Better care has resulted in improved pitch quality and greater use
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
By Kevin Duffill Regional pitch advisor
The Trubshaw Cross Ladsandads’ pitches have gone from being waterlogged, to doubling the number of teams using them, and the grounds team has been named Staffordshire FA Groundsteam of the Year
T
he Trubshaw Cross Ladsandads football club was founded in 1967 by Doug Brown, a former Stoke Lord Mayor, with the aim of increasing opportunities for children who didn’t make schools teams to play football. Trubshaw Cross was the founding branch of the Staffordshire Ladsandads club. Trubshaw Cross consists of more than 10 pitches of varying sizes, located on two levels across the three-hectare facility. Historically, the pitches were maintained by Stoke City Council, which undertook limited mowing and marking. Postponements were numerous and the pitches were prone to
Maintenance carried out per pitch Cutting – �ve hours per cut
Marking out – �ve hours for all pitches
Drag mat/brush – three hours for all pitches
Aeration: star spiker – �ve hours for all pitches
waterlogging. In 2015, the council reviewed its sites and ‘offered out’ a number on a ‘selfmanagement’ basis, requiring interested parties to commit to maintaining the sites. As part of the process, in April 2015 I visited Trubshaw Cross and provided feedback to the council, the club and Staffordshire FA. The club saw this as a chance to improve pitch quality and, following meetings with the council and Staffordshire FA, it produced a detailed development plan that highlighted the need for advice and guidance, both in terms of pitch improvement and machinery. Staffordshire FA arranged for an initial Pitch Improvement Programme (PIP) visit
Total task
Hour per task
Hours worked
25
5
125
106 38 16
Aeration: earthquaking – eight hrs for full-size pitch
26
Rake/scarify – four hours for all pitches
1
Fertilising – four hours for all pitches
Collecting/sweeping – six hours for all pitches Oversoiling – 20 hours with two men Seeding – 14 hours with two men
Goal safety inspection – four hours
Setting out – 40 hours with two men Grass verges – one hour Tree pruning
Mole ploughing
Machinery maintenance
Total man hours
14 THE GROUNDSMAN August 2019
4
11 1 1 1
5 3 5 8 4 4 6
20 14 4
530 114 80
208 16 4
66
40 28 4
1.5
40
120
7
4
28
1
10
77
1 6 2
1
by Andy Jackson, grounds manager at Stoke City FC. The PIP report highlighted a number of issues, including waterlogging and compaction. The quality of the grass sward was poor and infrequent mowing was contributing to a build-up of thatch.
FULLY EQUIPPED
In response, the club undertook a major fundraising programme and, as a result, in 2016 Campey Turf Care Systems supplied a Shockwave 155 deep aerator, a SISIS Twin Play and mowing was undertaken with a Trimax Pro Cut S3 rotary roller mower – all used with a Kioti Dk45S tractor. As a result of frequent mowing, regular aeration, turf nutrition, weed control and top dressing, the pitches have improved. Postponements are lower and the number of teams using the pitches has doubled. Site use is now 17/18 matches per weekend. There is a team of 12 volunteers, aged from 18 to 55, led by club chairman Andy Salt, who contribute around 25 hours per week to maintain the pitches. The work undertaken is shown in the table. The team’s knowledge was increased significantly through an IOG training course in September 2017, organised by Staffordshire FA and Stoke City Council. This was delivered by myself to the club as well as to volunteers from other Staffordshire Ladsandads branches. The club continues to develop its plans, which are regularly reviewed with the Staffordshire FA pitch advisors.
60
154
1,578
Visit www.iog.org for more details about the Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme
i