54VB, and its petrolpowered version the PRO 54V, replace the 10-year-old JX90CB and JX90C, while the entry-level PRO 43 replaces the C43 push model. Two more variable speed PRO models, the 47V and the 53MV mulching mower, have been updated from previous versions, and the PRO 52SV is a newcomer

to the range. Each mower’s working width in centimetres is indicated by the model number and cutting heights are easily set by a central lever.

The electric mowers’ new Powerhead carries two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and switches automatically to the second battery when the first one is empty. John Deere’s proven TurboStar System delivers reliable precision mowing and collection performance, whatever the weather. Other standard features on the commercial mowers include a corrosionresistant, steel-reinforced aluminium chassis including front protection for extra durability, a large capacity fuel tank on the petrol powered models and a proven AntiVibration System (AVS), which reduces the level of exposure to hand-arm vibration. www.deere.co.uk

SCH

SISIS

Brushing up

The Osca goes to Warwick School

The SCH Mounted/ Towed Folding Brush (MFB/TFB) consists of three sections of brushes with a generous ground contact width of 152mm (6in) and overall working width of 365cm (144in). The outer two sections can be folded up to reduce the working width to 122cm (48in) to access smaller areas. The folding mechanism is essential during transport and storage.

The three-point linkage mounted version can be raised at run ends and lifted to reverse into corners.

The towed version comes with detachable transport wheels for moving to and from the artificial surface or natural grass pitch.

The MFB and TFB robust steel casing will last countless seasons, and the brushes can be easily replaced when worn. www.schsupplies.co.uk

Once Warwick School had decided to invest in a new synthetic pitch, grounds manager Duncan Toon ordered a SISIS Osca 3 tractor-mounted oscillating brush to maintain the new surface effectively.

Duncan was tasked by Warwick Independent Schools Foundation to significantly improve the sports surfaces used by all its four schools.

He says: “I came across some videos of the Osca in action and after much research I felt it was the one machine which stood out.”

The SISIS Osca is a tractormounted powered oscillating brush with a 1.9m working width. The two brushes stand up the carpet fibres and redistribute the infill, minimising compaction on the surface and improving its performance – giving consistent playing

characteristics while preventing pile damage caused by reduced infill levels.

Duncan says: “The Osca’s oscillating brushes are the best feature. Not only do they get rid of compaction but they also provide a fantastic finish. Thousands of pupils play on this pitch so maintaining it effectively is important for player safety but you can’t forget about presentation. The Osca ticks both boxes.” www.sisis.com

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 31

GMA | CLASSIFIEDS

To advertise in the classified section of Grounds Management Please contact FRED COMBE 0203 859 7100 fred.combe@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE IN GROUNDS MANAGEMENT CONTACT FRED COMBE: fred.combe@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk 0203 859 7100

32 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

NATURAL & SYNTHETIC TURF MAINTENANCE | PRODUCT SHOWCASE

AG R I A

Hope for slopes A company which specialises in commercial and residential grounds care across north east and central Scotland is one of the first adopters of the Agria 9600 remote hybrid bank mower.

Morrice Diplexcito, general manager at Proserv, opted for the 112cm wide version of the Agria 9600. Three of Proserv’s grounds maintenance team of 12 received training from Agria UK’s lead instructor, organised by dealer, Fairways GM. Morrice says: “Everyone on our team was fine with it, it felt safe, even on the steepest banking. Our operators could stand securely on flat ground well away from risk. And that’s principally why we got it, to prioritise health and safety. Previously, we could only strim complex sites partially. This cuts forward and back, mulches and will see us tackling terrain previously out of reach, meaning our operators will be able to make an even better job while keeping out of harm’s way.”

The Agria 9600 features rubber caterpillar tracks and a low centre of gravity which help it work on 50-degree slopes.

The operator uses a joy stick on a light, hand-held LED display control panel to manage all device functions. The display shows travel speed, cutting height, hours of operation, the battery charge status, the radio signal strength and an on/off switch.

A hybrid drive concept means the Agria 9600 combines a petrol engine with being electrically driven. This set up is therefore more environmentally friendly than hydraulic systems. www.agria.de/en-gb

PRODUCT SHOWCASE | NATURAL & SYNTHETIC TURF MAINTENANCE

DENNIS

Multi-purpose Dennis G860 proves its worth

CHARTERHOUSE

Charterhouse kit keeps The Glasgow Academy on top With a fleet of natural and synthetic turf care machinery from Charterhouse Turf Machinery, head groundsman Robert Cheape is well equipped to maintain the four sites that make up The Glasgow Academy. He has recently taken delivery of his third Verti-Drain, a 7521, for the regular aeration of the eight grass rugby pitches, while an X-treme Clean is ensuring the playability and safety of the four artificial surfaces.

With facilities for cricket, women’s and men’s hockey and tennis, it is the rugby section that is best known – with Glasgow Academicals RFC celebrating its 150th anniversary in the 2016-17 season. “Our rugby pitches see a lot of play, from both external clubs and the 1,400 pupils of the academy,” explains Robert. “Weather permitting, we carry out aeration once a month, and for over 20 years that’s been with a combination of a Charterhouse slitter and Verti-Drain.” Robert’s latest model – the 7521 – was delivered by local dealer Hamilton Brothers.

“It was the 2.1m working width and the range of tine options that really appealed with the 7521. We can go out with solid tines working at depths of up to 16in through the winter months alongside our slitter, then incorporate some hollow coring between March and September.”

On the academy’s two full-size astro hockey pitches, together with two ¾ size MUGA surfaces, it’s a combination of brushes from the Charterhouse synthetic collection used alongside the X-treme Clean 1200. “We brush once a week then follow up with a monthly pass of the X-treme Clean.” Using horizontally rotating brushes, the X-treme Clean lifts the pile and agitates the infill – removing dirt, debris and compaction. www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk

34 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | JUNE 2020

Matthew Hallam, head groundsman at Notts County FC, says that the Dennis G860 cylinder mower has been a saving grace after the club was unable to carry out end-ofseason renovations.

When he started his role 18 months ago the club was on the verge of relegation and a change of ownership was looming. This, along with other unforeseen circumstances, prevented end-of-season renovations. Regular maintenance has been key to keeping the pitch in good condition.

“The Dennis G860 has really helped us,” says Matthew, describing how the its interchangeable cassette system has helped. “We have the Spring Tine Rake, the Verti-Cutter, the Brush and the 8-Bladed Cylinder – it is like a four-in-one maintenance machine. In the summer, we were verticutting as much as we could because we had a thatch issue, and since then we have constantly brushed the pitch and raked the algae off the top. If we didn’t have the G860, these problems would have intensified. The finish it provides is excellent. We feel the Dennis G860 is the best on the market.” www.dennisuk.com

TORO

Fine tuning fine turf The Toro ProStripe 560 is particularly favoured by football grounds for its clean, smart striping and cutting patterns into the grass. It is equipped to cut lower than most rotary mowers and specifically designed for use on fine turf where accurate height setting is crucial.

Cutting height is adjusted via a spring-loaded lever within a range of 13 to 60mm and, thanks to Toro’s MatchCut technology, can be adjusted in 3.6mm increments. The MatchCut technology is also useful for post-game clean-up.

Grass is lifted, cut and cleanly collected as a result of improved airflow created by a unique blade, grass bag and deck design.

Powered by Kawasaki’s commercial grade four-cylinder engine and with speeds ranging from 1.9 to 3.2mph, the ProStripe 560 is not only fast, with customers reporting they can cut a pitch in 40 minutes, but there’s a speed for most mowing conditions too and one that can be matched to the preference of the operator. www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk