Grounds Management - October 2020 Preview

Making sport possible

VARIETY SHOW

Biodiversity at Manchester City Football Academy

DISEASE ALERT Gray Leaf Spot comes to the UK

LEARNING

GMA reveals its upcoming online course

LOCAL HERO

Paul Wade, Grounds Team of the Year at the FA Grassroots Football Awards

October 2020 | £4.00

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT

OCTOBER 2020

WELCOME False economies The unique challenges posed over recent months have brought about changes most in grounds management would never have imagined possible.

With crowds unable to attend matches, the suspension of the football season was a logical response to Covid-19. Cricket clubs have also had challenges but they, too, have performed brilliantly – epitomised by the back-to-back Test matches at Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl.

How clubs and facilities were to cope with the changes and the sudden loss of income was far from obvious. The Government’s furlough scheme offered a lifeline but, as the scheme ends this month, many clubs and businesses will be facing difficult decisions. This may mean that grounds staff (among others) face redundancy.

Such a move, while financially beneficial in the short term, may come back to haunt those clubs in terms of the financial cost of pitch damage, player safety and the pitch’s ability to support multiple matches.

For this reason, clubs, organisations and facilities must seriously consider the cost of making any grounds staff redundant.

If the last few months have shown us anything, it is that we need to support and protect those who work hard behind the scenes to enable us to live as normally as possible. We must show our grounds staff the respect they deserve and support them over the coming months. Because they are the people who make sport possible.

14

16

22

REGULARS 4

Industry news News from the GMA and around the industry

10

GMA update GMA’s Level 2 Winter Pitches online course

13

GaNTIP update GMA’s work with the Essex County Cricket Board

29

In action Products from Headland Amenity and Major

31

Product showcase Machines for aeration

34

Grow with the GMA How Louis Macklin is working towards his next career goal

FEATURES 14

Community football The work that won Paul Wade The FA’s Grassroots Grounds Team of the Year award

16

Best practice: Manchester City Football Academy Exemplary work on ecology and biodiversity

20

Pest control: Wild boars Keeping wild boars out at a Gloucestershire community football pitch

22

Disease alert Identifying and tackling Gray Leaf Spot in perennial ryegrass

24

Covid chemicals Why harsh chemicals may not be needed to keep sites safe

26

Technical update: Fertilisers ICL and Bangor University’s innovative work on struvite

This magazine is printed using paper from responsible sources

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT Geoff Webb Chief Executive Grounds Management Association

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

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

NEWS IN BRIEF

THE LATEST HEADLINES FROM GMA AND THE INDUSTRY

Production of all Jacobsen turf care machines will move to Ipswich

M A N U FA C T U R I N G

Textron moves Jacobsen production to UK GROUNDS CARE MACHINERY manufacturer Textron Specialized Vehicles will relocate all production of Jacobsen professional turf equipment to its facility in Ipswich, with the move beginning this autumn and taking place over a number of months.

The plant, which currently builds Jacobsen and Ransomes mowers, is the oldest manufacturer of motorised lawn mowers in the world, in operation for more than 187 years. Textron said the move will enable it to focus investments, skill and improvements in mower production on a single facility.

Following the move, it will produce

New evidence that investment in sport boosts economy A study by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University shows that for every £1 spent on community sport and physical activity, £3.91 is generated in return for the economy and society. The report, Social and economic value of community sport and physical activity in England, says that the social and economic benefits created by community sport and physical activity are worth £85.5bn annually, with an additional £13bn being created through sports-related goods and services annually.

Bionema launches new courses

mowers for all regions including North America.

“We are excited to establish our Ipswich facility as the worldwide manufacturing centre of excellence for Jacobsen equipment,” says Simon Rainger, vice president, turf for Textron Specialized Vehicles.

“This move will enable us to operate more efficiently and expand on the legacy of innovation and quality that our Ipswich plant has built over its long history.”

Jacobsen will launch new models in the coming months, including the Eclipse 360 ELiTE electric greens mower, and new AR530 and AR730 area rotary mowers.

Biopesticide developer Bionema has launched new digital, classroom and bespoke training courses to help users understand the effective use of bioprotection products as an alternative to chemical pest control.

The digital courses allow delegates to learn flexibly in their own time, while bespoke courses can be designed to reflect the learner’s environment and knowledge. The three courses are: Application of entomopathogenic nematodes for insect pest control; Application of BioProtection products for pests and diseases control; and Application of beneficial biocontrol agents for insect pest control. Each course is worth 12 BASIS points and costs start at £140. Find out more at bionema.com/training-and-advice

NOTICE OF GMA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING This is to confirm that, as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions, the Grounds Management Association’s AGM will be a ‘virtual’ online meeting held on Wednesday November 25, 2020, from 12:00pm to approximately 1.30pm.

The company secretary will run the meeting from the head office in Milton Keynes. We will use online software to manage proceedings as close to normal as possible. Any members that wish to join that meeting must register their interest by emailing events@thegma.org.uk, including your membership details; or phone 01908 552989. Attendees will need to provide an email address in order to receive

4 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

a formal electronic invitation to the meeting, which will be issued at a later date. Please note that all paid up members are entitled to join the meeting although only Full Individual Members, with voting rights, and Associate Members are entitled to vote. More details about the AGM and eligibility to vote will be available via a page on our website, which will be operational this month and will also include details of the agenda, resolutions, director reelections, how to vote and more. Information will also be available via our social media pages: www.facebook.com/ groundsmanagementassociation; twitter.com/thegma_

GMA UPDATE | LEARNING

GMA LEVEL 2 WINTER PITCHES LAUNCHING ONLINE THIS MONTH The GMA will this month add Level 2 Winter Pitches to its online courses to help grounds staff and volunteers to achieve maximum results when maintaining pitches during colder, wetter months

Jason Booth GMA director of technical and learning

THE LEVEL 2 Winter Pitches course includes football, rugby league, rugby union and sports in the Gaelic Athletics Association. It can be completed in around six hours, which includes 10 lessons, and gives participants the chance to learn more about basic turf care techniques.

Modules cover the surface, influencing pitch playability, safe working practices, soils and drainage, how to identify a few of the most common turf grasses, and basic control methods for common weeds, pests, and diseases.

The course also touches on planning annual work schedules, which is essential to support grounds management and keep natural turf pitches playable – helping to avoid match cancellations and minimise the risk of injury.

Winter can be a tough time of year to maintain pitches, even more so with the current challenges we’re facing as a nation and industry. This course is as much about gaining the skills to work reactively during Winter, as

10 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

well as proactively planning ahead for any out-of-season maintenance. The course has been designed to help improve knowledge and efficiencies so that grounds staff and volunteers have the confidence to get pitches playable in unfavourable weather conditions using their time effectively.

This new online course gives people the opportunity to access the vital information from anywhere and at any time. ■

Find out more about Level 2 online courses at www.thegma.org.uk/learning/training Bespoke offline courses are available by contacting learning@thegma.org.uk

INTERVIEW | GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL

Paul says he had to teach himself about grounds care as he went along

14 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL | INTERVIEW

KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Orpington FC’s Paul Wade says his success at being named the 2019/20 Grounds Team of the Year in The Football Association’s Grassroots Football Awards is down to a straightforward pitch maintenance programme. But passion and devotion play a huge part, too

Colin Hoskins Editor

PAUL WADE HAD no problem social distancing earlier this year while undertaking his groundsman role for Orpington FC. With 16 pitches to manage at Goddington Park, an expansive council-owned site in Kent, Paul had plenty of space to carry out his pitch maintenance activities. His routine can fairly be described as straightforward – “I simply cut, aerate, feed a bit and line mark,” he says – and while Paul’s devotion to the playing surfaces is clear to see and is fully appreciated by the club, his passion for the pitches has now also been recognised by The Football Association (FA). In August, the 53-year-old volunteer was named as the Grounds Team of the Year in The FA’s Grassroots Football Awards.

He has been with the club for over 19 years, initially taking his five-year-old son to play. Seeing that the club needed help, Paul’s involvement – the club moved to Goddington Park five years ago after securing a 25-year lease with the council – has over the years gradually evolved into a variety of roles including club secretary and safeguarding officer. These days, however, he spends three days a week as groundsman.

Learning on the job “Knowing nothing about grounds management, I read a few books and effectively learned as I went along,” says Paul, “complemented by chats with a few people I knew who were in the industry, as well as discussions with our amenity supplier (the Eden Park Group), about various aspects.

That said, I soon discovered that grass thrives with just cutting, aeration, and rain and sun!”

He continues: “Not having a massive budget [and certainly not for overseeding, topdressing or renovations] means I have to keep things simple; just spiking, using a 2m wide aerator and twice a year feeding with slow-release products, as well as regular mowing using a ride-on to complement the cutting by the council’s contractor which

visits once a month. I probably spend anywhere between 10 to 20 hours a week here, depending on what needs doing and, of course, on the weather.

“I try to keep the sward at 1.5 inches high; I find that this height gives the best tolerance to the wear and tear of regular use by the 21 teams that use the pitches – four 11-a-side, three nine-a-side, three seven-a-side and two five-a-side.”

The club’s first team (Kent County League Division Two West) plays its home games at a different site, but all the youth and other senior teams are at Goddington Park on Saturdays and Sundays. Included are 33 boys/men’s teams and four girls/women’s teams, plus an academy and a wildcats squad for girls aged 4-11 – which equate to around 450 players who are complemented by over 2,000 community users. Unsurprisingly, Paul sometimes has to make tough decisions about when to call off play for safety reasons or to protect the pitches – “I don’t let the pitches be over-played,” he says.

His role includes dealing with the borough council and other park users (predominantly dog walkers – who remained very much in evidence, albeit for shorter periods, during the lockdown), as well as working closely with the organisers of the weekly 5km parkrun which has more than 800 registered runners.

He also takes responsibility for the upkeep of the pavilion, changing rooms and toilets. The site also accommodates a children’s play area, bowling green, cricket squares and rugby and tennis facilities, though these are outside of Paul’s remit.

“It’s about more than just football,” he adds.

“It’s about everybody in the community getting something out of this space and what the club gives back to the community.” ■

THE FA’S ANNUAL GRASSROOTS AWARDS The awards recognise the people, clubs and leagues that deliver grassroots football. County FAs select a local winner for each category from the public’s nominations. These form a shortlist for the national winners, selected by a national judging panel.

Find out more at www.thefa.com/get-involved/ grassroots-football-awards/winners

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 15

BEST PRACTICE | ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

GOOD CITYZENS Colin Hoskins Editor

Much has been written in recent years about the quality of the pitches and the facilities at the Manchester City Football Academy.

Perhaps not so well known – but no less important at the site – is the club’s successful flora and fauna-driven ecology programme which thoughtfully marries world-class playing surfaces with wildflower areas and native species-rich shrubberies and habitats

THE COMMITMENT BY Manchester City FC (MCFC) to biodiversity and ecology was adopted when the Manchester Football Academy was established on a parcel of reclaimed land that was used previously as a chemical treatment works and heavily built-up industrial area. The subsequent alignment of first-class footballing facilities with an increasingly ecologicallyfriendly and biodiverse site shows just what can be achieved with the appropriate desire and approach (rather than an emphasis on money) and it represents an ongoing successful scheme that last year won MCFC the GMA Ransomes Environmental and Ecology Strategy Award.

Initially stretching over seven years and currently in year three, the project is underpinned by an initial improvement plan written by the club’s landscape maintenance partner (idverde) and complemented by detailed biodiversity targets from the club’s own sustainability strategy.

From the outset, the plan was to enhance the biodiversity value of the club’s training grounds

16 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

estate while also establishing a more sustainable maintenance programme for it and, at the same time, boosting site aesthetics – for instance, using wildflower displays that are both visually stunning and equally attractive to pollinators – and improving overall site quality for staff and visitors.

In addition, informative signage across the site communicates what is being done and why.

The improvements are also aimed at educating staff, visitors and the local community about biodiversity and why the club has made it a core part of its sustainability strategy. “The target is to show that it is possible for other organisations to manage their estates for aesthetics while maximising environmental values,” says grounds team member Dan Lewis.

As landscape contract manager, Dan’s role of “driving the project forward and ensuring that targets are correctly interpreted and fulfilled” is enhanced not only by idverde’s team leader, but also by collaboration with an outsourced

Wildflower displays at the site are appealing both to people and to pollinators (with relevant information boards)

ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY | BEST PRACTICE

Vibrant wildflowers now characterise the site, built next to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on land that previously housed a chemical treatment works

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 17

TECHNICAL UPDATE

TECHNICAL UPDATE | WATER MANAGEMENT

RESEARCH THAT COULD REVOLUTIONISE FERTILISER USE

Struvite – a slowrelease, sustainable fertiliser extracted from waste water – is a key focus of an innovative collaborative research project between ICL and Bangor University on soilplant interactions and fertilisers. The results could revolutionise the use of fertilisers and encourage sustainable innovation Anna Ray Bangor University

I AM WOR K I N G on my Masters by Research (MRes) with Dr Professor Davey Jones at Bangor University and, as part of my first year of research, I can report some positive results – most notably after a seven-day fertiliser and microbial interaction assessment.

The trial focused on the soil’s microbial activity and the impact of different fertilisers on it. Microbial communities are a key biological indicator for soil and plant health, and the impact of fertiliser applications on this community is underassessed. The work demonstrated that microbial communities can be impacted but they are resilient and recover relatively quickly. The use of struvite had a similar effect to our control (water) throughout the experiment, suggesting it is environmentally friendly. A promising result.

My research was funded by a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS 2), which is how I was connected to industry partner, ICL. The collaboration with ICL gives me the opportunity to instantly present my ideas and results to the industry. Together, we discussed the objectives for both parties. It’s a partnership of designing experiments and I think it is important for academics to keep in touch with the industry and its needs.

Commenting on the collaboration, ICL international technical manager Andy Owen said: “ICL utilises struvite as part of our Sierrablen Plus Pearl product range, and we know this recycled product is a

26 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

sustainable option that also provides real turf benefits. We’re committed to developing products that perform, so are keen to understand fertiliserplant interaction in more detail. This collaboration allows us to explore the science further.”

Dr Professor Davey Jones was also quick to praise the importance of the collaboration. “Industry brings an economical and practical aspect to our research,” he says. “We could engineer perfect fertilisers, but economically it will probably not work on a mass scale.

Researchers could gain knowledge that might take another 30 or 40 years before it is of commercial use. This union between academia and industry makes our research instantly valuable and it works perfectly for an urgent market need such as more sustainable fertiliser solutions.”

In looking further ahead, Dr Professor Davey Jones hopes to continue the research to new and more sustainable fertiliser products and, critically, evaluate them against conventional products.

“There is so much more to discover,” he says. “For instance, we still don’t entirely understand how roots and fertilisers interact, and why some fertilisers suppress root growth while others promote it. An answer to these questions will bring us closer to the perfect fertiliser.” ■ Visit www.icl-sf.co.uk/www.icl-sf.ie for more information.

PRODUCT SHOWCASE AERATION

RE E S I N K TU RFCARE

Removing the chore from core work Toro’s ProCore 648 offers productive and clean aeration and is equally at home on the football pitch as it is in other fine turf applications such as estate management and formal gardens.

The ProCore 648 has a generous 48in aerating width and the location of its wheels in front of the aeration head, well out of the way of the coring path, means the machine doesn’t drive over the fresh holes, or run over the pulled cores from the previous pass, making the task of clearing up far easier.

To save even more time and effort, Core Solutions, a core collecting blade attachment from Nordic Plow, available through Toro’s UK distributor Reesink Turfcare, adds an efficient and costeffective way for users to remove the

developed to take into account the fact that aerating with the grain of the landscape or side to side reduces stress to the turf.

Further advantages include the removable sleeve, which removes cores on severely undulating ground without the need for tools, and the adjustable scraper edge which can free float or lock into position. The brushes mean if you topdress first, the cores can still be removed if the turf is wet.

The lightweight 64in collector also creates tall piles of plugs with little spillage and has the added benefit of brushing sand deeper into the holes as it goes.

cores as they aerate. Core Solutions fits perfectly, but not exclusively, to the Toro ProCore 648 to remove cores from surfaces in minutes. The blade of the Core Solutions attachment has been

PRICE TU RFCARE

Shake things up

www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

SISIS

Bowled over

Grounds managers in the UK are used to using dedicated equipment for different maintenance regimes. However, the Ventrac multi-purpose compact tractor is a machine that can be used for a multitude of grounds care operations. With over 30 attachments, the Ventrac provides year-round solutions for the turf manager.

The AERA-vator attachment is designed to vibrate and loosen the soil beneath the grass without destroying the turf. It creates a hole without bringing a core to the surface, leaving the turf ready for use immediately following aeration.

With a working width of 1.52m and a depth of 70mm, the vibrating heads create six holes every 300mm (66 holes per square metre) with the hole size regulated by the drive speed.

The slower the forward speed, the larger the hole. The AERAvator is built with the Ventrac Mount System, allowing for easy attachment changes, and comes with a standard jack stand for easy mounting. An optional overseeding kit is available.

Glen Kirby, the course manager at Hockley Golf Club, situated on the South Downs just outside Winchester, has this attachment.

“The vibrating aerating head of the AERA-vator has enabled us to punch holes on slopes and that’s a game-changer,” he said. “We use it on all green surrounds, tees and fairways. This machine is so versatile and does everything I want it to.”

When Ian Fraser took up the family tradition of working as head greenkeeper at Pitmedden Bowls Club in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, aeration quickly became his top priority.

Ian, whose grandfather and father both maintained the green, found it in need of attention when he took on the role. He says: “I was determined to get the green back in good shape and I started doing my research.”

Ian attended a Dennis and SISIS bowling green maintenance seminar in Aberdeen. Afterwards, he purchased two pieces of equipment with the help of a grant from his local Windmill Community Trust. “We identified that aeration was going to be one of the most important tasks in getting the green back to being functional again,” says Ian. “We found what we were looking for in the SISIS Dart.”

The SISIS Dart is an independently powered vertical action aerator and has a working depth of up to 100mm which can be adjusted from the operator’s position using the balanced depth control lever. The unit can be fitted with a range of interchangeable tines to meet the operator’s requirements.

www.priceturfcare.com

www.sisis.com

thegma.org.uk | GROUNDS MANAGEMENT 31

GROW WITH THE GMA

Colin Hoskins Editor

Step by step Having achieved accreditation to Level 3 Sports Turf, Technical, 27-year-old Louis Macklin now has his sights set on his next step – Level 3 Supervisory Management – with the intention of managing a small grounds team in future How were you introduced to the industry?

I initially worked for a small gardening company for about five years, during which time I attained a Level 2 City and Guilds certificate in horticulture. I left there around three years ago after securing the role of an assistant groundsman at Trinity Fields Trust, where there is a multi-use sports field. While there I completed a GMA Level 3 Sports Turf Management Technical Diploma and attended a one-day GMA-hosted Level 2 cricket course. A few weeks ago I joined Ibstock Place School in Roehampton as the school’s sole grounds person.

What tasks do you undertake there?

Everyday tasks include pitch preparation, line marking, mowing, cleaning debris, maintaining machines, sorting out work programmes and schedules. Going from always having worked

in a team to working alone has been a bit of a shock, but I’m enjoying every moment.

What was the driver for the Level 3 qualification?

I wanted to progress; I wanted to attain more indepth knowledge. I feel that sometimes you can get so used to routine that your brain switches off as things seemingly become second nature.

I wanted to challenge myself and make my brain work harder.

What is your next step – in terms of both training/qualifications and aspirations in the industry for career progression?

Visit www.thegma.org.uk/learning for details of the Grounds Management Association’s education and learning programmes

34 GROUNDS MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2020

I will continue in my current role getting to grips with being a sole grounds person, learning the ropes of how to manage. I also want to enrol onto the GMA Level 3 supervisory management course and to use that in the future as a stepping stone into my next job on a larger site with a small team. ■

Louis is getting used to his role working as a sole grounds person and, in the future, would like to manage a small team