Grounds Management - Winter 2022

Winter 2022 / £7.50

INSIDE MANAGING TURF IN CLIMATE EXTREMES FOOTBALL FOUNDATION COMMITS TO MULTI-SPORT FACILITY FUNDING SPOTLIGHT ON THE LATEST SPORTSTURF APPRENTICESHIPS

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

Creating perfect pitches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

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WELCOME

Making progress in a changing environment

Now that Phase 3 of the GMA’s Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme has been renamed the Pitch Advisory Service and industry experts are expanding its reach across the country’s community sport facilities, we highlight the progress this programme has made.

As we experience climate extremes, our turf advisory consultant, Alex Vickers, looks at pitch management techniques to ensure safe surfaces to play on; and when it comes to managing problematic plant parasitic nematodes, Dr Deborah Cox explains why forward planning is key.

We also look at the Football Foundation’s aims for women’s football after the Lionesses lit up Wembley Stadium, aided by the surfaces prepared by our sector. And we focus on how the grounds teams are preparing excellent playing surfaces at the New Zealand Rugby World Cup, as well as the delayed RLWC21 tournament venues, which already have excellent grounds staff in place at rugby league clubs St Helens and Huddersfield Giants, as well as football clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United.

We also highlight the playing surfaces at Qatar’s FIFA World Cup venues, where our industry and suppliers have played a major role.

In all these events we can take pride in our work, our knowledge and our skills – as without grounds professionals and volunteers, there would be no game.

Geoff Webb, GMA CEO

REGULARS

4 TWO-MINUTE UPDATE

News from across the industry

7 BRIEFING

SALTEX: An international affair; the GMA’s Five-Year Strategy; targeted learning through the GMA’s Training Needs Analyses service at Mill Hill School Foundation

19 FOOTBALL FOUNDATION UPDATE

A funding commitment for multi-sport facilities; the Football Foundation’s CEO shares his UEFA Euros legacy plans for women’s football

25 PAS UPDATE

FEATURES

16 RAISING THE BAR

We share an update on sportsturf apprenticeship qualifications

28 RUGBY WORLD CUP NZ

A Q&A with Karl Johnson on overseeing pitch preparation for this year’s tournament in New Zealand

30 DESERT CHALLENGE

Colin Hoskins talks to FIFA senior pitch management manager Alan Ferguson about meeting FIFA World Cup pitch challenges in Qatar

36 2021 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP

Venue preparations at sports stadia across the UK for international men’s, women’s and wheelchair rugby league competitions

CONTRIBUTORS

Products used by Warrington Wolves, Hartpury University and College, and Garsons Group for their grounds management 47

The very latest product news from GKB, Redexim, Aspen and Wiedenmann

MAXWELL Editor of Grounds Management magazine

writer

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT

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 312 511 / e: membership@thegma.org.uk

Magazine subscriptions: Jo Cornford t: 01908 312511 / e: accounts@thegma.org.uk

Subscriptions: £30 UK / £50 Europe / £70 rest of world

Published on behalf of the Grounds Management Association by: Think, 20 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JW / t: 020 3771 7200

Editor: Karen Maxwell t: 07866 736597 e: editor@thegma.org.uk GMA CEO: Geoff Webb e: gwebb@thegma.org.uk

Managing editor: Kirsty Fortune Group art director: Jes Stanfield Client engagement director: Melissa Michael

To advertise in this magazine: Tony Hopkins: t: 020 3771 7251 / e: tony.hopkins@thinkpublishing.co.uk / Tom Fountain t: 020 3771 7250 / e: tom.fountain@thinkpublishing.co.uk

KAREN

COLIN HOSKINS Freelance

2 MINUTE UPDATE

CHRIS HUNTER JOINS THE GMA

The GMA welcomes Chris Hunter, regional pitch advisor (football) for the North East. He brings 14 years’ practical experience managing different sportsturf surfaces.

Prior to joining the GMA, he spent three years as a tutor and course manager on the Level 2 and 3 Sports Turf Apprenticeships at Askham Bryan College.

Chris said: “During my time in the industry, I have admired the great work the GMA has done. I have an enormous passion for sport and playing surfaces, and I’m very excited to be part of the team.”

Workforce development at the heart of GMA strategy

The GMA is set to tackle the key issues highlighted by volunteers and professionals within its Annual Workforce Survey, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of global events and the UK’s current cost of living crisis.

Alongside the GMA’s 2022 Workforce Survey report, the GMA has reset its Five-Year Strategy, first launched in 2021. This outlines six priority areas that will help to achieve three long-term goals: to attract new talent and accelerate the growth of a diverse workforce; to support sustainable business growth and protect the sector’s interests; and to build industry reputation, and promote the sector’s contribution to society and the economy.

The six strategic priority areas are workforce development, people and culture, services and support, industry representation, data and digitisation, and funding and investment.

Commenting on these objectives, GMA CEO Geoff Webb said: “We know the challenges that the groundscare industry faces and the findings from our Annual Workforce Survey echo those issues. While we have made progress since revealing the results of our 2019 research report, Groundsmanship–Sport’s Vital Profession, the trends originally identified still remain. To make a positive difference at pace we need to work together as a sector, as collaboration will be key to our success.” Readthefullstoryat:tinyurl.com/4r8pmnxs

Proposed ban of sale of microplastic infills

The European Commission has published recommendations on how it plans to restrict ‘intentionally added microplastics’ being sold on the European market, due to environmental concerns. Included within this definition is polymeric granulate used as sports performance infill within 3G pitches. There have been growing concerns over the increasing volume of microplastics found in the environment. These don’t biodegrade and tend to accumulate unless they are specifically designed to biodegrade.

As part of its wider plans for microplastics, the European Commission will recommend ending the sale of intentionally added microplastic infill (which is most commonly end-of-life tyre shred) for synthetic turf systems. The recommendation is to stop all sales of rubber infill within six years.

n Read the European Synthetic Turf Council’s (ESTC) position paper on microplastic infills at: bit.ly/3RgHW2h

One of the aims of the GMA’s Five-Year Strategy is to attract new talent to the industry

Football Foundation commits to multi-sport funding boost

The Football Foundation is enabling more people to have more access to highquality sports facilities with the announcement that by 2025 the charity plans to commit 40 per cent of its investment, worth £92m over the next three years, into multi-sport projects that support football, rugby, cricket, netball and basketball.

The charity is also expanding its PitchPower web app for use by other sports. Designed to improve the standards of grass pitches in England, the app has been open to football facilities since 2020, but will now be available to rugby league and rugby union, with cricket following in 2023.

The app enables community clubs and organisations to carry out and submit sport-specific grass pitch inspections, with experts from the GMA providing bespoke advice and recommendations. Seepage19formoreinformation.

OBITUARIES Steve Braddock

Many within the industry mourned the recent loss of Steve Braddock. He was without doubt an outstanding leader and mentor to many successful peers in sportsturf management.

GMA CEO Geoff Webb said: “His service to Arsenal Football Club over decades, and his ability to drive innovation and engage many in this sector with his knowledge and ability to stretch those lucky enough to witness his work ethic, has lifted our industry to new heights.

“Everyone respected Steve for the way he led research. He was not afraid to try new things and to take risks, and he always got outstanding results. Steve has left an indelible mark and an enduring legacy for this industry, which is why he was inducted into the GMA’s Hall of Fame in 2020.”

John McFarland

John was an integral member of the SALTEX site team and, with his dedicated teammates led by Derek Walder, witnessed many changes throughout the event’s evolution. He also volunteered at Scotsturf, which ran from 1984 to 2003.

REDEXIM RECRUITS PAUL LANGFORD

Redexim has appointed former TigerTurf UK managing director Paul Langford as director of commercial operations to support the company’s continued growth and spearhead commercial activities.

Armed with an excellent track record for building successful B2B and B2C relationships, and driving business change, Paul will lead the team of regional sales managers and develop the overall sales and marketing strategies to further cement Redexim’s position at the heart of the natural and synthetic turf maintenance sectors.

Paul said: “I’m a big believer that business should be approached with a strong sense of purpose, the right tools and the right plan to deliver excellence.”

“John had a magical calming influence at every event he was involved in,” said GMA CEO Geoff Webb. “Nothing was too much trouble, and his quiet and intelligent sense of humour made him an invaluable asset to the team.

“He was a fantastic example of someone giving up their time to help others and having an understanding of community. John made a real difference without ever seeking the limelight.”

Below, from left to right: Craig Richards, Heather Knight, Gareth Southgate, Eddie Jones and Shaun Wayne came together to promote multi-sport funding

Or GRouNos MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

SALTEX: An international affair

Britain’s exhibition scene is back to pre-COVID-19 levels, with international exhibitors and visitors from more than 40 countries registering to attend SALTEX 2022

The overwhelming overseas support is proof of the continuing strength of the show, which celebrates its 76th year. Colleagues from all sectors of the sportsturf and groundscare industry will convene at the Birmingham NEC for SALTEX 2022. Here’s what some had to say.

Francesco Dotto, president of GrassMed, the Mediterranean Grounds Association, tweeted: “[SALTEX] is the most important green fair in Europe for professionals, but also for those who wish to approach sustainable groundsmanship.”

Derk Pelle, content marketeer at SGL, based in the Netherlands, said: “SALTEX is an inspiring, international event where turf professionals come together to exchange knowledge and learn about the latest innovations in the industry and engage with turf professionals face to face.”

Matthew Williams, national account manager, turf, UK and Ireland, at Compo-Expert, said: “European visitors come to SALTEX as they recognise it as the best golf and groundsmanship event in Europe.”

Daryl Davidson, head groundsman at Sydney University, Australia, said: “This is a great opportunity to catch up with a heap of new and old friends from our great industry. It was an easy decision to jump on board”.

Damien Loiseau, import/export manager at Garden Equipment, said: “We come with innovative and quality products that really make life easier. Having had the chance to visit in the past, SALTEX is the place to be for the British market.”

Learning LIVE sessions at SALTEX are popular with attendees

Staying ahead of the game

SALTEX 2022 exhibitors have been keen to explain why they attend the show, with many sharing their views in a series of Exhibitor Spotlights published on the SALTEX website

Recognised as a must-attend event for anybody operating in, or supplying to, the groundscare industry, SALTEX continues to be valued by visitors and exhibitors by providing a great opportunity to meet industry colleagues, make new connections, hear from industry experts and learn about new innovations.

“A great central location, providing a networking opportunity to engage with customers, dealers and the wider industry all in one place.”

Nick Darking, sales manager, Redexim UK

“SALTEX is the must-see show for operators of groundkeeping equipment in the UK.”

“SALTEX always has great attendance and is increasingly recognised for its learning opportunities. It’s been a fixture on our calendar for some time and, for us, is considered a ‘must-attend’ event.”

Vinny Tarbox, sales manager, Advanced Turf Technology

“It is a well-organised show in a good venue and one I am looking forward to.”

Steve

Goodier, CEO and founder, CirculOil Ltd

“A meeting of the most important minds in our industry, and a chance for everyone to learn and improve significantly.”

Scott Nightingale, business development manager, Turfcare

Mark Hunt, weather analytics, Prodata Weather Systems

“SALTEX is an essential event to keep up to date with what’s new in the artificial grass industry.” Beth Prior, marketing and design executive, Ureka Global

n See all Exhibitor Spotlights at: saltex.org.uk/exhibitor-spotlight

n To book an exhibition space at SALTEX 2023, email: saltexsales@thegma.org.uk

Thank you for supporting SALTEX

To all those who have exhibited and partnered with SALTEX 2022 and are supporting the groundscare industry and those who work within it, the GMA would like to say thank you!

MEDIA PARTNERS

All show profits are ploughed back into activity that helps to promote and develop the skills and work of groundscare volunteers and professionals who are making sport possible and keeping green

spaces accessible for individuals, organisations, clubs and communities across the UK.

n See the full list of SALTEX 2022 exhibitors at: saltex.org.uk/ exhibitors

n Find out more about the SALTEX 2022 media partners at: saltex.org. uk/media-partners

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Taking the groundscare sector into the future and beyond

The GMA’s Five-Year Strategy is well underway and is focused on bringing our members and our industry into the next generation working and replacing long-standing face-to-face events and training with online solutions.

The GMA has embarked on an ambitious programme of expansion and growth as it gears up to deliver its new Five-Year Strategy.

The initiative will see the association focusing on six clear priority areas to achieve three specific long-term goals. One-year delivery plans will set out short- and medium-term objectives to ensure that progress and plans are kept on track.

The GMA’s strategic plans, which were developed in 2019, were put on hold following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the association diverted resources to adapt to the changing working environment by facilitating remote

With the brand transition from IOG to GMA now complete, the association has reviewed and reset the strategy and, since April 2022, has been building the internal capability required to deliver this on behalf of its members and the wider industry.

As well as positions for two new directors heading communications, and commercial and events, the GMA has expanded its Pitch Advisory Service and welcomed four employees into the membership, communications, and commercial and events teams.

GMA CEO Geoff Webb said: “With the continued support of our chair and board, we are investing to ensure we have the capability and infrastructure required to meet the increasingly complex needs of members and the groundscare sector.

“This year has been about investment for the future – in terms of people and our technological infrastructure. Next year will see us move from capability building to implementation as we start to promote the sector’s contribution to society and to the economy. We will build reputation, as well as support sustainable business growth and protect the interests of those working in the sector. This will help us to attract new talent and accelerate the growth of a diverse workforce.”

Targeted learning

The grounds team at The Mill Hill School Foundation have recently engaged with the GMA’s Training Needs Analysis service. We talk to grounds manager Michael Llong to find out about the current and long-term benefits it has provided

BY KAREN MAXWELL, EDITOR

The Mill Hill School Foundation is a group of seven schools and Michael Llong has been the grounds manager for four of them for the past three years. He oversees the maintenance of 160 acres of winter sports pitches, natural grass athletics areas, cricket pitches and artificial sports surfaces – plus two heritage gardens, a maze, woodlands, roads, paths and fencing on the properties.

During his short tenure at the Foundation, Michael has set up a longterm resource improvement strategy, which meant a reduction of grounds team members from 16 to seven – as well as additional support from temporary

summer staff during school events –with the support of the school’s senior leadership team.

“Our department has definitely become more efficient since downsizing,” Michael explains. “The Foundation previously employed a head groundsperson at each of the four schools. Now we employ a head groundsperson who oversees the grounds team and a head gardener who oversees the gardens team, and they work across all four school sites. The benefit of this reshuffle has meant that staff members with specialist skills are now able to focus on their specific areas of work.”

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Michael’s strategy also included staff development, which involved a process of upskilling members of his current workforce. On a practical level, he continues to arrange regular staff visits to other workplaces and encourages his team to work with contractors on large onsite projects. The most recent included sports pitch irrigation along with primary and secondary drainage installation, a landscaping redesign that included uniform planting across the four schools, as well as new path and road installations across all four sites.

“Usable space across the sites is restricted due to being situated on

From left to right: David Lewis (gardens), Chase O’Sullivan (apprentice), Oleg Pavlovs (grounds), Ian Gaul (head groundsman), Mathew McKellow (senior groundsman), James Mainsfield (head gardener), Chris Evans (gardens), Michael Llong (grounds manager)

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slopes,” Michael explains. “Cut and fill has been used to work around this issue and to create the sports pitches. However, the soil profile is heavy London clay, so they become hard and dry in the summer months, and getting machines on them in the winter months can be difficult. This is why we have installed irrigation and drainage.”

Regarding academic qualifications, Michael says: “If we had put staff members on a work-based Level 2 training course, this would not have been enough to upskill them for our

current and future needs. Theory-based learning that met the needs of each staff member was important, which is why I engaged with the GMA’s Training Needs Analysis (TNA) service to help identify a range of opportunities to develop my team.

“During the process, Dan Prest, the GMA’s head of technical and learning, gave me a thorough understanding of what was needed to help our team meet the Mill Hill School Foundation’s future goals. Staff members were then offered a training needs assessment. Five team members sat down with Dan to set their personal goals and he created an individual training plan for each of them.”

FUTURE PROOFED

The GMA’s TNA service has helped to strengthen the team through continuing professional development (CPD) and Michael is a keen advocate, having personally gained a Foundation Degree in Sports Turf Science from Myerscough College and

a Business Studies Degree (BSc) from Buckinghamshire New University.

“Since I engaged with the GMA’s TNA service, my staff have been on several courses, including the GMA’s Level 2 Technical Certificate in Turf Surface Maintenance, Level 3 Technical Diploma Turf Surface Management and Level 3 Certificate in Supervisory Management. Additionally, they have attended bespoke day courses for artificial surface maintenance, Chainsaw CS 30/31, Pesticides PA1/6A and RHS Level 2.

“We have also introduced an apprenticeship programme, and run health and safety, and first aid courses,” he says.

Michael adds that his team members now “better understand the ‘why’ behind grounds maintenance tasks and recognise the need to complete them in a certain way”, in addition to being more confident about using new techniques and experimenting with different products.

“The team’s new skill sets have increased workplace confidence,

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THE TEAM’S NEW SKILL SETS HAVE INCREASED WORKPLACE CONFIDENCE, PRODUCTIVITY AND STANDARDS, PLUS THE FOUNDATION’S FUNDS AND RESOURCES ARE BEING USED MORE EFFECTIVELY

productivity and standards, plus the Foundation’s funds and resources are being used more effectively,” he says. “We are now less reliant on contractors and the whole grounds department has the motivation to get involved in more ambitious projects.”

In fact, one member of his team has already received an internal promotion due to his newfound skill sets and is keen to progress his career even further.

“The GMA’s TNA is an excellent service and has helped us to consider longer-term objectives and what skill sets team members need to achieve them,” he says.

“By providing CPD opportunities to our employees, we are showing them that we are willing to invest in them and consider them to be a vital part of the organisation’s infrastructure and community.”

n To find out more about Training Needs Analysis, please email: learning@thegma.org.uk

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Grounds manager Michael Llong, who used the GMA’s Training Needs Analysis Service to upskill his team

RAISING THE BAR

Apprenticeships are evolving, with the industry looking to develop a higherlevel Sports Turf Level 5 Apprenticeship. We find out how it is progressing

BY JONATHAN KNOWLES, LANTRA AWARDS ASSESSOR AND LEICESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB SPORTS TURF ACADEMY MANAGER

The new standard Level 2 Sports Turf Operative Apprenticeship, originally introduced in 2016, has been under review by the industry’s representative employer group and it is expected that new apprentices will be enrolled on this programme later this year.

The details of any changes are yet to be released, but the training scheme will have an end-point assessment (EPA), which will include an online exam, identifications and a practical day that covers the main tasks of sportsturf over a 20- to 22-month period. It may also include a professional discussion that would be based on an apprentice’s completed work experience.

APPRENTICESHIP STAGES

This new type of ‘standard’ apprenticeship is different to the previous ‘framework’ apprenticeship and has three distinct phases.

First, a mandatory ‘on-programme’ 12-month training phase, which means there is no fast track to gaining an apprenticeship in a shorter time period.

Second, the gateway phase, which is a formal sign-off that proves the apprentice is ready for final assessment. Finally, assessment methods during the EPA phase will typically be a written and/or a multiple-choice exam, a practical day or presentation, and a professional discussion. This will determine whether an apprentice has

Sports Turf Apprenticeship course providers

n Askham Bryan College

n Barnsley College

n Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA)

n Bishop Burton College

n Bridgwater and Taunton College

n East Durham College

n Keits Training Services Ltd

n Myerscough College

n North Kent College

n Reaseheath College

n Shipley College

n South Staffordshire College

n Suffolk New College

n The Oldham College

n Train Together Ltd

n Warkwickshire College

n Wiltshire College and University Centre

n Writtle University College

Source searched (August 2022): findapprenticeshiptraining. apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/ courses/145

the required skills, knowledge and behaviours, and confirm their level of attainment – a pass, merit or distinction.

On completion, the apprentice will receive an Apprenticeship certificate from the Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education on their successful achievement via the employer.

LEVEL 3 SPORTS TURF APPRENTICESHIP

For those wishing to progress from their current Level 2 to Level 3 standard, the Level 3 Sports Turf Apprenticeship will be reinstated.

This new Advanced Sports Turf Technician release is imminent and is currently waiting for standard and EPA approval on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education website. This will be available to those working in sportsturf, grounds maintenance and golf greenkeeping.

The Level 3 qualification will take 24 months to complete and will include an emphasis on supervision, mentoring/ advising, evaluating gathered data relating to sportsturf performance, project work supervision, budgets and effective communication.

The required knowledge and skill sets will include overseeing the preparation of playing surfaces; the use of technologies; estimating and issuing maintenance plans; supervising machinery maintenance; soil, water and moisture management; evaluating turf products (fertilisers, bio-stimulants, surfactants, plant protection products etc); and promoting sustainable grounds maintenance.

Additional qualifications in pesticide application are mandatory and will be included in the funding if they have not already been achieved. Similarly, candidates must also have Level 2 in

THE LEVEL 3 NEW ADVANCED SPORTS TURF TECHNICIAN RELEASE IS IMMINENT AND IS CURRENTLY WAITING FOR STANDARD AND EPA APPROVAL

Apprentices are expected to be enrolled in the new programme this year

Professional recognition

The GMA has supported the employer-led group in the development of the Sports Turf Standards. These fit within the GMA’s Grounds Management Framework and complement a wider range of qualifications and training courses available to ground staff at all levels of sports and facilities.

maths and English (minimum GCSE Grade C/4).

In my opinion, having clear progression routes for those wishing to take the next step in management and demonstrate career opportunities is an important part of the narrative to further professionalise and attract personnel into the sportsturf industry. To this end, the next step would be to apply for the development of a Level 5 qualification in Sports Turf, in parity with the Level 5 Golf Course Manager Apprenticeship currently available.

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

For employers or managers seeking to recruit an apprentice or to offer

apprenticeships to existing employees, my advice is to find a suitable training provider that fits your business. Dayrelease and/or visits by the training provider to the workplace are the most common, and some providers also offer block-release (see ‘Sports Turf Apprenticeship providers’, left).

The apprentice will need to do ‘offthe-job training’ – a set amount of time dedicated to training and learning that relates to the skills, knowledge and behaviours of the apprenticeship. This is not part of an ordinary day’s work: it is undertaken during work’s paid time and is typically delivered by the training provider. This equates to one day or six hours per week (that is, day release) and can be flexible depending on seasonal workload. The remaining ‘on-the-job training’ is related to the apprentice’s role and is delivered by the employer.

Training providers will support apprenticeship provision and will often

have dedicated personnel in their team to give guidance and support. They can also advise on coinvestment, fees and incentive payments, as well as how to write a contract of employment, as well as health, safety and welfare for young persons’ risk assessments.

For more information, visit:

n apprenticeships.gov.uk

n gov.uk/employing-an-apprentice

n instituteforapprenticeships.org (search for ‘sports turf’ and/or ‘golf’)

Above and inset: Apprentices at Leicester City Football Club learn the ropes

EMPLOYERS OR MANAGERS SEEKING TO RECRUIT AN APPRENTICE SHOULD FIND A SUITABLE TRAINING PROVIDER THAT FITS THEIR BUSINESS

Pitchmark products line up in Qatar

Line-marking expert Pitchmark has been instrumental in preparing the stadia for the forthcoming world football event in the Middle East

In just under six weeks, Gareth Southgate and his Three Lions will head to Qatar for their next landmark competition, but preparations at their training camp at the Al-Wakrah Sports Complex started much sooner, with Pitchmark shining brightest in the Middle East.

Since Pitchmark’s inception in 2010, the Bristol-based company has supplied line-marking paints, equipment and machinery to top international stadia such as Wembley Stadium and international sporting events. In 2019, Pitchmark was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade after demonstrating an exceptional growth record and success overseas – and the past 12 months have been no different.

Pitchmark managing director Tim Rodman and group sales manager Oliver Boys have built strong relationships throughout the Middle East over the past few years, and their recent trip to Qatar focused on tailormade training and education sessions to suit the unique conditions. Hand-

built to the highest standards and proudly bearing the Made in Britain mark, Pitchmark’s Classic transfer wheel marker and the innovative three-wheeled Hybrid spray marker were on display at Stadium 974, Khalifa International Stadium and Lusail Stadium, as was the LineFix system.

Using semi-permanent ground sockets that remain installed in the pitch, LineFix is a unique system developed by the Pitchmark R&D team that has benefited customers at grassroots and professional stadia by not only increasing accuracy but simplifying the re-marking process. This will enable the grounds staff in Qatar to string out completely accurately every time.

As well as line marking, LineFix can also be used for pattern lines when cutting a pitch. With the different colours of sockets, the grounds staff in Qatar will be able to distinguish which sockets are installed for pitch markings from those installed for pattern lines. As goal-line technology advances, LineFix’s accuracy and straightness, combined with millimetre-accurate line width,

are essential to match officials when determining whether a ball has crossed the goal line. The precise mowing lines also contribute to improving the new semi-automated offside technology.

As part of Pitchmark’s recent visit, the pair also provided grounds staff with free legionnaire hats and water bottles to help them cope with the weatherintensive conditions in Qatar, as well as line marking handbooks for precise pitch measurements.

n If you would like to learn more about Pitchmark and its products, you can visit its exclusive UK distributor, Turfix, at SALTEX Stand E125 between 2 and 3 November at the NEC Birmingham.

A GAME-CHANGER FOR MORE SPORTS

The Football Foundation has launched a funding commitment for multi-sport facilities that will ensure more places to play in our communities

BY LIAM HANSON, FOOTBALL FOUNDATION COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS EXECUTIVE

The investment from the Premier League, the Football Association (FA) and Government charity the Football Foundation has traditionally been focused on improving football facilities only. However, the ultimate goal for the charity is to transform lives and strengthen communities by providing great places to play a wider range of sports.

Football can act as an enabler to boost multi-sport participation and that’s why, by 2025, the Football Foundation plans to commit 40 per cent of its investment in multi-sport projects that will support football as well other sports – including rugby, cricket, netball and basketball. This £92m three-year investment will be used to provide increased access to sports facilities so that more people can play the nation’s favourite sports.

PITCHPOWER ADVICE

Natural turf pitches are essential to grassroots sport, yet the state of grass pitches is consistently highlighted by local clubs and organisations as the biggest issue they face. In the last full season alone, more than 150,000 football matches were called off due to pitches being unplayable and groundskeepers have faced further challenges due to the drought conditions this past summer.

England men’s football manager Gareth Southgate offers his support at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub

FOOTBALL FOUNDATION

Championing sports

The Football Foundation made its funding announcement at one of its flagship multi-sport sites – Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub – and was supported by sport icons from football, rugby league, rugby union and cricket.

England’s head coaches for men’s football, men’s rugby union and men’s and women’s rugby league – Gareth Southgate, Eddie Jones, Shaun Wayne and Craig Richards respectively – as well as captain of the England women’s cricket team Heather Knight OBE came together to promote this funding initiative and highlight how a multi-sport partnership can encourage more people to play sport and get active.

BETTER-QUALITY PITCH

Many, however, have been getting helpful advice via the Football Foundation’s PitchPower free-to-use app. Through PitchPower, community clubs and organisations can carry out grass pitch inspections and receive bespoke advice and recommendations from GMA regional pitch advisors to help improve the grass pitch quality at their site. The Football Foundation is now making PitchPower available to grounds staff who manage rugby league and rugby union pitches, and it will also be available for use on cricket pitches in early 2023. This means that community

rugby and cricket clubs will be able to carry out grass pitch inspections and, from spring 2023, apply for £15m of Sport England National Lottery funding over the next three years to help make the improvements identified through the app.

MORE SPORT, MORE OFTEN

PitchPower has already been a gamechanger in the Football Foundation’s mission to transform the country’s grass football pitches, enabling over 14,000 pitch inspections over the last two years. Now it can be used to deliver the same

great benefits for rugby and cricket pitches too.

Better-quality grassroots pitch facilities across a variety of sports will mean that fewer matches will be postponed and will also create more opportunities to play. This will not only improve the nation’s physical and mental wellbeing, but will also benefit the places where we live and our local economies.

n For more funding information and to find out how to download the PitchPower app, visit: football foundation.org.uk/multi-sport

Multi-sport facilities in action

Leeds Modernians FC has benefited from more than £19,000 of Football Foundation funding towards the upgrade of its grass pitches, which support nine football, cricket and rugby teams.

Modernians grounds staff are also getting to grips with the Football Foundation’s PitchPower app to help them inspect their grass pitches to improve surface standards and extend playing opportunities.

Commenting on the benefits gained from using the app, Modernians chairman Chris Roy says: “Given what’s happened in the last two years with COVID-19, the club has lost a lot of money. The PitchPower app will be a massive help as it’ll give us clear instructions on what we need to do to improve our pitches to ensure we can get the game on.”

FACILITIES ACROSS A VARIETY OF SPORTS WILL MEAN FEWER MATCHES WILL BE POSTPONED

Rugby union coach Eddie Jones encourages the next generation of players

Leeds Modernians upgrade their football grounds

WOMEN’S EUROS LEGACY

The outcome of the Lionesses’ Euros victory should be equal access to playing opportunities and facilities for all women and girls across England

BY ROBERT SULLIVAN, CEO, FOOTBALL FOUNDATION

The wonderful and inspiring scenes as the Lionesses lifted the trophy at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 came at a very reflective moment for those who are tasked with enabling grassroots sport. Almost exactly 10 years from the glorious summer of 2012, the argument still rages over ‘legacy’ and what impact the London Olympics and Paralympics had in delivering a positive behavioural change in sports participation.

Legacy has become a difficult word –seemingly inextricably linked to any major sporting event bid, yet often ambiguous and problematic in its aftermath. While many have written at length in recent weeks about the legacy of the Women’s Euros, I want to focus specifically on three areas that could really make a difference and allow for a genuine and sustainable participation impact to emerge from the Lionesses’ success.

INCLUSIVE FACILITIES

First, young girls coming to football for the first time need a great place to play. At the Football Foundation, we believe that high-quality, accessible and inclusive facilities are vital to welcoming new participants to any sport –and to keep them interested, enjoy their experience and come back for more. Football Foundation grants have supported more than 6,000 women’s and girls’ teams over the past 22 years.

In the weeks since the England women’s victory, stories have already emerged of local clubs being inundated with requests from parents wishing to sign up their daughters to play football. This surge in demand is going to put even greater pressure on the number and quality of facilities across England. The Football Foundation, with the investment support of the Premier League, the Football Association (FA),

WE EXPECT THOSE WHO RECEIVE OUR FUNDING TO USE THEIR FACILITIES TO OPTIMISE THE GROWING OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ FOOTBALL OR RISK LOSING THEIR GRANTS

Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will meet this challenge.

Second, there needs to be a cultural change around equal access. A great new pitch will not enable growth in women’s and girls’ football if they can’t get on it. Too often, the best pitches and the best playing slots are booked up before the women’s and girls’ teams get a look in. Clubs and facility operators need to reflect on this ‘old thinking’. At the Football Foundation, we will not fund a

Football Foundation CEO Robert Sullivan says clubs need to make their facilities easier to access for women and girls

Lionesses captain Leah Williamson proudly lifts the Women’s Euro 2022 trophy

From cubs to Lionesses

More than two-thirds of the Lionesses learned their trade playing on pitches that have been improved thanks to Football Foundation funding, including captain Leah Williamson, record top scorer Ellen White and hero of the final Ella Toone.

In partnership with the DCMS, the Football Foundation is going to formally recognise this link between the Lionesses and their grassroots beginnings by naming grassroots facilities after the 23 players in and around each of their respective hometowns or places that shaped their footballing careers.

new facility unless it guarantees equal opportunities for women and girls to play. That means not just access to a pitch at 9pm on a Friday night or for an hour on a mid-week morning. Rather, it means we expect those who receive our funding to use their facilities to optimise the growing opportunity for women’s and girls’ football or risk losing their grants.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

The third area of focus underpins the first two. Unless we fundamentally improve the experience of girls playing football within schools, we will not see the real potential for a participation pull-through into the grassroots game. Fewer than two-thirds (63 per cent) of schools offer girls’ football in the curriculum and only 40 per cent offer any form of extra-curricular football. The FA has rightly campaigned to address this shortfall.

Girls should not feel marginalised within the formal or informal school environment for wanting to play football. They should be encouraged and enabled to the same level as their male classmates. PE teachers must embrace this generation of girls’ enthusiasm for the game and leverage the existing facilities and resources within schools that support boys’ football. The FA, Sport England, Youth Sports Trust and others are all out there working hard on this agenda, and I am optimistic that we will see real change in the next year or two.

So, while now is a time to celebrate the Lionesses’ victory, a lasting win for women’s football would be to see it really come home – to the heart of every school, club and community in England.

n To find out more about Football Foundation funding, visit: footballfoundation.org.uk

Providing girls with great places to play will foster a love of the sport and keep bringing them back for more

Making nationwide pitch improvement a reality

Phase 3 of the GMA’s Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme was renamed the Pitch Advisory Service and industry experts expanded its reach across the country’s community sport facilities. Here, we celebrate its successes

BY NATHAN WOODFORD-RÔTT, GMA SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING AND PR EXECUTIVE

This past year has been a highly significant one for the GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service (PAS). As the Phase 3 objective was centred around ‘planning for the future’, the programme received a boost from

experts in the field, as well as internal capability, which has resulted in many of the programme’s annual targets having been surpassed.

Over the last year, the Pitch Advisory Service team has expanded to provide

a dedicated service for an increasing number of sports.

Previously, the programme included key account managers Tom Rowley for football and Ian MatherBrewster for cricket, with eight regional pitch advisors

spread throughout England. Under the new structure, key account managers Darren Symonds and Richard Eastham have also been appointed to manage the rugby union and rugby league accounts respectively.

TAILORED APPROACH

These managers work alongside 11 regional pitch advisors, including one senior regional pitch advisor, Julien Morris, who are each assigned to a sport and a region of England. This new structure enables advisors to focus on a specific sport and their ability to tailor the expert advice they provide to help more grounds staff who work in community sport.

England Men’s manager Gareth Southgate gets hands on with Wembley head groundsman Karl Stanley

SPORT SPECIFIC

Currently funded by Sport England and the Football Foundation, and working in association with the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union, this year the GMA’s extended PAS team has successfully rolled out the programme across the county.

For example, the team of regional pitch advisors who work within cricket have exceeded their target for face-to-face pitch assessments by 179 per cent and have successfully delivered several informative seminars. This increase in engagement within the cricket community has also resulted in a 47 per cent

THE TEAM WHO WORK WITHIN CRICKET HAVE EXCEEDED THEIR TARGET FOR FACE-TO-FACE PITCH ASSESSMENTS BY 179 PER CENT

increase in the number of cricket county pitch advisors who are helping to improve pitch conditions across the country.

The appointment of a key account manager for rugby league has also been integral to expanding the team’s reach to a multitude of pitches across the country. In the six months leading to March 2022, Richard

Key account managers at the GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service

Tom Rowley, football

Tom leads a team of six regional pitch advisors within his role. Before joining the GMA, he spent six years at Leicester City FC, where he helped to maintain the club’s training grounds and the immaculate pitch at the King Power Stadium.

Ian Mather-Brewster, cricket

Ian leads his team of two regional pitch advisors within the cricket team. Armed with 28 years’ experience of being a practising groundsperson and a former county/ regional pitch advisor, Ian’s understanding of cricket turf management is second to none. He has a passion for raising the profile of grounds management and inspiring the next generation of cricket grounds staff.

Darren Symonds, rugby union

Darren leads a team of three regional pitch advisors in the rugby union team. He joined the GMA in January 2015 and worked for six years as the regional advisor for the South East, during which time he gained a FdSc in Sportsturf Science (distinction).

Richard covers the whole of England within his PAS role, which he has held for the past year. His grounds management career included the role of head groundsman at Chorley FC and Preston North End. He also worked at Liverpool FC for nine years and more recently held the role of deputy head groundsman at Manchester City FC’s City Football Academy.

Richard Eastham rugby league

Rugby is benefiting from PAS support

has carried out more than 60 face-to-face pitch assessments at rugby league community grounds.

The GMA has also appointed a dedicated key account manager for rugby union along with three regional pitch advisors, who together have visited and appraised more than 400 pitches across 148 sites across England between October 2021 and March 2022. Furthermore, the team witnessed their target for the number of grounds volunteers accessing informal training almost quadruple.

SETTING STANDARDS

The football team has had a highly successful year too, with the appointment of a senior regional pitch advisor in addition to its existing five regional pitch advisors. Together, they exceeded their assessment target by 650, with a total of 5,650 football pitches assessed via the Football Foundation’s PitchPower app.

There has also been an increase in the number of pitches achieving the ‘Good’ standard across England, with the figure now standing at an incredible 4,974 pitches, exceeding the target by 147. A ‘Good’ playing surface is one of good quality and safe for recreational sport, meeting the playing needs and expectations of community players nationwide.

These pitch assessments have enabled the use of the data collected to form benchmarks, which have

been a vital starting point for the integration of the PitchPower app and for the PAS programme going forward.

SUSTAINABLE FOCUS

To promote sustainable groundscare practices within community-level sport, a PAS research project is currently underway to minimise the amount of topdressing required when undertaking a full renovation. The GMA is exploring the use of a recycling dresser that can pull soil from depth and distribute it across the surface, which could cut costs by 50 per cent. This method will not only save money for community sport clubs, but will also reduce the carbon footprint by minimising material quantities and transportation.

As this year’s climate change-related weather events have highlighted, a lack of water for irrigation can be devastating to any grass pitch. Therefore, the GMA is also looking into vital research on how best to proactively approach a water deficit. Pitches can become hard and grass coverage can take longer to recover during hot, dry spells, and with a lack of irrigation systems within community sport, the need for research in this area is high on the GMA’s agenda.

While wetting agents are not a new concept, there has been little research into the effect of wetting agents on indigenous soil pitches. The GMA is exploring the effects of applying a wetting agent prior to rainfall through the spring and summer months, with the hope that the deterioration of pitches can be minimised. The aim is to improve playing quality while decreasing the amount of water used.

Unlock funding with PitchPower

Since launching in 2020, the Football Foundation’s easy-touse app, PitchPower, has revolutionised pitch inspections across England. With the support of experts at the GMA, community clubs and organisations are now able to use the app to carry out their own grass pitch inspections and receive bespoke advice and recommendations from the GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service (PAS) to improve the quality of their grass pitches.

PitchPower has already been a game-changer in transforming the country’s grass football pitches: in its trial period alone the GMA’s PAS team inspected more than 8,500 pitches using the app.

This summer, the free-to-use app has been given a revamp to improve user experience and to benefit more sports, and is now available to grounds staff who manage rugby league and rugby union pitches. It will also be available for use on cricket pitches in early 2023.

From spring 2023, once inspections have been completed, clubs and facilities can apply for a grant to support pitch improvements identified through the app. This is part of a £15m funding pot made available via the Football Foundation and funded by the Sport England National Lottery.

THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PITCHES ACHIEVING THE ‘GOOD’ STANDARD ACROSS ENGLAND

The PAS team aims to help football clubs achieve betterquality playiing surfaces

RUGBY PITCH PREP DOWN UNDER

We ask FMG Stadium turf manager Karl Johnson about overseeing training ground pitch preparation for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand

BY KAREN MAXWELL

What did your World Rugby role entail and how did you work this around your duties at FMG Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand?

A couple of years ago, I was asked to assist World Rugby with ensuring the selected training venues were up to tournament expectations. COVID-19 put the work back a year, but we then got back on track to ensure the pitches were up to World Rugby standards.

Due to rugby being a massive sport in New Zealand (NZ), the biggest challenge was always going to be preparing the pitches after they have had a busy winter as most of the training venues are club grounds that endure heavy winter usage. The biggest priority was ensuring all the venues came through the winter in good shape, and had detailed renovations planned and implemented ahead of the tournament period.

I am fortunate that my role as turf manager at FMG Stadium Waikato (rugby) and at Seddon Park (cricket) allows me to undertake projects such as this. My employer, H3 (Hamilton City Council), is aware I take on extra projects, but these are all done in my own time.

Having a great relationship with my employer means these projects become a ‘win-win’ for us both. I always learn things from the people I work with during projects, and I really enjoy being able to pass on my 36 years of turf experience to others. I work on the principle of ‘each one teach one’. This means if I learn something from someone, it’s then up to me to pass that learning onto someone else.

What are the pitch requirements for the tournament?

The main priority is always player safety. Ensuring the players are provided with high-quality, safe surfaces that allow them to show off their skills has always been the criteria set by World Rugby.

Presentation is key as well, as NZ venues were broadcasted all over the globe. NZ grounds staff take huge pride in their work, and this is something I have personally witnessed and been proud of throughout my career.

When are pitches renovated in NZ and what is the maintenance approach?

Most NZ venues would renovate in spring (September) and autumn (April). There were 16 training venues and three match venues used for the tournament, which all had different pitch preparation

requirements – from a natural turf club football pitch in Ngungaru to a hybrid turf system at Auckland’s Eden Park. They all had their own set programmes and maintenance processes to follow. I didn’t go in and set these for the grounds teams – I just worked alongside and mentored those who needed support.

It has been a low-key approach, with communication contributing greatly to the success of this model. Some venues required some extra assistance and work, whereas others were doing what they always do well.

The grounds staff who prepared these three venues were world class and very experienced, so no specific workshops were needed.

In your opinion, will the tournament help to encourage more women and girls to get involved with the game?

There was a lot of advertising across NZ in the run-up to the tournament. This was very family orientated, with tickets being affordable for all.

Women’s and girls’ rugby is on an increase in NZ and I have no doubt that hosting the World Cup will boost this interest. New Zealanders are very keen on their rugby, so I’m sure it will leave a lasting legacy for all.

Player safety is always a priority when preparing pitches for a tournament such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup

NZ GROUNDS STAFF TAKE HUGE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE WITNESSED AND BEEN PROUD OF THROUGHOUT MY CAREER

WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP

Ruby Tui of the New Zealand Black Ferns sprints for a try against the Australia Wallaroos at Eden Park, Aukland, New Zealand, 2021

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DESERT CHALLENGE

We catch up with FIFA senior pitch management manager Alan Ferguson to find out how Qatar’s pitches are shaping up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup

BY COLIN HOSKINS, FREELANCE WRITER

The FIFA World Cup Qatar

2022 has broken World Cup records even before the first ball has been kicked. Not only because the tournament is the first to be staged in a country where the high daytime temperatures are expected to be 35–37°C (and could exceed 40°C) nor because the event has set a new high in ticket sales of more than one million… and counting. But also because each of the eight match stadia are the first in the world to have precisely controlled pitch temperatures.

This feat is achieved via integrated systems of above-surface air

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conditioning, and sub-surface air and vacuum systems, all designed to maintain ideal turf health growing conditions in such extreme heat.

This innovative approach has been spearheaded by former FA and Ipswich Town FC grounds manager Alan Ferguson, who is also overseeing a comprehensive pitch care programme at the World Cup stadia and training pitches in Doha, Qatar’s capital on the Persian Gulf coast.

As FIFA’s senior pitch management manager, Alan leads a team that oversees pitch quality, management and maintenance for every FIFA tournament.

Alan’s career path

Alan has never been one to rest on his laurels. Having worked at Glasgow Rangers and Ipswich Town FC, he joined St George’s Park in 2011, where as head of grounds and estates he played a key role in establishing the 330-acre National Football Centre as the jewel in the crown of English football.

After a short spell of also looking after the Wembley Stadium pitch then running his pitch care consultancy (which included UEFA projects in Turkey, Dubai, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Kosovo, and work for FIFA in Russia for the 2018 World Cup), Alan was appointed FIFA’s in-house senior pitch management manager in 2018.

In addition to Qatar, Alan is also working on tournaments in Costa Rica (Women’s U-20 2022), India (Women’s U-17 2022), Indonesia (Men’s U-20 2023), Australia and New Zealand (Women’s World Cup and play-off tournament 2023) and Peru (Men’s U-17 2023).

Alan Ferguson, FIFA’s senior pitch management manager

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Alan – like his FIFA colleagues Kaj Heyral, group leader, infrastructure; Kris Puzio, pitch manager; and Christian Stiegler, head of stadium and infrastructure –orchestrates the pitch/turfcare teams for each FIFA tournament. It’s an enormous task and, in the case of this year’s World Cup, it involves eight stadia and 136 training pitches, as well as well more than 600 people (see ‘Doha’s World Cup legacy’, right).

TURF CONTROL

The 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium, which will host the opening game on 20 November and the final on 18 December, is one of seven stadia that have been built from scratch for the competition and, like its counterparts, the pitch has been constructed based on a USPGA (golf) specification that used local materials as far as possible. This specification includes a sand rootzone mix of at least 300mm, a 50mm intermediate layer (blinding or choker layer) and a 100mm gravel carpet.

The result is a pitch that effectively has a suspended water table to aid the irrigation and turfcare programmes.

“We’ve effectively got eight stadia in a desert,” says Alan, “and while sand is obviously in abundance, it is very fine and not ideal for pitch building. In all cases, we’ve had to amend the sand and add conditioners to enable it to work in terms of turf growth.

“Importantly, each pitch has had vacuum and ventilation installed to allow effective temperature control in

Doha’s World Cup legacy

Qatar has reportedly spent more than US$200 billion (£170bn) on World Cup infrastructure including roads, hotels and the stadia. Seven of the eight stadia have been constructed specifically for the World Cup and the Khalifa International Stadium has been renovated. All stadia are located within a 21-mile radius of Doha and access to each is via a rail network.

While discussions continue over the exact plans for the Doha stadia post World Cup, it is understood that Qatar has won the rights to host the Asian Cup in 2027 so, despite earlier reports that all but one of the Doha stadia will be demolished, all the stadia could remain.

the rootzones, thus creating optimum conditions for growing turf in the desert. The vacuum and ventilation, [integrated with the stadium’s air conditioning system], operate on similar principles to ground source heat pumps by giving each grounds team full control of the above- and below-ground environments. Additionally, each stadium has a set of grow lights, which allows 100 per cent control of the individual microclimates.” Every stadium pitch is hybrid turf (seven SIS, apart from Lusail Stadium

which is GrassMax) and each is based on Seashore Platinum TE Paspalum grass that has been overseeded with perennial ryegrass. A warm season perennial, Paspalum is very salt and heat tolerant as well as durable, but it tends to suffer at the lower night temperatures (14–17°C in Qatar), which is why rye has been added to help with striping/presentation, particularly at tournament time when Qatar is transitioning from summer to winter temperatures.

An enormous turf farm covering 425,000sq m – equal to 40 football pitches – supports the Doha-based playing surfaces.

PITCH REQUIREMENTS

Alan’s remit is to oversee the delivery of the FIFA Pitch Requirements, which include the key directives that each pitch in Qatar must:

n be stitched to enhance surface stability

n be fully irrigated – 50,000 litres of desalinated seawater each day in the summer; 10,000 litres in winter

n have the appropriate number of grow lights (SGL) based on the stadium’s hemi survey (of sunlight)

n have vacuum and ventilation systems, while being able to deal with the deluges of rain that can happen in Doha in December (the USPGA pitch construction permits high infiltration and percolation rates); these systems provide full temperature control of the rootzone

n have a full range of turf equipment –i.e. appropriate mowers (Dennis) and blade grinders (Bernhard – one in each stadium)

WE’VE EFFECTIVELY GOT EIGHT STADIA IN A DESERT AND WHILE SAND IS OBVIOUSLY IN ABUNDANCE, IT IS VERY FINE AND NOT IDEAL FOR PITCH BUILDING

Grow lights at Lusail Stadium

Above-surface air conditioning

n be maintained by fully trained staff – a programme of workshops delivered pitch education to 611 members of the grounds teams at the stadia and at the training sites.

These requirements were relayed to Aspire Sports Turf (see ‘FIFA’s pitch care hierarchy’, below) whose 23-strong team ran all the subsequent procurement processes for the turfcare equipment, as well as the specialised technologies such as pitch installation, vacuum systems and grow lights. Aspire works

with the contractors to carry out the day-to-day tasks.

“FIFA knew that bringing the World Cup to the Middle East would not be easy,” Alan says. “But each stadium pitch has been set up in the same way, with only minor local differences that depend on the angle of the pitch to the sun. We were always going to manage the microclimates and allow pitch renovations to be undertaken in August/September (rather than mid-December, the norm for this part of the world). We had to create

FIFA’s pitch care hierarchy

Alan and his FIFA pitch management team members –Kaj Heyral, Kris Puzio and Christian Stiegler – sit within FIFA World Cup Division’s stadium infrastructure team. While Alan deals with the day-to-day and overall build of the pitch projects and tournament deliveries of all World Cup tournaments, both Christian and Kaj help him with the politics surrounding each project and manage the budgets.

In Qatar, Alan is working closely with Aspire Sports Turf, which is part of the supreme committee from the host country and ensures FIFA pitch requirements are met by the contractors (611 people work on the stadia and training ground pitches).

Alan also has a team of pitch venue managers drawn from clubs and stadia around the world – including several head groundspeople/grounds

environments where the ryegrass could be oversown in temperatures of up to 45°C – we could only do this by artificial means and this has never been done before on this scale.” Turf height will be maintained at 20mm for the matches.

RIGOROUS TESTING

Alan explains: “All pitches are tested daily to international standards and the results are entered into our GrasPro pitch management data collection system. This allows the performance features of every pitch to be tracked to ensure pitch conditions remain optimal, with appropriate agronomic support coming from iTurf under the guidance of its chief technical officer, Andy Cole.

“We’ve been tracking pitch performance for almost three years and have a fantastic data bank, which will also enable us to create base requirements for the 2026 World Cup pitch programme. The full real test of the Doha pitches was undertaken in 2021 during the FIFA Arab Cup (the test event for the 2022 World Cup) with matches staged at each of the eight stadia. All pitches showed good results.”

managers from the UK – who will be in Doha for three weeks to each ‘look after’ one stadium and five training sites by offering expert support to the local grounds teams.

Alan and his FIFA colleagues also work in the World Cup tournament group: Men’s and Women’s U-17, Men’s and Women’s U-20, FIFA World Cup Men, FIFA World Cup Women and Club World Cup.

ALL PITCHES ARE TESTED DAILY TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND THE RESULTS ARE ENTERED INTO OUR GRASPRO DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM

Installing new turf at Lusail Stadium

Two of the 611-strong grounds team maintain the turf height

Al Thumama Stadium’s pitch under construction

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READY TO ROLL

We explore this year’s Rugby League World Cup venue preparations and the tournament’s projected legacy outcomes

BY AARON GALES, RLWC COMMUNICATIONS LEAD

This year’s Rugby League World Cup (RLWC21), which is taking place at venues across England after a year’s delay due to COVID-19, is the first time that the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions are being run side by side.

In the run-up to the event, the organising committee has offered support to all its host venues regarding pitch preparation – whether that be guidance on rugby league-specific markings, knowledge sharing opportunities or support in sourcing the necessary equipment.

VENUE ENGAGEMENT

A variety of criteria were put in place when the committee went through the process of assessing venues for the tournament’s 61 matches. Clearly, there was a practical element in terms of venues having the appropriate facilities in place to host a major sporting event and there also needed to be the desire from the venue to get involved.

A total of 61 matches will be played during the RLWC21 at various venues throughout England, which have been meticulously prepared for the event

As a sport that has a strong association with ‘the north’, the committee wanted to use the profile of the World Cup to take rugby league to new places and grow the game further afield, which is why hosting one of the men’s semi-finals at the Emirates Stadium – home of Arsenal FC and the first time the venue has staged a major sporting event that isn’t football –is so important for taking the game to a new audience.

Warrington, on the other hand, is a well-known, passionate rugby league area and Warrington Wolves RLFC has been hugely supportive, not just of the tournament, but of community rugby league and in particular Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL). The club was a natural fit to be one of our tournament hosts and it will stage three men’s group games as well as one of the men’s quarter finals.

Warrington’s passion for PDRL also made it the natural choice to host the PDRL tournament, which will be the

RLWC21 pitch dimensions are standard across all venues

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first time the tournament has taken place under the same banner as the other three tournaments.

The game is very similar to normal rugby league, but with fewer players on each team, as the game is nine a side. The players also play on half a pitch rather than a full-size one, and the games are 50 minutes rather than 80. In terms of pitch adaptations, the Halliwell Jones Stadium is already well equipped to host the tournament and no major adaptations are required in terms of playing surfaces.

GROUNDS SUPPORT

All the RLWC21 tournament venues already have excellent grounds staff in place, whether they are a rugby league club such as St Helens or Huddersfield Giants, or a football club such as Arsenal or Manchester United. They are very experienced at producing and maintaining fantastic pitches for use on a regular basis, so the organising committee had no concerns whatsoever about them producing

Tournament venues

n Bramall Lane, Sheffield

n DW Stadium, Wigan

n Elland Road, Leeds

n Emirates Stadium, London

n Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington

n Headingley Stadium, Leeds

n John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield

n Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster

n Kingston Park, Newcastle

n Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

n MKM Stadium, Hull

n Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester

n Ricoh Arena, Coventry

n Riverside Stadium, Middlesborough

n St James’ Park, Newcastle

n Totally Wicked Stadium,

St Helens

n University of Bolton, Bolton

playing surfaces that are suitable for the tournament.

However, at venues such as the Emirates Stadium and Middlesborough FC’s Riverside Stadium, where grounds staff have no prior experience of hosting rugby league matches, the committee have put them in touch with experienced grounds staff at venues such as Headingley Stadium to share knowledge on installing rugby league posts and pitch marking.

There were standard guidelines for grounds staff to follow. Regarding pitch markings for both the men’s and women’s running game, pitch dimension guidelines are standard at all venues: 100m goal line to goal line; a width of 68m and a 6m in-goal area. For the wheelchair game, pitch dimensions are: 40m goal line to goal line, a width of 20m and a 3m in-goal area.

RLWC21 LEGACY

Regarding its sporting legacy, RLWC21 stands for much more than the 61 matches. It is a tournament that wants to make a positive difference in communities, particularly in host towns and cities, some of which are in the most deprived areas in the country.

The tournament’s Social Impact programme has focused particularly on the north of England and on tackling inequalities through providing more opportunities for people living in those communities.

A big part of this work has been its CreatedBy programme, which was the catalyst for projects to secure additional funding leading to an overall financial investment of more than £21m, delivered in partnership with the rugby football league.

This has already been transformational for rugby league and community facilities across the country, with a particular emphasis on making the sport more accessible for women and girls plus people with disabilities.

The Rugby League World Cup showcases the sport

AS RUGBY LEAGUE HAS A STRONG ASSOCIATION WITH ‘THE NORTH’, THE COMMITTEE WANTED TO USE THE PROFILE OF THE WORLD CUP TO GROW THE GAME FURTHER AFIELD

TECHNICAL INSIGHT

Minimising the impact of climate change

As we experience more significant climate extremes, what alternative pitch management techniques can we employ to ensure safe surfaces for play throughout the year? BY

Many of us have had to mitigate the effects of climate change in sportsturf management over the past few years as weather patterns become more extreme.

In clay soils, for example, it is almost impossible to avoid cracking during dry

ALEX VICKERS, GMA TURF ADVISORY CONSULTANT

periods and, if your pitch is drained, settlement along the drain lines too. The only way to prevent this is irrigation, but this is expensive and in drought periods it can be difficult to justify.

However, the impact of drainage on drought

tolerance can be minimised by careful design, such as using rootzone instead of sand as backfill. Nevertheless, if you want your drainage to work, it will inevitably make your drought issues worse.

The degree of cracking on winter sports pitches

and cricket outfields can be managed to some extent by regularly slitting the pitch when it is soft enough. This puts lots of lines of weakness in the soil, which result in more cracks, but fewer wide ones, although you need to slit in various directions.

TECHNICAL INSIGHT DEALING WITH CLIMATE EXTREMES

This method was used to improve surface water infiltration and reduce cracking during dry periods at Trimpell Cricket Club. Following flooding of their ground, they decided to slit the outfield. On drying, the slit lines opened as the clay soils shrank, creating deep, wide cracks that were almost impossible to make safe.

To remedy this, the club’s groundsman, Peter McDermid, slit the outfield over and over again to create many more crack lines. The result this year was an outfield that still had many cracks, but none were wider than 1cm. The surface was safe to play on and will also allow water to infiltrate more easily in the winter.

CREATING A STABLE STRUCTURE

Another way to minimise the impact of drought is to maximise the amount of water stored in the soil. The key to this is improving the soil structure to create a stable network of macropores and storage pores to maximise infiltration and water-holding capacity. Avoiding and relieving compaction is key to this, especially in sandy soils, which are more prone to compaction. This includes minimising the trafficking of pitches in the spring and autumn, controlling their use in poor conditions and carrying out regular decompaction works.

Getting organic matter into the topsoil will also help to create a stable structure, and improve water-holding capacity and infiltration.

Topdressing with compost is not recommended, as it can create a slippery layer at the surface when wet and be prone to dry patch when dry. Regular applications of compost tea or liquid organic amendments such as seaweed extract can be helpful.

Controlling thatch by regular scarification can also minimise dry patch in summer and game cancellations in winter due to surface waterlogging. In severe cases, the use of a wetting agent can help and, if applied in late spring, this can also help to make the most of any summer rainfall. Furthermore, learning to love worms can really help to control compaction, thatch and improve soil structure –although it isn’t so easy to love them on cricket squares or bowling greens.

At sports venues in the south and east regions of the UK, grounds staff now tend to overseed in both the spring and autumn. However, some grounds staff have now moved to only overseeding in late summer or early autumn to avoid wasting seed in spring.

Maximising rooting depth is helpful, but the key issue is the length of the grass. Typically, the longer the grass, the deeper the rooting

–but care is needed. Once grass gets longer than 50mm, it begins to thin out, reducing sward density. Allowing it to get to 100mm will result in a thin sward once cutting height is lowered ahead of the new season. Keeping it between 50mm and 60mm is probably a good compromise for winter sports pitches during the summer.

Keeping the pitch surface even can make a big impact in reducing game cancellations in wet weather, as water has nowhere to gather, so topdress if needed and work the dressing into the low spots.

RESTORE AND RENEW

Ultimately, maintenance work has limits and, in

extreme events such as the drought experienced by many in the UK this past summer, it is only possible to maintain grass cover for so long without irrigation. Overseeding and sensible fertilisation in the autumn and spring will be needed to restore grass swards baked brown over the last few months.

Likewise, without drainage some pitches may never be playable in most winters. Even with good drainage design and careful management, in some parts of south-east England irrigation is becoming vital following drainage works to maintain surfaces so they can be used safely all year round.

KEEPING THE PITCH SURFACE EVEN CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT IN REDUCING GAME CANCELLATIONS IN WET WEATHER

Slitting the surface after the floods at Trimpell

Winter flooding at Trimpell Cricket Club

ONE WAY TO MINIMISE THE IMPACT OF DROUGHT IS TO MAXIMISE THE AMOUNT OF WATER STORED IN THE SOIL. THE KEY TO THIS IS IMPROVING THE SOIL STRUCTURE

(-Complex® isan organic mineral fertiliser that features aerobically composted manure, enriched with humic acids to help stimulate microbial activity and create a strong, healthy sward.

CalciComplex® is an organic mineral fertiliser containing calcium and magnesium alongside humic acids, to enhance natural growth and maximise plant health.

(-Complex

(-Complex® Sport Designed for coarse turf, featuring extended release organic potassium.

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Nematode management

When it comes to managing problematic plant parasitic nematodes in sportsturf, planning ahead is essential

BY DR DEBORAH COX, MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST AND MD, LAGAN VALLEY SCIENTIFIC

Nematodes, microscopic roundworms, are naturally occurring organisms and an important part of the soil food web, and to find them in turfgrass is completely normal. However, while the majority are harmless, a fraction of these organisms depend on plants to survive and are highly damaging.

Particularly in new rootzone constructions, plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) populations can build to critical levels in a short amount of time, which affects plant performance, susceptibility to stress and interaction with other pathogens.

Importantly, in situations where critically high PPN populations require management, the goal isn’t to completely eliminate them; instead, we can aim to improve plant vigour through the use of biostimulants, introduce cultural practices to reduce stress and consider applying

a nematicide treatment at the appropriate time in the life cycle to relieve pressure by reducing the population.

THE THREE STEPS OF NEMATODE MANAGEMENT

specifically in turf, a proactive and open mindset is needed to be best prepared for the biological challenges that may lie ahead.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY TYPES OF PPN AND WHETHER YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION

1: RAISING

STEP

AWARENESS, AUDITING AND REVIEW OF SITESPECIFIC NEEDS

Nematode issues in coolseason turf are becoming more common across all turf types. Due to their ubiquitous nature, climate change and a shrinking list of treatment options

Symptoms of nematode damage (chlorosis, thinning, wilting, unexpected response to irrigation or fertilisation etc) can be more pronounced when abiotic stress is high and decline in the sward can often be mistaken for other issues because of the generic nature of the plant response.

As an industry, we are more data driven now than ever before. Creating records of where and when potential symptoms develop is an important first task because issues can reoccur in the same area. Imaging (especially from above) and marking suspicious positions as accurately as possible on a map are invaluable because they will enable you to return to the same position at a later time to reassess a situation, regardless of the severity of the symptoms.

Nematode test results are essential in planning and an accurate assessment begins with a sound sampling plan. Sampling guidance can vary on a case-by-case basis depending on symptoms severity and distribution. As a general rule of thumb, aim to reasonably restrict the overall sampling area wherever possible.

Eight 15cm-deep cores of 1.5cm diameter that are representative of the symptoms per ~250sq m tends to work very well across a range of soil and turf types. Data in historical reports can help guide sampling because the same type of nematode tends to recur spatially (horizontally). However, nematode populations fluctuate a lot (temporally and vertically), so discussing

Climate change means cyst nematodes (Heterodera, left) are becoming more of a problem on, for example, bowling greens and tennis courts, while Meloidogyne (centre) and Hemicycliophora (right) are two nematodes that affect stadia pitches

A PROACTIVE AND OPEN MINDSET IS NEEDED TO BE PREPARED FOR THE BIOLOGICAL CHALLENGES THAT MAY LIE AHEAD

sampling with a laboratory can be useful.

The validity of nematode test data (specifically the number of mobile individuals in the rootzone belonging to a particular genus – this becomes important in step 3)is about one to two weeks from the time of sampling. Therefore, after sampling it is important that the sample shipping, testing and reporting, decision to act based on results, and executing a response are swift and coordinated.

While many types can be found, two nematodes

that are problematic in stadia pitches are root-knot (Meloidogyne sp.), and sheath (Hemicycliophora sp.). While perennial ryegrass (Loliumperenne) is capable of tolerating Meloidogyne in particular at exceptionally high levels, when it is combined with stress or a secondary pathogen chlorotic rings and loose-rooted turf can result.

In turf not grown in stadia – for example, bowling greens, training ground pitches, racetracks, tennis courts etc – there is a greater range of PPNs that can cause

issues. Those of particular note are the cyst nematodes (Heterodera sp.). These nematodes are more active when soil temperatures are cooler.

This means that as our winters shorten, with fewer prolonged periods of very low temperatures that usually act as a natural suppressor, Heterodera activity is increasing.

STEP 3: TAKING ACTION

Historically, carbamates and organophosphates dominated nematode control strategies.

When these products were applied, it mattered less what type of nematode was involved and they provided long-lasting protection from a single application. Research into their lesstoxic replacements suggest that although potency is unquestioned, there are some practical limitations in their use.

Many factors are now critical to take into account, including soil type, nematode type and physical distribution of the product itself. Furthermore, the longevity of these newer chemistries in the rootzone is comparatively reduced. As newer actives need to come into direct contact with the cuticle of the nematode target, incorporating knowledge of PPN life cycles into management decisions is now essential.

With global initiatives in reducing plant protection product usage, and adoption of safer and less toxic chemistries, consolidating our knowledge of pathogen biology and nematicide mode of action has never been more important.

MANY FACTORS ARE NOW CRITICAL TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, INCLUDING SOIL TYPE, NEMATODE TYPE AND PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRODUCT ITSELF

Meloidogyne nematodes are about a third of a millimetre in length and feed on grass roots, stunting turf growth. This means they can be a real problem in stadia pitches (inset)

Maintaining sports grounds across the UK

Three organisations explain how they utilise industry products and services to ensure their grounds and facilities are kept in top condition

WARRINGTON WOLVES GET PITCH PERFECT WITH ICL GRASS SEED

From seed to nutrition, ICL’s integrated turf management programme is helping rugby league club Warrington Wolves to modernise its grounds.

Head groundsman Niall Hazlehurst had worked at Bolton Wanderers FC, Rochdale AFC and Fulham FC before joining Warrington Wolves. “When I joined, I was given a blank canvas,” he says. “There were many old machines, so we cleared everything out and started afresh. It was time to modernise the department and the pitch.”

Niall’s first action was to investigate new grass seed options at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. After seeing it perform well at other venues, Niall decided to go with ICL’s ProSelect 1 Premium Pitch. Combining four top-ranked perennial ryegrasses, it provides a fast-recovering, dense, hard-wearing surface.

“My plan was to use ICL’s nutritional products and the seed, as the cultivars in ProSelect 1 rank highly in the BSPB ratings,” he says. “Last season, we scarified as much as possible and overseeded with the ProSelect 1, and had really good results. It has helped keep Poa at bay, and the germination and establishment were quick. Now that the seed has had a chance to establish, we no longer get big divots when the rugby players come together.”

n Find out more at: icl-sf.com

GARSONS GROUP DELIGHTED WITH VERSATILE GKB TOPDRESSER

Garsons Group has invested in a GKB Sandspreader to deliver topdressing to sports surfaces within its contracting and maintenance services.

“The GKB SP100 is a good-sized machine that suits the variety of work we do,” says Garons Group director Gareth Davies. “We’re conducting renovations, reconstructions and maintenance for winter sports and cricket pitches, and golf courses, so we needed a Sandspreader with a large enough hopper capacity to be efficient, but also allows access to smaller sites,” he explains.

Gareth estimates the company has already applied 4,000 tonnes of sand with the GKB Sandspreader. “The SP100 holds one cubic metre of material at a time, so we can apply over 100 tonnes in a day, which is critical when the team is working to tight schedules,” he says.

The GKB SP100 is the smallest unit in the Sandspreader range. Larger models offer up to four cubic metres of hopper capacity. The material is transported from the hopper to the adjustable metering valve via an internal conveyor belt, before being evenly distributed via the doubledisc hydraulic spinners.

n Find out more at: gkbmachines.com

HARTPURY

SWITCHES TO ELECTRIC WITH JOHN DEERE FOR ITS 360-HECTARE SITE

Embracing electric and improving efficiency were two reasons why Hartpury University and College in Gloucester turned to John Deere for a new fleet of machines to help maintain a varied and challenging site.

The 360-hectare campus is best known for its agricultural and land-based courses, but in recent years the site has developed cutting-edge sports facilities, alongside the world’s largest equine educational facility.

Hartpury has eight grass pitches for football and rugby, two synthetic pitches, a nine-hole pitch and putt, a golf range, a golf shortgame practice area and a multitude of amenity grounds.

“We’ve now changed from diesel gators to electric gators. We started moving to electric for our smaller kit about six years ago when we changed to electric strimmers, followed by our blowers and hedge cutters,” says Matthew Newman, grounds and sportsturf manager at Hartpury.

The facility has purchased six Gator TEs, an 8800A TerrainCut surrounds mower, a 4066R tractor on Galaxy turf tyres and a second 4066R on standard tyres with a 440R Loader, two Z994R mowers with a 60in cutting deck and a 220SL greens mower.

John Deere dealer Tallis Amos also supplied two robotic mowers, a tine aerator, four-cylinder mowers, a slitter and a rotary deck roller mower.

n Find out more at: deere.co.uk

The 8800A TerrainCut surrounds mower offers excellent performance

The GKB SP100’s hopper holds one cubic metre of material

Niall Hazlehurst

WINTER OPERATIONS

The GMA’s seasonal maintenance guide to help you keep your sports surfaces in top condition all year round

Bowling greens

n Earthworm casts may be present, so regular drag brushing and aeration to keep the surface open to improve surface drainage and drying may help reduce the effects of earthworm activity.

n Drag brush or switch to remove morning dew, and to disperse casts during dry, windy conditions.

n Watch out for disease pressures during mild, damp spells, and consider applying a low-nitrogenbalanced fertiliser to promote resilience to disease attack if growth is continuing.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf being smothered.

n Keep the grass topped at a suitable height, should growth dictate. This will also help to reduce the chance of disease attack in longer grass due to the increased humidity and damper atmosphere among its leaves.

n Ensure machinery is booked in for service

and prepare your maintenance schedule for next year, along with a budget requirement.

n Finish off any turf repairs that might be outstanding.

n Ensure the surrounds to the green are clean and tidy, and that any outstanding work is being completed.

Cricket squares

n Most likely the square will be too wet to carry out much work once we enter deep winter, but identify opportunities to carry out operations in suitable conditions.

n Carry out or book in services for equipment and machinery.

n If any earthworm activity is noticed, try

not to smear the casts –hand-pick or brush in dry conditions to disperse them instead.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf in the square being smothered.

n An autumn/winter, fertiliser application would help sustain grass plant health throughout the off-season.

n If possible, erect fencing to protect the cricket square from animal damage.

n Check for disease activity and, if identified, treat accordingly.

n Continue to brush as regularly as possible to allow the sward to remain upright and to remove excess moisture/dew.

n If possible, aerate using solid tines when conditions allow.

n If the ground conditions allow, mow the sward by topping off lightly with a rotary mower.

Cricket outfields

n Check for damage routinely, especially if used for winter sports, and make repairs when conditions allow, paying attention to bowlers’ run-up areas.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf being smothered.

n Subject to growth, if climatic and ground conditions allow, mow by topping off, employing a rotary cut if possible.

n Brushing or turf grooming will aid grass health. Brush to clear dew where possible. Brushing when dry and on a windy day will assist in dispersing worm casts.

n If conditions allow, aeration can improve the condition and quality of the outfield.

Football pitches

n Divoting is a key task at this time of year. Repairs need to be made to maintain a reasonable surface for as long as possible.

n A light topping off might still be required if conditions allow and growth continues.

Maintenance of cricket squares is tricky in wet conditions

Turf on bowling greens should be kept at a suitable height to prevent disease

n An autumn/winter feed should be applied to aid resilience to disease.

n Brush and/or harrow to clear morning dew and disperse earthworm casts in the dry – these cultural practices will increase air flow around the plant and reduce disease pressures.

n Slit tine aerate the pitch if smearing of the soil is not going to take place. Be prepared to stop if conditions are found to be unsuitable, as more harm than good will be done by continuing.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf being smothered.

n A decompaction operation would be beneficial if it is performed in suitable conditions ahead of the cold/wet weather.

n Overseed and dress worn areas as required through the season –little and often. Cover to retain heat and moisture if possible.

n Hand fork goalmouths and centre circles to maintain drainage potential. Do not undertake operations with heavy machinery over the pitch if the profile is holding water.

n Understanding when to leave the pitch alone can be just as important as the work you carry out during this time of year.

Horse racecourses

n Avoid the use of heavy machinery over the winter months when ground conditions are generally unsuitable.

n Aeration can be carried out during dry periods assuming the soil moisture content is not high.

n Continue to divot and carry out hand repair after each meeting.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf being smothered.

n A light topping off of the sward might be required by the end of the winter period.

n Look ahead to planning/ordering materials ready for the April renovation work.

Rugby league pitches

n A light topping off might still be required if conditions allow and growth continues.

n If the above is the case, an autumn/winter feed

should be applied to aid resilience to disease.

n All machinery should be looked at for endof-season repair or servicing.

n Find time to perform isolated pitch repairs, replacing and repairing any divots or areas of thin cover.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf being smothered.

n Some form of aeration would be useful. Slitting or even hand forking would be good for airflow and drainage.

n Drag brush to disperse of dew and to stand the grass up.

n A light top-dressing of worn areas with sand may be required.

Rugby union pitches

n Soil conditions may become unsuitable for routine aeration. Selective hand forking in isolated areas is to be encouraged.

n Decompaction would be beneficial if performed in suitable conditions ahead of the cold/wet weather setting in.

n Sanding of wet or bare areas may also be required.

n A topping off of the grass may be required, subject to growth and ground conditions, but a little extra length at this time of year will help counter some of the wear.

n Machinery should be prepared for its winter servicing schedule.

n Ensure line markings have good consistency.

n Drag brush the pitch to produce a striping effect and remove dew.

n Replacing divots and making hand repairs is critical to sustaining surface quality throughout these winter months.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf being smothered.

Tennis courts

n Little work will typically be required during the winter period, except for the essential removal of dew and earthworm casts, and watching for signs of disease attack.

n Aerate using small diameter solid tines if conditions permit, although ground conditions may now be unsuitable for most of the time.

n Remove leaves and other debris to prevent the turf being smothered.

n Occasional topping off of the grass may be required, subject to growth and ground conditions.

n If the grass continues growing, pay attention to turf nutrient levels.

n Machinery should be given an annual service during the next few months.

n For more seasonal maintenance tips, visit: resources.thegma.org.uk

Replace divots and do hand repairs during the winter months

Remove leaves and debris from tennis courts

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

THE LATEST GROUNDSCARE TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES

REDEXIM

ASPEN Redexim Verti-Drain 2519 sets the benchmark

EXPERIENCE THE ASPEN DIFFERENCE WITH NEW MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

Aspen is returning to SALTEX with its range of alkylate fuels for two- and four-stroke engines. Alkylate petrol is formed from the gases produced when refining oil. The alkylation process turns those excess gases into a liquid alkylate, before combining them with some additional components to create a finished fuel that is significantly purer than traditional petrol. Content of harmful and hazardous hydrocarbons and polyaromatics (PAH) is close to zero.

As Redexim UK continues to celebrate its 40th anniversary, the latest iteration of where it all began – the iconic Verti-Drain® – will be showcased at SALTEX. The Verti-Drain® 2519 is the most recent addition to the Redexim range that has often been imitated, but its quality never matched.

The 2519 model has now set the benchmark when it comes to high-speed, high-productivity aerators. Featuring a 1.9m working width, the 2519 can cover almost 9,000sq m per hour when spaced at 165mm, thanks to its PTO speed of up to 540rpm. As standard, the Verti-Drain 2519 comes with 12mm solid tines, but it can accept a range of solid tine options up to 19mm and hollow tines for coring. This versatility, combined with a variable working depth of up to 250mm, makes it suitable for an array of end users and across the full spectrum of the maintenance calendar.

n redexim.com

GKB launches new sustainable solution for leaf clearance

The GKB Leaf Reducer offers an economic and environmentally friendly alternative to the time-consuming task of leaf collection, effectively mulching the material and returning it, and its nutrients, back onto the surface to improve impoverished soils.

The Leaf Reducer has been developed in response to demand from local authorities looking for a more sustainable working method to using blowers, vacuums and trucks to collect and dispose of fallen leaves. In a single pass, the flails on the Leaf Reducer collect the leaves before a turbine provides both initial fragmentation and the airflow needed to pull the material into the machine where it is milled into a fine mulch. The fine ‘porridge-like’ material is then returned to the surface via a rotatable rear ejector.

The Leaf Reducer is available with a 1.5m working width, and an adjustable working height to treat areas with both low and higher heights of cut.

n gkbmachines.com

The cleaner burn achieved with Aspen also helps to maintain engine performance and reliability, and preserve the life of engine components that can be susceptible to clogging or failure when running on conventional pump fuel – especially if equipment has been left in storage for any significant period of time. Those wishing to experience the difference can trial Aspen risk-free with a new money-back guarantee – with an option to return the unused fuel if they don’t notice the significant improvements to sustainable working practices.

n aspenfuel.co.uk

WIEDENMANN

WIEDENMANN SHOWS OFF WORLD-CLASS SUPER 500 AND 600 SWEEPER/ COLLECTORS

Weidenmann’s innovative machines assure high productivity, neatness and versatility.

Have you heard about the Super 500 and 600 high-dump sweeper/ collectors? From leaf sweeping and collecting to flail/fraise mowing and scarifying, these are as popular as they are versatile. The Super 500 has a 2,500-litre tank while the Super 600 has 4,500 litres.

They tip into trailers at any height up to 2.1m. They also come with class-leading safety features, making them safe on undulations.

n wiedenmann.co.uk

GKB

ONE MOTOR. MULTIPLE TOOLS. BATTERY POWERED.

t:tilll• SYSTEM

PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE: THE KMA 135 R CORDLESS KOMBIENGINE. WITH BG·KM LEAF BLOWER.

AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL STIHL APPROVED DEALER

The Ktv1A 135 R KombiEngine is perfect for professionals that need to take on different types of jobs, thanks to its 12 interchangeable KombiTools. So whether you're trimming grass, clearing leaves, cutting hedges or pruning trees - you'll be ready for any challenge.

We will feature over 30 cordless professional outdoor power equipment tools, including chainsaws, blowers, hedge trimmers, grass trimmers, brush cutters, multi-tools, and power cutters. Walk behind products include utility carts, lawnmowers up to 61cm (twin blade) and the new Zero Turn ride-on mower launch.