The Groundsman January 2017

THE

GROUNDSMAN WWW.IOG.ORG

JANUARY 2018 £4.00

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN GROUNDS MANAGEMENT SAL ARY SURVEY Find out what you’re worth page 18

ON A ROLL

Meet the dynamic greenkeeping duo at Potters Bar Bowls Club

INS IDE

GREEN LIGHT FOR GLYPHOSATE ESSENTIAL WORK FOR FEBRUARY THE BRIDGE TRUST SOCIETY TEAM PRODUCT SHOWCASE: BTME 2018 PREVIEW, GRASS SEED & ARTIFICIAL SURFACES

Contents

January 2018 SALARY SURVEY

REGULARS 05 Welcome

The latest IOG recommendations on wages page 18

Grassroots challenges

06 Update

The latest news

14 Award sponsors

Kubota UK and Charterhouse Turf Machinery

16 Technical update

Green light for glyphosate

30 Product showcase

BTME preview, grass seed and artificial surfaces

16

45 Tools & guidance

The weather and essential maintenance this month

FEATURES 18 Salary survey

How does your pay compare?

20 The dynamic duo

Volunteer greenkeepers Rod and Sandra Smale

20

24 GaNTIP update

The programme progresses

ON THE COVER

26 On track for success

Rod and Sandra Smale’s great green work

The Bridge Trust Society team

43 In action

Perfect pitch partners

50 Grow with the IOG

New year, new training

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43

THE GROUNDSMAN

Editorial address: 28 Stratford Office Village Walker Avenue Wolverton Mill East Milton Keynes, MK12 5TW t: 01908 312511 Managing editor Karen Maxwell e: kmaxwell@iog.org t: 01908 552987 Features editor Colin Hoskins e: editor@iog.org t: 01634 832 221 Product editor Elizabeth Hufton e: lizzie.hufton@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk t: 01225 337777 IOG membership and general enquiries t: 01908 312511 e: membership@iog.org Magazine subscriptions Sue Fernandes t: 01908 312511 e: accounts@iog.org Subscriptions £72 UK, £82 Europe, £112 rest of world Publisher James Houston Head of Design Simon Goddard Advertising Jack Watts e: jack.watts@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk t: 0203 859 7099 Published by James Pembroke Media The Groundsman is published monthly by the Institute of Groundsmanship. All material is copyright of the Institute of Groundsmanship and may not be reproduced without permission. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any advertisement appearing in the journal and cannot be held liable for editorial omissions or errors. The views expressed in the journal are not necessarily those of the Institute of Groundsmanship.

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Welcome Grassroots challenges

Contributors

I start this month with the sad news that Peter Green, the 2017 winner of the IOG Grassroots Special Recognition Award, passed away peacefully just before Christmas.

Everyone at the IOG offers sincere condolences to Peter’s family and we hope that in some small way the recognition he received at our Industry Awards was a fitting tribute to the years of dedicated voluntary service he gave to his local community and the good he did for sport in general at a local level (see page 8). Often our awards will inevitably attract attention when an iconic venue or well-known industry professional wins, but it is as much a system that celebrates the achievements of the humble, good people who work on a shoestring like Peter did – simply for the passion and love of managing sports turf. Such people give so much yet expect so little in return.

Karen Maxwell Managing editor

Our playing fields and our future is under threat. Decades of under-investment, recession and austerity have dramatically reduced our stock of sports fields.

Alongside this loss in provision is also a loss of investment in skills. Whether at an amateur voluntary level, or paid professionals, we have witnessed a drop in people stepping into roles or giving up their time as volunteers within local communityled sport. With plans to accelerate housebuilding nationally, the ability to maintain and secure green spaces for sport will be under increased pressure.

Colin Hoskins Features editor

This is why the IOG is looking to create a business case for natural turf under the umbrella of the Grounds4Sport movement.

Grounds4Sport (see last month’s issue) is a force for good practice. It aims to reverse the decline in natural turf sports provision and to increase capacity while creating safe and consistent facilities for our communities – recognising that in today’s world, where resources are limited, ‘grass can definitely do more’ with a little direction, pride and passion. Indeed, Peter Green will be remembered for the great surfaces he produced and maintained, and our challenge will be to find people of the right calibre to replace volunteers like him in what is a very challenging environment.

Dan Prest IOG head of member services

This is not just a nod to the work of volunteers; it is recognition by the IOG of the vital work you all do. It’s also a thank you to Peter and to all our like-minded members for your dedication, pride, passion and commitment to groundsmanship at all levels.

John Moverley OBE Chair, Amenity Forum

Happy New Year.

Geoff Webb Chief Executive The Institute of Groundsmanship

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Chris Bennett SALTEX press officer

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Update

THE LATEST HEADLINES FROM THE IOG AND THE INDUSTRY

READ MORE

IOG NEWS

Read all the latest news and updates, and discover what members are entitled to www.iog.org

WEEDKILLER RENEWAL

Glyphosate wins new five-year lease in Europe

NEWS

Controversial weedkiller deemed safe, but new sustainability guidelines to be published EU COUNTRIES HAVE voted to renew the licence of glyphosate, the weedkiller at the centre of environmental concerns.

Approval has been renewed for five years following a meeting of the European Appeals Committee.

The news has been welcomed by the chairman of the Amenity Forum.

“Glyphosate is an important active ingredient used in the amenity sector and has been proved to be safe following extensive analysis and review,” said Professor John Moverley OBE. “The forum always advocates an integrated approach to weed control, utilising all methods available: cultural, biological, mechanical and chemical. However, glyphosate remains in many situations the most cost effective and efficient method for safe, healthy and sustainable amenity spaces and sports surfaces.”

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SERVING MEMBERS

IOG RETAINS MATRIX QUALITY STANDARD

Rigby Taylor’s chemicals product manager Peter Corbett says the company will be announcing a product stewardship package for glyphosate, which will include all the elements of best practice

Peter Corbett, chemicals product manager at Rigby Taylor, said the decision had saved local authorities hundreds of millions of pounds, but the industry now needed to take on board the importance of using glyphosate correctly and in a sustainable manner.

“Rigby Taylor is working on a product stewardship package for glyphosate, which will include all the elements of best practice,” he said.

“The package will include advice and recommendations for managers, operators and other end users on how to use it correctly. There is also a need to educate the public on its safety profile.”

A new EU renewal application will be required after the five-year period. You can find out more about the recent decision regarding the use of glyphosate on page 16.

THE IOG HAS again been accredited to the Matrix Standard, which recognises organisations that support individuals in their choice of career, learning, work and life goals.

Impressed with the IOG’s commitment, Matrix highlighted the following: The IOG demonstrates that it remains impartial when providing advice and guidance about both equipment and training pathways.

Learners identified that they can gain accurate advice about qualifications and choices with ease.

The IOG’s website, social media and e-shots are being effectively monitored and analysed for continuous improvement, examples having been implemented for the benefit of promotion and learner support.

Dan Prest, the IOG’s head of member services, said: “The IOG is delighted to have retained the quality mark of the Matrix Standard, which reinforces the excellent levels of service we provide to ensure we ‘serve our members through the seasons’.”

U P D AT E

NEWS

BE PREPARED

New Live Maps track the future of disease control

A NEW FORECASTING tool that gives a picture of disease pressure across the UK should help grounds teams predict where an infection might occur.

The new Live Maps tool combines weather forecasts with disease prediction models to foresee and track risks for up to five days before they occur. The tool uses data from Google Maps and users zoom in to their area for detailed information.

The maps cover all key turf diseases, along with forecast changes in soil temperatures and a new feature for grass growing potential.

Daniel Lightfoot, turf business manager at Syngenta UK, said turf managers are Daniel Lightfoot

going to have to get better at disease prevention, especially with the impending loss of iprodione.

“Timing is key,” he said.

“Targeting preventative disease programmes during periods of infection risk, but before symptoms break out, consistently maintains better playing surfaces.”

The tool is free for GreenCast subscribers: www.greencast.co.uk/ service/live-disease-map

UPDATING EVENTS

MAINTAINING STANDARDS IN AMENITY MANAGEMENT THE AMENITY FORUM is organising another series of free Updating Events at venues across the UK. The events, to address topical issues, will comprise short presentations by speakers from the Chemicals Regulation Division of HSE, BASIS Registration, the National Sprayer Testing Service, STRI, the various host organisations and from the Amenity Forum itself.

Each event, which lasts half a day, is free, but delegates need to register in advance and should do so soon as it’s likely to be popular.

This year there will also be three events within the programme especially designed for grounds staff and greenkeepers, hosted by the IOG and BIGGA. KEEP IN TOUCH

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Some venues are yet to be confirmed, but 11 events are planned across the UK. To register, simply email admin@amenityforum.net.

CONFIRMED EVENTS 8 Feb: Belfast 15 Feb: Peterborough 20 Feb: Wales 1 March: Pontefract 6 March: Stoneleigh 14 March: London 21 March: Reading 22 March: Essex 10 April: Edinburgh 11 April: Darlington 19 April: Devon

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The tool helps with turf maintenance

NEW TECHNOLOGY

REPLAY LAUNCHES PITCHPASSPORT 365

Replay has launched a new tool designed to take the synthetic turf maintenance industry to the next level, streamlining operations and offering tracking and traceability that has never previously been available.

PitchPassport 365 provides full integration between the manufacturer, installer, maintainer and the facility, collating historical, current and predictive maintenance information for all types of synthetic surfaces.

Featuring online and offline functionality, all pertinent information and reports relating to the facility can be reported as the maintenance visit is taking place utilising live-stream monitoring technology. The data can then be accessed securely, anywhere at anytime from an inbox or from a dedicated client portal app.

Features include a usage calculator and heat mapping technology, which uses an embedded algorithm to produce a dedicated map of the pitch, showing high-wear areas. The information gathered can be used to diagnose and schedule maintenance to resolve potential issues before they become major concerns. www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

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U P D AT E

NEWS

PETER GREEN OBITUARY

Just a few weeks after receiving the 2017 IOG Special Recognition Award for his services to the club and the groundscare industry, Peter Green sadly passed away

PETER GREEN’S PASSION and dedication as volunteer groundsman at Holmfirth’s Honley Cricket Club meant he tirelessly ensured that the club’s playing surfaces were always in pristine condition. Indeed, his unrelenting efforts were recognised last November when he received the 2017 IOG Special Recognition Award in front of an IOG Industry Awards audience of almost 700 of the UK’s and Europe’s leading groundscare experts, as well as dignitaries from the governing bodies of sport and influential sports administrators.

Peter has been leading the groundscare work on Honley Cricket Ground for nearly 50 years. He has combined this role with duties as captain of the first and second teams, coach for 20 years, committee member and ground trustee.

At the same time, he has held fulltime jobs as an engineer, painter and decorator, and as a postman.

He has never been paid for this work at the ground and has always carried it out in a selfless, enthusiastic and professional manner with great attention to detail and desire to improve not only the ground but also his knowledge of groundsmanship.

Peter has always had to work within the confines of a tight budget, which has involved working with equipment which at times has been past its sellby date. He has, however, done this without complaint.

While in 2016 Peter’s decorating

“Peter always carried out his work in a selfless, enthusiastic and professional manner”

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AWARDS FIRST

TROPHY WIN FOR STEVE

THE HEAD GROUNDSMAN at Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club has earned recognition at the annual Business of Cricket Awards.

Steve Birks won the Bernard Flack Memorial Trophy, which has been awarded to the outstanding head groundsman in county cricket since 1972 and, for the first time this year, was presented at the black-tie BOCAs ceremony, which has been recognising non-playing excellence in the professional game since 2006. www.ecb.co.uk

MACHINE SUPPLIER

NEW ETESIA DEALER

Peter tirelessly served Honley CC for decades

expertise also came to the fore when the club improved its bar and tearoom areas, last year a major building project involved the construction of additional new changing rooms and the refurbishment of the pavilion.

He was heavily involved in advising on and monitoring the construction process, which was extremely challenging in that the project damaged parts of the ground, which Peter rectified in time for the new cricket season.

Indeed, due to his hard work over the past 40 years, the ground has improved significantly and is regarded as one of the two best cricket grounds in the Huddersfield Cricket League.

Peter has won the league’s annual groundsman award five times, and has been awarded the prestigious Lady Sykes Candlesticks lifetime award for services to the league and to Honley Cricket Club.

Last year, Peter was also presented with Honley Civic Society’s ‘Better Honley Award 2017’ in recognition of his longstanding service to the club.

ETESIA UK HAS appointed Sharrocks, in Arclid, Cheshire, as its new dealer, covering Birmingham, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

The family-owned business, which has been operating for more than 55 years, is a specialist supplier of tractors, professional and domestic turf machinery, and both agricultural and arboricultural equipment.

Sharrocks will now be supplying the complete range of Etesia pedestrian, ride-on mowers along with the Attila range of brushcutters. www.sharrocks.co.uk

YOUNG TALENT

VOLUNTEER PRIZE A TEENAGE groundsman at Redditch Cricket Club has been named Young Volunteer of the Year at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sports Awards.

Jacob Ottley, 17, began volunteering at the club as part of his Duke of Edinburgh award, but has since dedicated more than 100 hours to the club in 2017.

Club secretary Gary Fisher said: “I’m delighted he has won it.”

LICENCE U P D AT E

U P D AT E

NEWS

Glyphosate deemed safe for use for another five years page 16

AWARD AT BTME

SPRAYER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

Kubota UK’s HQ in Thame

£1 .2M INVESTMENT

KUBOTA UK BUILDS FOR THE FUTURE MACHINERY MANUFACTURER Kubota UK has invested £1.2 million in improvements at its UK headquarters in Thame.

The investment includes transforming a storage building into state-of-the-art offices and meeting room and resurfacing work to enhance traffic flow around the site.

The firm’s Training Academy and Research & Development (R&D)

centre has also been refurbished and a new cantilever racking system will help streamline its inventory, offering more space to hold stock and help maintain its ‘first in, first out’ (FIFO) supply method.

Supply chain manager at Kubota UK, Solly Wilson, said: “The investment into our operations at Thame is a great example of our commitment to future proofing our business, ensuring the right infrastructure is in place and that we are always operating efficiently and safely. By doing so, we can maintain the highest levels of service that we provide to our customers.” www.kubota.co.uk

GET QUALIFIED

Stanley Park voted UK’s best BLACKPOOL’S STANLEY PARK has been voted as the UK’s Best Park at the Fields in Trust Awards 2017.

Designed by landscape architect Thomas Mawson in the 1920s, the park boasts an Italian marble fountain, boating lake, bandstand, Medici lions, Italian gardens and an Art Deco-styled cafe.

Each year the Fields in Trust Awards showcase some of the UK’s best open spaces and shines a light on the efforts and achievements of the people whose hard work ensures these outdoor spaces can be enjoyed by the public.

Now in their sixth year, the awards are organised by the Fields in Trust KEEP IN TOUCH

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charity, which counts His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge as its president and protects the UK’s open spaces, from sports pitches to children’s playgrounds. www.fieldsintrust.org

The 2017 Fields in Trust Awards

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THE OVERALL WINNER of the Amenity Forum Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards, sponsored by ICL and Syngenta, and supported

by BASIS, will be announced at BTME 2018 on 23-25 January. The category winners are: • Sports turf: Using a knapsack/ boom sprayer: Chris Phillips – Complete Weed Control • Landscape & Industrial: Using a knapsack sprayer: Nathan Hume – SH Goss • Landscape & Industrial: Using a vehicle sprayer: Lee Harrison – Complete Weed Control.

See our BTME preview, page 30

ROYAL REWARD

HORSE RACING IRELAND WINNERS

DOWN ROYAL RACECOURSE in County Down has been named Racecourse of the Year at the annual Horse Racing Ireland Awards. The winners were announced at a reception at Leopardstown Racecourse attended by many of the industry’s leading figures. Guest of honour was Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD and guests were welcomed by the chairman of HRI, Joe Keeling.

UK EXPANSION

ISEKI MOVES INTO UK

JAPANESE MACHINERY firm ISEKI has formed a new company to distribute its range of compact to mid-sized tractors and mowers in the UK and Ireland.

ISEKI UK & Ireland will be headed up by David Withers.

David is well known in the industry, having served for many years at Ransomes Jacobsen and more recently as a business consultant in the golf industry. www.iseki.co.uk

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U P D AT E

S A LT E X

SALTEX ATTENDANCE CONTINUES TO GROW

An independent audit has confirmed that the combined attendance over the two-day exhibition totalled an impressive 8,909 – the highest ever since SALTEX moved to the NEC, Birmingham

By Chris Bennett SALTEX press officer

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fter two successful days, the 72nd SALTEX exhibition came to a close on 2 November and by all accounts it was a resounding success. The show’s debut year at the NEC in 2015 saw 8,714 attendees, 2016 recorded 8,754 and this year saw a record 8,909 – which didn’t go unnoticed by exhibitors.

“An excellent show in 2017,” said Jeremy Hoyle, director at Earlsmere. “Enquiries on the stand were up 15% on last year, and we gained a number of significant leads with sports turf professionals, schools and colleges featuring heavily.”

Nathan George, contracts manager for MJ Abbott, said: “Having the opportunity to speak to potential as well as current customers is invaluable when continuing growth into a new market, and that is why such an emphasis is placed on attending shows such as SALTEX.” Holly Jones, marketing manager for Reesink Turfcare, said: “We were really impressed with the amount of customers visiting our stand this year! SALTEX TV was excellent too, perfect for promoting a new product.”

After a 16-year absence from SALTEX, LWS Irrigation returned and director Simon Edginton confirmed that it was the correct decision. “We were delighted with the huge amount of leads we received from a wide sector of the industry, including football, golf,

There was a rise in visitor numbers at SALTEX 2017

cricket and bowls facilities. The large number of visitors created a great atmosphere and we were also able to catch up with many existing customers and industry colleagues to share news and developments. Needless to say, we certainly won’t be waiting so long to exhibit again.”

Price Turfcare, a newly established business founded by Ransomes Jacobsen's former sales director, Rupert Price, also achieved all of its objectives. “As a start-up business which has only been in existence since the beginning of the year, our first visit to SALTEX has been a very positive experience. One of our aims at SALTEX was to look for new dealer partners and this worked well for us. I can safely say that SALTEX ticked all the boxes,” said Rupert.

With more than 300 exhibitors showcasing their products and services, visitors were treated to an impressive line-up of worldclass innovation.

“I’m like a kid in a toy shop,” said Stuart Kerrison, Essex CCC head groundsman.

“There are so many fantastic products and it’s nice to be able to see them and have a good close-up look before you make any purchases.”

Hannah Richards, gardener for the National Trust, said: “We are always looking for new ways to do things,

looking for new products and new machines that may be able to help us and SALTEX gives us this opportunity.”

Chris Wood, pitches consultant at England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said that some of the greatest industry ideas are born at SALTEX. “The value of a show like this is being able to talk to colleagues from other codes of sport and share ideas. Not only that, it is a place to challenge exhibitors about new technology and that is how new innovation comes about.”

Learning LIVE, SALTEX’s education programme, featured more than 100 high-profile speakers and 26 hours of free seminars; Pathology and Soil Science LIVE enabled visitors to solve any problematic soil profiles; career advice was on hand through the all-new Job Clinic; and turf management advice from IOG regional pitch advisors was readily available through Ask the Expert.

SALTEX 2018 will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on 31 October and 1 November. To view 2017 show highlights and key interviews please visit: www.youtube.com/MyIOG For more information: www.iogsaltex.com Twitter: @IOG_SALTEX Facebook: www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

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AWARD SPONSOR

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MACHINE There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the right machine for a job, particularly in winter. Kubota’s Tim Yates discusses the key points It’s a challenging time of the year for any groundsman. It’s not just the weather and the impact this can have on pitches they must contend with, they also need to ensure they are working as safely as possible, particularly in severe weather conditions. Machinery that helps complete daily tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible is paramount.

The performance and power of a machine are two of the most critical

WORKING ON THE AIR Timing is key for effective aeration, according to Nick Darking of Charterhouse Turf Machinery

A light unit such as the VertiDrain 1517 is good in spring

14 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

A machine’s performance and power are key factors to consider

factors when choosing a unit. In my opinion, Hydrostatic Transmission (HST) is the most effective transmission type, offering operators greater speed control and delivering power smoothly to the wheels. This makes the machine more responsive and helps to eliminate any potential wheel spins, thus reducing potential turf damage.

Safety is vital too, ensuring that lights are fit for purpose and that there are working lights on the rear of a tractor as well. The comfort of a cab is also important, including the quality of the seat and its suspension, the position of the controls and the amount of leg room available.

To make sure operators are as comfortable as possible, Kubota’s

cabs are designed with optimum comfort in mind. This includes complete climate control so operators are warm. Air conditioning is good in the winter, helping to demist the cabin faster and get rid of condensation quicker.

Finally, a feature many turf professionals like is Kubota’s unique Bi-Speed turn functionality. This innovative technology ensures a much tighter turning circle, advanced manoeuvrability and less turf damage.

It is well documented that aeration is a key task for any turf manager. It can take many different forms – from using a Verti-Drain, linear aerating with a Verti-Quake or Verti-Coring.

However, all have the same aim: to allow air movement through the surface, providing a healthy environment for the grass plant.

Although it’s been said on many occasions, when it comes to effective aeration, timing is the key.

During the winter months, deep aeration to say 12-14in during any relatively dry periods will help to keep surfaces playable, draining and free from puddling. Thought should also be given to the top profile, which may have become saturated and require help to rid itself of excess water. As soon as you can get a machine onto the surface, without causing issues, aeration should be conducted. Heading into spring, lighter Verti-Drains such as the 1513 or 1517 can be mounted

behind a small compact tractor and deliver the results required to keep the surface free draining. It can also help to link up with the deeper aeration work done over the winter. Any holes will allow the plant to take advantage of available oxygen and nutrition, which will help to deliver an improvement in overall sward vigour.

If a wet spring is on the cards, the linear aeration provided by the Redexim Verti-Quake is a good alternative. The rotary motion, combined with the forward speed, sets up a wave action that helps decompaction to take place. However, it should be used with caution in dry conditions as slit lines can shrink and open up if the ground is too dry.

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For more information visit www.kubota.co.uk

For more information visit www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk

TECHNICAL U P D AT E

John Moverley OBE Chair, Amenity Forum

GREEN LIGHT FOR GLYPHOSATE Following a lengthy review process, the weedkiller has finally been re-approved for use

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n 27 November 2017, the EU Commission’s Appeals Committee voted to renew the licence of glyphosate for a further five years. It brings to an end, at least for now, an extended period of uncertainty, and real fears that it would be lost if the deadline for renewal of midDecember had been passed.

While the approach to weed, pest and disease control should always be an integrated one using all methods of control – cultural, biological and with or without chemicals – there is no doubt glyphosate products, used professionally, often provide the most effective and efficient method for weed control in the amenity sector.

The aim in any weed, pest and disease management programme is to produce healthy, safe and sustainable amenity areas fit for purpose, including high quality sports surfaces. The Amenity Forum would never advocate the use of any product which is unsafe or poses

a risk to human health. However, the judgement must always be based on proper and thorough science and we are pleased this renewal reflects this.

THE APPROVAL PROCESS

All chemical active ingredients and products undergo a very thorough analysis and research before they are approved for use. It requires a multi-million pound investment by manufacturers and is not embarked upon lightly. If the product is eventually approved, it’s kept under constant review through a wide range of measures and, if any concerns arise, these are immediately investigated, and this investigation could lead to revocation of the approval. Chlorpyrifos was banned when the possible health risks were seen to outweigh all other considerations.

A product/active is approved for a set period and as the time ends, a full, formal review is undertaken. If the licence is renewed, again it’s for a period of years, and the process starts again. Glyphosate came up for formal review in 2015, looking for renewal for at least five years.

However this is where the complications began to arise.

BACKGROUND TO GLYPHOSATE RENEWAL

Doubt was placed on glyphosate’s safety following a World Health Organisation report which included, alongside a range of products and foodstuffs, glyphosate as being probably carcinogenic.

The word “probably” set off alarm bells and the renewal licence period was slightly extended to allow time for further detailed study and analysis of the report. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and its panel of 16 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

T E C H N I C A L U P D AT E

G LY P H O S AT E

TO O L S & GUIDANCE

How you should be treating your turf this month page 45

18 EU countries voted for the continued use of glyphosate, nine against

“The Amenity Forum would never advocate the use of any product which is unsafe or poses a risk to human health” expert scientists came to a conclusion there was insufficient science and evidence for the claim.

Nevertheless it created some uncertainty and the decision was taken to renew approval for just 18 months, until December 2017, to allow further study of all information and any decision to be made with certainty.

It’s this that has led to real uncertainty, not just in amenity, but agriculture and home and garden too, about the future for glyphosate products.

THE 2017 APPROVAL

To say that the run-up to this latest renewal for a further five years has been extensive is an understatement.

It began earlier in the year, with EFSA undertaking its further full review and declaring glyphosate safe to use as a weedkiller. This in turn triggered the re-approval process with a meeting of the European Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Foods and Feeds (SCoPAFF) in June.

At this point, although the expert recommendation was renewal, the political issues became clear. A number of countries announced their intentions to abstain. Given that outcomes from this committee need to be a majority

(above 50 per cent in terms of populations represented) it became clear a vote should not be taken and the committee reconvened. It did so in September and, while the majority of countries indicated they were intending to vote yes, there were still abstentions.

Margins were becoming tight as the deadline was December. The science and evidence pointed firmly to renewal. Finally, the decision was taken with 18 country votes in favour, nine against and one abstention, ending the deadlock. The EU Commission, in announcing the decision, stated that the current proposal “enjoys the broadest possible support by the member states while ensuring a high level of protection of human health and the environment”.

WHERE NOW?

The renewal undoubtedly gives confidence and time and will be largely welcomed throughout the sector. The UK government has been supportive throughout and listened to statements of the science and evidence. This is welcomed. However, once again the spotlight has been on the use of pesticides and undoubtedly pressures will continue. The turf sector has had some significant losses of active ingredients recently and is under pressure.

The Amenity Forum advocates best practice and, as the voluntary initiative acting on behalf of the whole sector, seeks to demonstrate to the government that commitment to and delivery of continuous improvement.

It is vital everyone supports the Forum, ideally through membership, and certainly by application of its best practice guidance notes and other relevant information.

One voice is important and the Forum provides that.

BE PROUD

The sector should be proud of its achievements in its diverse activities, keeping Britain moving. This is certainly the case in terms of those who manage all our sports surfaces and grounds. This happens not by accident, but by the dedication of professional staff. We all need to work to the highest standards, so the Forum can rightly state we are the very best in all we do. Show your support, so we can continue to support you and help retain your ability to work to the standards both grounds staff and the public seek. We welcome the strong support of the IOG in this endeavour.

Register for the free Updating Events, around the UK February-April, via admin@ amenityforum.net. Visit: www.iog.org/news/savedates-amenity-forums-updating-events-2018

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www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 17

PAY A N D R E M U N E R AT I O N

By Colin Hoskins Features editor

IOG PROMOTES SALARY INCREASE The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) is recommending a 2.5 per cent increase in grounds staff’s national minimum salary bands for 2018

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suggested 2.5 per cent pay rise is, of course, good news for everyone in the grounds industry. But the IOG recommendations are accompanied by the statement that a 2.5 per cent increase would, in real terms, equate to an increase of just 0.1 per cent when the projected Consumer Price Index (CPIH) is accounted for.

However, the IOG says the recommended increase in salary bands for the grounds industry would: maintain a sustainable pay structure for all grounds staff account for inflationary pressures, and ensure grounds staff pay is in line with overall market trends. Most pay awards in the private and leisure sectors are predicted to be two to three per cent in 2018.

The recommended uplift in 2018 salary bands across all grounds staff categories has been made against a backdrop of economic uncertainty caused by Brexit and a revised (downwards) expectation for GDP growth in 2018 (from 1.7 per cent to 1.4 per cent). Poor productivity is a key factor in economic growth and, while this is notoriously difficult to measure in the leisure industry, it is likely to be a continued depressor of growth.

For the year to October 2017 the CPIH (Consumer Price Inflation – including owner-occupier housing costs) recorded inflation at 2.8 per cent, while the Retail Price Index forecasts 3.6 per cent. In addition, interest rates rose from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent in November 2017 and the National Living Wage, for people over 25 years old, also

FIND OUT MORE

Boost your earning potential with IOG training www.iog.org/ learning

increased to £7.50 per hour in April 2017. It will rise again by 4.4 per cent, to £7.83, in April 2018.

Average earnings have been lower in the public sector than in the private sector since 2015 – provisional estimates for average earnings put public pay growth at 1.8 per cent compared to 2.3 per cent in the private sector – but in September the government announced the end of the one per cent pay freeze for average public sector pay awards. This year government will consider recommendations of the Pay Review Bodies to inform pay awards.

Based on independent, industry-wide research, the IOG also suggests a two per cent extension to the top of each pay band, to allow for greater professional development and to reward experience (see panel, above right).

In addition, £550 per annum should be paid to those in junior groundsperson and groundsperson bands for the successful completion of IOG qualifications such as NVQ Levels 1 and 2, to encourage recruitment and ensure an ongoing focus on training and professional development.

With low productivity forecast over the medium term, it is desirable to further incentivise the acquisition of skills, the IOG adds.

The IOG’s blended pay approach, a hybrid system of public and private sector pay levels, reflects the mixed IOG membership across these sectors, and it affords a high degree of flexibility to individual employers.

The Committee for Golf Club Salaries (CGCS) scales

RECOMMENDED CGCS STARTING SALARIES (2018) FOR GREENKEEPERS Qualified greenkeeper Deputy head greenkeeper Head greenkeeper

18 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

London

South east

Rest of UK

£26,610 £28,302-£38,167 £38,633-£58,208

£25,454 £27,588-£37,888 £37,134-£55,675

£23,742 £25,726-£33,759 £34,298-£52,893

PAY A N D R E M U N E R AT I O N

THE IOG RECOMMENDED NATIONAL BASIC SALARY BANDS FOR 2018 Grounds manager £34,909-£54,079 Heads groundsperson £29,773-£40,863 Deputy head groundsperson/ sole charge £24,358-£31,088 Groundsperson (skilled) £22,779-£29,059 Groundsperson £18,250-£23,281 Junior groundsperson £15,517 (Age 17) Junior groundsperson £12,886 (Age 16) The IOG wants to help healthy wages

“The reported increase in gross pay for groundspeople and greenkeepers was below the recommended awards of the CGCS and IOG in each of the past seven years” continue to be a good comparator for salaries in the private sector; the CGCS recommended a 2.5 per cent increase from the 2017 salary scales for greenkeepers (see table, below left).

Data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings show that the reported increase in gross pay for groundspeople and greenkeepers was below the recommended awards of the CGCS and IOG in each of the past seven years.

To accompany these recommendations, the IOG publishes generic position descriptions to reflect typical job responsibilities and experience required for each level of position, against which employers can evaluate varying responsibilities and circumstances. Such variables will include: The number of sports being played The level of sport Intensity of use Total acreage managed Problem-solving and decision-making capability Staffing levels Budgetary responsibilities Qualifications required.

It is impossible to have single position descriptions that encompass all situations, but the descriptions can be used by employers to evaluate the varying responsibilities and circumstances found in the individual positions of those on their payroll.

These bands reflect minimum recommended basic salary payment and are based on a 37.5-hour week. Bonuses, overtime and subsistence payments have not been included and are therefore additional. The IOG also recommends that employers ensure they meet their obligations in terms of maintaining a healthy work-

life balance and ensure fair payment for overtime worked – by agreement about the balance between overtime pay, time off in lieu or flexible working.

Regional pay allowances continue to be incorporated into the salary bands and the IOG recommends that higher cost areas of the country should make salary awards at the upper levels of the bands. Regional differences are: Inner London £3,751 Outer London £2,240 Fringe areas £670-£1,345 It is expected that the recommended minimum pay rate for a groundsperson in London should be £20,000 – though there is an expectation that most in this category would already be paid above that, in line with previous recommendations.

The research was carried out independently by Myriad Research (www.myriadresearch.co.uk) using a number of data sources for analysis, including the ONS Labour Market Statistics, CBI Economic Forecast, OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Committee for Golf Club Salary (CGCS) scales, National Joint Council for Local Government Services salary guidance, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, and National Minimum Wage and Living Wage recommendations. CIPD and XpertHR remuneration surveys were used to confirm actual pay settlements and market trends.

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For the latest news on IOG research and recommendations, visit www.iog.org

PAY SCALES IN ELITE STADIA While the salary survey reflects the diversity of the industry, the IOG wants to undertake a more in-depth analysis of pay scales in elite stadia management. This is to compare and contrast with global salaries for iconic sports venues. This bespoke analysis will show how the UK compares and how internationally we reflect average pay scales. This new level of research will be factored into the industry-wide research that the IOG will be undertaking this year.

www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 19

IOG BEST PRACTICE

THE DYNAMIC DUO! Husband and wife volunteer greenkeepers Rod and Sandra Smale have made dramatic improvements to Potters Bar Bowls Club’s green in a relatively short time – partly by applying a natural approach to turf care and also by developing some clever home-made equipment

R

By Colin Hoskins Features editor

20 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

od and Sandra Smale weren’t exactly twiddling their thumbs during their retirement.

Their free-range chickens and vegetable plots, for example, at home in St Albans saw to that. “But we wanted to do something else,” says Sandra, “and a friend suggested we spend a weekend at the Potters Resort in Norfolk to learn ballroom dancing. We didn’t get on too well with the waltz, foxtrot and quickstep but, being at Potters – an established bowls venue with indoor and outdoor rinks – we tried a game of bowls and were hooked. When we got home we immediately joined the local bowls club and on our first day were asked to play in a match!

“But I wanted to find out more about the sport and, by accident, signed up for a coaching course,” says Sandra [who subsequently gained accreditation as a senior coach and regional umpire]. “We also soon realised that the green we were playing on was less than ideal.”

The club’s mowers had packed up and,

drawing on his design and engineering expertise, Rod salvaged parts from the various models and built a ‘new’ one that worked. “I had been suffering with a back problem,” remembers Rod, “and, curiously, found that mowing actually helped my condition. I started mowing the surrounds, then the club asked if I would cut the green.

That was the start of it all.”

Sandra continues: “We gradually started to find out more about greenkeeping by contacting the local (Hertfordshire) county greenkeepers’ forum and attending various events. We learned a lot from the county greens advisor and from Mark Ellis, at that time a salesman for a range of greenkeeping products. He popped in to see us and gave his advice, which has stuck with us. His ‘natural approach’ views mirrored our own outlook – for example, the ‘fruits’ of our garden means that we are largely self-sufficient at home during the summer months.

“We also signed up for a number of Institute of Groundsmanship courses for the Preparation and Maintenance of Flat

“We didn’t get on too well with the waltz, foxtrot and quickstep… we tried a game of bowls and were hooked. When we got home we joined the local club” and Crown Bowling Greens, and gained Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced accreditation.” Improvements were made to the green and, says Sandra, everything they learned was being underpinned by the rule ‘Don’t do anything unless you understand why’.

ROLLING REWARDS

Moving (as players) to the 144-member Potters Bar Bowls Club in 2012, the husband-and-wife team came face to face with a green that was originally laid in 1929 and was formerly regarded as a ‘roll up’ venue. In recent years, however, the members became more interested in competitive play and were demanding a better playing surface. Rod and Sandra’s greenkeeping reputation had gone before them, and within two years the Potters Bar committee, admitting that “the green is getting worse each year,” asked the couple: “Can you improve it?”

Rod, 72, and 69-year-old Sandra took over maintenance of the six-rink green in 2014, using a limited budget and aided by

a couple of helpers who work to a flexible rota (established by Rod and Sandra), which sees the green tended every day for mowing, dew brushing, rink setting, aeration and the like. All their schedules and programmes are flexible, depending on the weather, so they constantly monitor various weather forecasts.

“We know how quickly a green can be ‘lost’ to the weather or microdochium, so we’re here every day of the year – and though we weren’t here last year on 25 December, one of our colleagues popped in to ensure everything was OK and to do the dewbrushing.” In the winter months, the husband and wife team usually spends anything from two to eight hours on the green depending on what needs to be done (dew brushing, removing worm casts, aerating and levelling, for instance) and in the summer from 8am until 2pm (three days a week) and until 10am on the remaining days. The club is 11 miles from their home, and the fact that it was within cycling distance was one of the factors in choosing this club.

The usual maintenance regimes of hollow coring and star/needle/solid tining (using a Groundsman unit) are carried out, while deep slitting and Air2G2 aeration are the only operations contracted. The programme also includes a working party on three mornings each week for jobs such as hedge trimming.

“The annual renovation started immediately after the last day of play,” says Rod. “We hollow cored and double scarified then seeded (all Germinal seeds) to 5mm deep with a mixture of four fescues (two each of creeping reds and www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 21

IOG BEST PRACTICE

ENGINEERING A BETTER FUTURE

Sandra has worked her way right round the green compete, here at the National Championships

As part of his ‘duties’, Rod also services the equipment and has either rebuilt, renovated or modified much of the machinery, including retrofitting a battery and controls to motorise the TruLevel roller – “there’s nothing wrong in making something that can make life easier for yourself,” says Rod – plus innovative work with a lawn edger. A former fishing trolley has been modified for transporting materials, and Rod has made his own stimp meter and a prism (pictured below) for taking grass measurements (“It cost 75p instead of one I saw online for £300,” adds Rod).

Another of Rod’s inventions is a compressed air dispenser (pictured above) for topdressing, to tackle the issue of levelling a section of the green. “The idea is to punch holes with a solid tine then fill with topdressing under pressure; then punch more holes and fire in topdressing to raise levels by around 25mm.

Topdressing applied under pressure does not sink,” he says.

A key piece of equipment is the ATT InfiniSystem electric mower combined groomer, verticutter, scarifier, sarel spiker and brush.

“It was hard work using the petrol mower,” says Rod, “and in addition to no fumes, the ATT is quieter and more environmentally friendly.”

22 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

chewing fescues) which were brushed in, followed by two bent grasses to 1mm. Last year (2017) was the first time that the usual two tons of topdressing was not applied. A light topdressing may be on the agenda in the spring but we don’t think the rinks need a lot this time round.”

Day-by-day care of the green varies between the rinks since four are on sand and two are on clay.

Sandra says: “One of the first things we did when we took over the green was to sort out a compost system, where all clippings from the green and surrounds are now recycled, and we’ve always preferred ‘eco’-based products including Symbio seaweed. We also brew our own compost tea – indeed, only seaweed/compost fertilisers were used last season – and any weeds are removed with a fine spike. We also undertook a metre-by-metre laser survey of the green to establish levels and took soil samples.”

Inheriting a green where most of the edges were broken and covered in moss, Sandra initially worked her way all around the green removing the moss, and turning edges and re-seeding where necessary. All the edges are now cut (with a carving knife) at the beginning of each season and trimmed each week with a modified domestic lawn edger (fitted with small wheels that run along the vertical concrete base of the green), which means all the edges can trimmed in just seven minutes.

The result of their efforts and continual improvements to the green is that the members and visiting clubs now comment on how much better the rinks play from mid-April through to the end of September – for example, green speed has increased from nine seconds at the start of the season to 10.5 seconds, increasing through the summer to about 12 seconds

compared to 10 seconds. The rinks are used every day of the week, often with multiple sessions each day on every rink.

They are turned every day to even out wear and there are 22 positions for each rink, so this has eliminated the previous problem of corrugations caused by repeated play in the same position. It may be no coincidence that the club has attained greater success at all levels of competition, achieving seven appearances during the past two years in the Bowls England National Championships – a feat previously not even dreamt of!

While Rod and Sandra agree that the improvements to the green are “a work in progress”, they have achieved all this – as well as winning the 2017 IOG Industry Award as Bowling Greenkeeper/Team of the Year Award – during periods when the couple faced personal adversity and family tragedy. And while these events “really did make us realise that nothing is more important than family”, Rod adds: “Caring for the green actually helped us through those difficult times. It gave us something to focus on.”

The IOG offers a range of courses to suit different sports and surfaces; visit www.iog.org

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GaNTIP U P D AT E

THE PROGRAMME PROGRESSES

With continued success in improving the standard of grassroots pitches, GaNTIP is entering its second phase of funding, with £2.4 million being injected into the programme over the next four years

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he success of the Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme is continuing to improve the standard and playability of grassroots sports pitches – as well as the education and training of those charged with maintaining them – with £2.4 million being pledged to the next phase of the programme after the Phase 1 (2014-17) results. These include: More than 1,000 volunteer groundsmen have received appropriate training in pitch care using associated improved maintenance schedules; Over 70 workshops have been staged, also leading to the establishment of a national support network of more than 40 local advisors; and Almost 100 local authority Playing Pitch Strategies/new development projects have been supported.

The Pitch Grading System is a framework for improvement

By Colin Hoskins Features editor

In terms of cricket alone, the programme has meant that the ECB has provided unprecedented support to its County Grounds Associations and Pitch Advisors, as well as to leagues and officials.

GaNTIP activities have additionally supported The Football Association and Rugby Football League Pitch Improvement Programmes, and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s ‘Get The Game On’ scheme, covering maintenance, machinery, pitch renovation, installation, construction, benchmarking and ongoing support.

In its first three years, GaNTIP has seen more than 2,000 football and rugby pitches surveyed and the resultant recommendations for improvement – in both pitch maintenance regimes and in the training and education of those responsible for their care – has had a significant impact on the improvement and increased playability of natural turf pitches with fewer cancellations of games and enhanced player experiences.

Led by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), GaNTIP is a joint initiative between the IOG and the programme cosponsors the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), The Football Association (FA) and the Football Foundation.

The programme is designed to significantly improve natural grass sports pitches – and the levels of expertise of the staff and volunteers who maintain them – at grassroots level throughout England.

Phase 1 identified a number of issues with grassroots sports pitches: 65 per cent of community-based playing surfaces are suffering from compaction problems; 95 per cent of the volunteers who look after the surfaces have not received any formal training; 37 per cent of clubs operate without adequate machinery and materials; and 35 per cent of clubs do not have a fixed budget for pitch maintenance – and those that do are spending just half of what is needed.

24 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

G a N T I P U P D AT E

NEW FUNDING

The programme still has huge potential to improve pitches

“We have only scratched the surface, so the expansion of GaNTIP will have an even greater impact” Now, however, the national governing bodies of sports and GaNTIP partners have increased their investment with £2.4 million being injected into the programme up until the year 2017 to counteract these issues by: Continually providing guidance and assistance, as well as improving overall levels of pitch care knowledge and education; Offering more support to local authorities charged with grounds maintenance and contract renewals; and Further enhancing player experience with higher standards of natural turf pitches and more reductions in the number of postponements while achieving increased playing capacity by continued highlighting of the key areas for improved maintenance.

Commenting on the results of the findings and the latest investment tranche, GaNTIP national director Jason Booth says: “The initial phase of GaNTIP has revealed that pitch maintenance budgets are traditionally low and that many pitches were suffering compaction problems – which leads to poor drainage and weak grass growth, for example."

He continues: “An overwhelming majority of the volunteers who look after these grounds don’t have the right knowledge and training to put things right, and are suffering from lack of access to the correct materials and machinery needed.

“However, as a result of recommendations by our team of GaNTIP regional pitch advisors, improvements continue to be made.” For example:

34 pitches have been improved at Nottinghamshire County FC; Pitch improvements at Hilton Harriers FC in Cambridgeshire have dramatically reduced the number of cancelled games; and In the first year after GaNTIP involvement, the Bayham Road Playing Fields in Kent (which hosts Tunbridge Wells Forresters FC) accommodated an additional 44 matches compared to the previous season.

But, adds IOG chief executive Geoff Webb: “We have so far only scratched the surface of grassroots sports – for instance, the FA says there are 44,000 natural turf football pitches alone in England – so the expansion of GaNTIP will have an even greater impact. The increased investment by NGBs allows for the identified issues to be addressed and should be commended.”

This new phase of GaNTIP will be underpinned by an expanded team of eight regional pitch advisors and two key account managers – led by national director Jason Booth, formerly head groundsman at Headingley Carnegie Stadium – covering England. The advisors, experienced former groundsmen, work closely with the ECB, FA and Football Foundation to visit sites and produce recommendations for improvements, as well as liaising with the clubs to ensure the changes are implemented.

GaNTIP’s findings dovetail with the IOG’s National Framework for Natural Turf, which matches an innovative Pitch Grading System (left) with appropriate educational standards for those who maintain the playing surfaces.

It also aligns with the IOG’s just-announced Grounds4Sport programme – a scheme initially underpinned by a £100,000 investment to improve the quality and promote the benefits of natural turf surfaces.

Visit www.iog.org for more information about GaNTIP and the regional pitch advisors, and for details about Grounds4Sport

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www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 25

IOG BEST PRACTICE

ON TRACK FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS The volunteer grounds team at the Bridge Trust Society Sports Ground is confronted by obstacles that would test anyone’s mettle

M

By Colin Hoskins Features editor

26 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

ost volunteer groundsmen are used to working under relatively severe constraints compared to their professional counterparts, often with restricted budgets and less-than-ideal machinery and equipment. And while lead groundsman Philip Swann and his team of volunteer groundsmen at the Bridge Trust Society’s Sports Ground in Birmingham have managed to improve

their equipment portfolio, they still face some extraordinary challenges in their quest to maintain the 7.5-acre site.

Located in Handsworth, a residential suburb just three miles from the city centre, the ground is triangular, so there are huge areas of wasted space. It’s accessed via a 7ft 6in alleyway – just wide enough for a Transit van – and bordered on all sides by railway lines. Access to the ground for players, spectators, club officials and the groundsmen is via a private level crossing, across a live train track.

“This does present problems,” says Philip, who took over the lead role eight years ago along with “another equally inexperienced volunteer”. Whenever a club member retires from their day job, they are recruited to The Monday Club, which currently numbers six “old wrinklies”, all with limited levels of experience.

“If we want to take a vehicle across the tracks, we have to give notice to Network Rail to have the crossing isolated, so we try to avoid that if possible. All deliveries have to be left at the ‘road end’ of the alleyway and we have to man-handle them into the ground.” On the last occasion, three tonnes of topsoil were transported by wheelbarrow from the roadway. That’s no mean feat for a team of guys who are not spring chickens; Philip is 72!

MENTOR HELP

Philip and fellow volunteer John Gillam initially set about renovating the cricket square and were fortunate to have found a mentor in Ian Allmark, head groundsman at the nearby Handsworth Grammar School for Girls.

“He told us what to do and when to do it, pointing out that it would take probably three years to get the square up to the standard it should be,” says Philip.

“In addition to turf care practices, Ian gave us some great advice on the equipment, seed and fertilisers needed. He continues to advise us today and we have found his input invaluable.”

John would often spend 15 hours a week following Ian’s plan, which included stripping and rebuilding the cricket square at the end of each season.

“We quickly saw improvements,” says Philip. “Tracks that used to last a weekend were soon being used for two, then three.

Higher scores were made and grading marks for the pitch (by the opposition) increased to the extent that we’ve also hosted a Warwickshire Ladies match.”

In addition to picking up a lot of knowledge on the job through “touch and feel”, Philip has also attended a number of courses, including a Pitch Improvement Programme (PIP) presentation led by The Birmingham AFA. “This enabled me to network with a host of knowledgeable people,” he says, “including the two companies that are approved suppliers to the PIP programme:

ABOUT PHILIP

A former Handsworth pupil, Philip joined the BTSSG as an ‘old boy’ in 1964, aged 18, becoming honorary secretary 10 years ago.

Philip Swann (third left) and the award-winning Bridge Trust Society grounds team, from left: Roy Fackrell, John Gillam, Graham Rigby, Ray Wheeler and Andy Stevens

“Improved pitches means more games, and more games means more work!”

Rigby Taylor and Redexim Charterhouse. It also brought me into contact with the IOG’s regional pitch advisor, Kevin Duffill.

“Kevin surveyed the ground and presented a comprehensive report for suggested improvements, with comments on soil analysis and grass coverage. He also pointed out that we have a considerable black layer: two to three inches of dead vegetation sandwiched between the sandy topsoil and the subsoil beneath. Being impermeable, it needed to be dealt with and we are gradually getting on top of this.”

FUNDING ISSUES

Seven years ago, the society’s equipment portfolio was pathetically small, with an ageing Kubota tractor (purchased secondhand in the 1990s), ancient gang mowers, a chain harrow, a set of three rollers, two unreliable square mowers, a mechanical roller and a roll-to-roll pitch marker.

“There was no money, so we started applying for funding,” says Philip. “We obtained an SCH slitter and £33,000 from SITA Trust (now Suez) for a Charterhouse Turf Machinery Multi-Sport, Groundsman Industries’ aerator, Sisis Auto Rotorake, Sisis Multislit aerator and a Poweroll Club roller.

“The grounds were instantly transformed.

The quality of the football pitches improved, and the regular cutting, and spring and autumn seeding and fertilising, were all enhanced by the effects of the machinery.

The slitter started to open up the turf, but the Multislit enabled us to penetrate to eight inches, while the weekly use of the Multi-Sport brought great time savings too.

With one unit we could now slit, scarify, roll (lightly) and brush.

“We’ve also discovered that improved pitches means more games, and more games means more work – we are victims of our own success!

“The black layer caused us to lose many games due to waterlogging, but we couldn’t expect anything else with no machinery.

Our chain harrow, filling divots manually and raising the surface in goalmouths did very little, and hand-forking penalty areas and the centre circle to improve drainage was time consuming and back-breaking work.

The arrival of some proper machinery has helped transform the pitches, to the extent that we now host the Birmingham AFA Finals every year.”

Improvements to the cricket square were obvious, after the initial autumn renovation, with the square being sprayed (with ferrous sulphate and a softening chemical), scarified, brushed, aerated, fertilised, seeded and loamed for the first time in 10 years. The use of the roller also brought a leap forward in surface quality and playability. Nowadays the track is scarified, brushed, cut and rolled for three successive weeks before marking out www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 27

IOG BEST PRACTICE

THE BRIDGE TRUST SOCIETY A trust was established in 1612 to improve the education of the poor in Handsworth.

Funded by tolls, for people and animals to cross five local river bridges, the fund became rich enough to establish a school in 1862, called The Bridge Trust School. An Old Boys Society was formed in 1878, before the school’s name changed to Handsworth Grammar School and was integrated into the state system.

The society, originally a social organisation, started a football club in 1893, followed by cricket and swimming clubs over the next 25 years – which are all still operating.

The footballers and cricketers were nomads for many years, having no permanent ground until, in 1934, they were offered a piece of farmland for grazing cattle and sheep.

Some ‘gentlemen’ members purchased the land, although grazing continued, and the cry of “mind the cowpats” was often heard from the footballers. In 1939 the small piece of land on the other side of the track was acquired for use as a clubhouse and car park.

The 7.5-acre site has several inherent challenges

and use. The arrival of a set of Stuart Canvas cricket covers via Sport England funding has also made a great difference, enabling matches to be played when previously they would have been rained off.

The cricket square accommodates three or four games a week on eight tracks. The home club plays in Warwickshire Cricket League on Saturdays and the pitch is hired out on Sundays, plus there are various T20 midweek fixtures. In winter, the football pitches are used on Saturdays by two of the society’s five teams (Birmingham AFA league) and the surfaces are rented out to four teams on Sundays.

The society was also able to obtain £50,000 Sport England funding towards the construction of a new pavilion; matched by £50k from the society’s residual funds and various fundraising events, including a coastto-coast cycle ride, a ‘buy a brick’ campaign and naming rights to the rooms.

“We get huge pleasure from pitches that look good but play well” The grounds team – Roy Fackrell, John Gillam, Graham Rigby, Andy Stevens and Ray Wheeler, plus until recently Barrie Allbert, who has moved out of the area – only has a £7,500 budget to maintain the right of way as well as the clubhouse, two pavilions, a score box and a garage, in addition to two football pitches, a cricket square and nets, plus a training pitch which incorporates two five-a-side pitches running from wing to wing.

Volunteer labour is critical. Four of the team usually attend the ground all day on Mondays – “after the players have wrecked the pitches at the weekend” – and two go later in the week, Philip normally attends

28 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

The sports ground is surrounded by railway lines

every other day, in total about eight working days. The club could not exist without such generosity of people’s time.

Together they instigate a regular programme of mowing, seeding and fertilisation to keep all the playing surfaces in pristine condition.

The remainder of the ground has been similarly transformed by the volunteers.

“An area 100m by 60m was waist-deep in grass, the trees needed pruning, sewerage pipes were blocked and the wooden pavilion was in a poor state.” All these aspects have been addressed, including the replacement of the old pavilion.

The local community is encouraged to hire the clubhouse, and both football pitches and the cricket square are used every weekend by local community groups, to repay the generosity of funding agencies who have helped the society and to fulfil its obligations as a Community Amateur Sports Club.

In recognition of their hard work and dedication, Philip and his colleagues won the 2017 Redexim Charterhouse/Kubota Volunteer Sports Groundsman/Team of the Year Award. But for Phil and his team it is about more than the plaudits.

“We all get an immeasurable amount of pleasure from having pitches that not only look good but also play well,” he says.

For more information about Suez Communities Trust funding, visit www.suezcommunitiestrust.org.uk

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Product showcase

READ MORE

IOG NEWS UPDATES Go to the IOG website www.iog.org

FOCUS ON: BTME 2018 PREVIEW

UTILIT Y UPDATE

NEW JOHN DEERE GATOR Textron Golf will be showcasing the new Jacobsen TR320 at BTME in Harrogate in January

NEW MODELS

Jacobsen upgrades its mower line-up

TEXTRON GOLF WILL be showcasing the new Jacobsen AR and TR series at BTME 2018. The new mowers, which replace the existing AR-3, TR-3 and Tri-King machines, are built on a common platform, and offered as standard or premium models.

The AR321 (standard) and AR331 (premium) are 3WD rotary triple mowers featuring 24.8hp Kubota diesel engines. The AR321 is fitted with relay control and analogue gauges.

New cutting decks offer a quick height-of-cut adjustment system and

eliminate the need for castor wheels.

The AR331 has a digital information display, a joystick control for lifting and lowering decks, and a superiorcomfort suspension seat. The AR331 also features AdaptiShift technology, allowing the decks to glide side-to-side.

The TR320 (standard) and the TR330 (premium) are triplex cylinder mowers.

The TR320 can raise the cutting units to a vertical position, reducing the width of the mower to 1.55m. www.textrongolf.com Stand M19

WASTE NOT

WAY TO WASH OFF

THE WASTE2WATER RECYCLING Wash-Off System will be on display on the company’s stand at BTME, along with a special finance offer.

The system enables groundscare staff to comply with recent environmental legislation and reduce water usage by around 90 per cent. It allows for easy maintenance and can be installed outside – usually retrofitted to an existing area, saving costs – and used all year round without the risk of freezing. The system is approved on the Water Technology

KEEP IN TOUCH

www.iog.org

John Deere’s new utility vehicle

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List (WTL), so buyers can claim a first year Enhanced Capital Allowance, too.

Visit the stand to find out more about the system and the special two-year finance deal, allowing for payment to be made over eight interest-free quarterly payments. www.waste2water.com Stand B46

www.facebook.com/theIOG

30 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

JOHN DEERE’S NEW HPX 815E Gator utility vehicle will be making its debut at BTME 2018.

The diesel-powered, twoseater machine is available with on-demand 4WD and is capable of travelling at up to 25mph.

A dash-mounted electronic rocker switch controls an autolocking front differential for extra traction when needed. Additional standard features include a 12V DC outlet, all-wheel suspension and steering, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, a rear diff lock and an integrated four post ROPS canopy with door nets.

Based on a heavy-duty hydroformed steel frame, the HPX 815E provides an increased payload of 635kg and a towing capacity of 590kg, while the updated cargo box has a load capacity of 454kg. Both the sides and the tailgate can be easily removed to provide a flatbed-style load bay if required.

Additional features for 2018 include a new digital dashboard, powerful LED headlights and a restyled front bumper. www.johndeere.co.uk Stand M23

Institute of Groundsmanship

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

BTME PREVIEW

DOUBLING UP

TORO GREENSPRO HEADS UP REESINK STAND

BLEC’s new Multi-seeder

SOW RIGHT

MULTI-SEEDER MAKES ITS MARK E LEC UL -SEEDE (BMS) will be a highlight on the stand at BTME. The recently updated machine features new seed ratio and seed feed systems, offering better accuracy. It works well on undulating surfaces, with twin spiked rollers that can be fixed or left floating, and an additional rear roller can add more holes per square metre.

It also features two brushes; the first can be adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure applied, while the rear brush ensures a tidy finish.

BLEC will also be showing the Cultipack Seeder, a pedestrian unit which offers accurate seeding and minimal soil disturbance. The frontnotched ring rollers crush lumps, making small pockets in the soil which accept the seed across the full width of the roller. The rear roller then splits the shallow ridges, covering the seeds in the top 12mm of the soil.

More information will be available about the full range at the stand. www.blec.co.uk Stand B38

RANGE REVIEW

Top models from Charterhouse CHARTERHOUSE TURF MACHINERY will showcase a range of units from Graden and Redexim at BTME, and new northern territory sales manager Ian Lauder will also be on the stand to meet the public.

The Graden Contour Sand Injection (CSI) machine will be on show and has a particular appeal for greenkeepers. The unit can scarify any depth from 1mm to 40mm while backfilling the grooves with sand or a combination of sand and seed. This multifunctionality saves time for the user and has no negative effects on ground firmness.

From the Redexim range, the Pedestrian Carrier unit will be a highlight on the stand. The three-wheeled hydrostatic unit has a 32hp petrol engine, three-point linkage, PTO and can be paired with lots of machines

from the Redexim range, including the popular Verti-Drain 1513 highspeed aerator. www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk Stand B48

REESINK TURFCARE WILL have two stands at this year’s BTME, with Toro’s new GreensPro 1260 headlining the models on show.

The GreensPro 1260 has all the features of previous GreensPro models with the addition of a hydraulic drive system to avoid leaks and prevent contamination of the grass. It also has overlapping heads for a consistent roll, which reduces the risk of scuffing during turns and helps to achieve smooth greens in just one sitting.

Reesink will also be showing a wide range of Toro machinery and accessories including the TriFlex 3420, eFlex 2100, Reelmaster 5010-H, and the GeoLink Precision Spray System simulator, which debuted at the 2017 show. There will also be a range of irrigation units on show.

This year, TYM will have its own stand, which will include the firm’s latest compact tractor, the T393, which bridges the gap between compact utility machines and the mid-duty range in the TYM line-up. www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk Stands M21 (Toro and Otterbine), C32 (TYM) The Toro GreensPro 1260

TA S K CALENDAR Find out what’s on your to-do list page 45

www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 31

The Headland approach... ...not all plant health and nutrition companies are the same

The first step to solving any turfgrass problem is to identify the issues affecting it.

Next, it’s essential to understand your needs and requirements before giving any advice and support.

See us at BTME 2018

Stand B39

Then, and only then, can a structured plan be built to improve plant health and turf quality.

But that’s not the end.

Our support continues with weather information via ‘weathercheck’ - a forecasting package tailored for the turf industry and mapped to your specific location. www.headlandamenity.com

Fertilisers

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Wetting Agents

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Biostimulants

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Pesticides

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Adjuvants & Spraying Aids

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

BTME PREVIEW A

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KNOW-HOW

E PE SE AND ESPRESSO

PRODUCT INFORMATION, expertise and good coffee will be on offer at the ICL stand at BTME. Visitors to the stand will be able to find out about products including the Vitalnova range of biostimulants, including Stressbuster and Banner Maxx II. For information to take away, the ICL 2018/19 Product Guide will be available, which features details of all the products and services the company offers, as well as technical information.

Experts from ICL will also be delivering talks in the Continue to Learn programme taking place during the show. Henry Bechelet, ICL technical sales manager UK and Ireland, and Dr Andy Owen, ICL international technical manager, will discuss the merits of granular and liquid applied approaches to turf nutrition in a seminar called Granular vs Liquid Nutrition on 24 January, while Henry will present What’s in a Soil Analysis on 23 January.

The team of ICL baristas will be on hand throughout the show providing coffee for visitors looking to find out more about ICL’s products. www.icl-sf.co.uk Stand B54

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TRIED AND TESTED

MACHINES YOU CAN COUNT ON E O N S AND SSS A

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www.dennisuk.com, www.sisis.com Stand A5

STRONG GROWTH

Pesticide-free plant care GROUNDSCARE STAFF will be able to find out more about producing disease-resistant plants – and therefore avoiding the need to rely on pesticides – at the Headland Amenity stand at BTME. Staff from the firm’s technical support team will be on hand to help explain Headland Amenity’s approach to minimising plant disease by producing a grass plant that is strong and healthy. One route to this is using Headland’s 20-20-30 tank-mix of Seamac Pro Turf, Liquid Turf Hardener and Turfite. This combination has been tested at the STRI in Bingley and found to show lower disease levels compared with untreated areas.

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Trials have also supported the use of TeMag elite, a soluble micronutrient product with added iron and Harpin plant elicitor to stimulate the plant’s natural defence mechanisms. www.headlandamenity.com Stand B39

www.iog.org

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OUNDS AN 33

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

BTME PREVIEW

Velvit has a range of over 50 fertilisers to showcase

See Trilo’s S-Line verti-cut and collect range at BTME

SPRING FORWARD

STAR SCARIFIERS FROM TRILO FIRST TIMERS

DEBUT DISPLAY FROM VELVIT VELVIT WILL BE making its debut at BTME, offering information on its range of over 50 fertilisers, wetting agents and biostimulants. The brand was created by GreenBest (specialist in own-brand, bespoke fertiliser manufacture) and its products are manufactured in the UK. “Velvit offers the turf manager a complete package that can be easily integrated into any nutrient programme,” says managing director Tim LeMesurier. “The Velvit range is completely independent. It’s made in the UK and is supported by specialist distributors nationwide.”

James Whittick, Velvit sales director, will be presenting a seminar at the show entitled Fertiliser Choice – Quality, Cost and Performance, and staff will be on hand at the stand to explain more about the range and help show visitors choose the right products for their needs. www.velvit.co.uk Stand A1

TRILO WILL BE focusing on scarification at BTME, in time for spring maintenance work, with the brand’s S-Line verti-cut and collect range showcased on the stand, as well as its series of VCU verticutters.

The S-Line range, with hopper capacities up to 20m3, is available with a dedicated verti-cut shaft for scarification and collection over large areas. Units can be upgraded with the optional flail shaft, or the autumn package containing the brush shaft, wander hose and dust suppression kit.

MULTI-TASKERS

Just the job – for any job

CUB CADET AND ATT will be showcasing their versatile interchangeable systems at BTME. Show visitors will be able to see the ATT TMSystem range of cassettes, which helps groundsmen expertly manage fine turf through organic matter reduction, grain control and soil gas/air exchange, as well as topdressing manipulation.

For those using a pedestrian mower, the TMSystem can be paired with the Cub Cadet INFINICUT. The

“The 30in and 34in version is good for football and rugby pitches” KEEP IN TOUCH

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34 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

The VCU series of verticutters is suitable for smaller areas, with a range of working widths. The VCU 120 and 150 scarifiers will be on display at BTME. The VCU 120 has an offset design enabling scarification right up to the edge of a pitch or green, without risking damage by the tyres. The tungsten-tipped blades can cope with thatch buildups to a depth of 50mm.

Find out more about the whole range from Trilo from staff on the stand. www.trilo.com Stand M6

Institute of Groundsmanship

ATT TMSystem cassettes cater for a range of jobs

INFINICUT mower is available as a 21in or 22in version, good for bowling greens, cricket wickets, tennis courts and golf greens; as a 26in version, good for tee boxes, collars and approaches; and as a 30in and 34in version for football and rugby pitches. www.cubcadetturf.com, www.advancedtt.com Stand M7

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

GRASS SEED

NEW MIX

HOMEGROWN GRASS FOR GREENS GERMINAL WILL BE focusing on its latest greens-specific seed mixture at BTME, where the company will be exhibiting on stand A42.

Forefront Greens is a blend of three bentgrass varieties, offering increased wear and heat tolerance, vigorous growth and good all-round disease resistance for golf greens.

The mix is made up of 35% AberRegal (browntop bent), 35% AberRoyal (browntop bent) and 30% 007 DSB (creeping bent). AberRegal and AberRoyal are the latest UK-bred bentgrass cultivars to come out of the breeding programme at

low input seeds

“Forefront Greens is the perfect solution for progressive greenkeepers who are seeking extra performance”

IBERS (Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences) in Aberystwyth. They have strong disease resistance, particularly to Fusarium, and good shoot density, fineness of leaf and greenness all year round.

“AberRegal, AberRoyal and 007 DSB work well together by providing greenkeepers with a low-input seed mixture with improved genetic diversity and a sward with higher resistance to key disease threats such as Red Thread and Fusarium,” explains Richard Brown, amenity sales manager for Germinal.

“As such, Forefront Greens is the perfect solution for progressive greenkeepers who are currently managing browntop bents, but who are seeking extra performance from the same management inputs.” www.germinal.com

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

I N D U ST R Y U P D AT E

SEE NEW SEEDS

New and improved

JOHNSONS SPORTS SEEDS and Masterline have revised and updated a number of mixtures for 2018, and visitors to BTME in January will be able to find out more about them.

Johnsons will also be introducing a new seed mixture for cricket, Johnsons J Outfield, at the show.

J Outfield has been developed to help with cricket outfield renovation and it includes DLF’s latest diploid and 4Turf tetraploid ryegrass technology.

DLF has also developed two new

“Mixtures are available with a ProNitro coating, which helps with stronger plant establishment and reduces input costs”

GRASS SEED

Read the latest groundscare news page 6

Find out about DLF’s new products at BTME

fine fescues, which will appear on the British Society of Plant Breeders list .

Absolom slender creeping red fescue has been shown to deliver high shoot density and disease resistance on greens and fairways. While Gima, a chewings fescue, will replace Musica in the mixture portfolio.

Leading mixtures from Johnsons are now available with a ProNitro coating, which helps with stronger plant establishment and reduces input costs. Find out more about the Johnsons Sports Seeds and Masterline ranges on BTME stand A20. www.dlf.co.uk

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

GRASS SEED

ROBUST MIX

COLD GOLD

Cool temperature performers

Winter wonder turf

BOTH THE R314 rye and R140 grass seed mixtures from Rigby Taylor contain tetraploid perennial ryegrasses that germinate and establish faster than diploid ryes, especially in cooler conditions from just 4°C. They also provide superb winter wear and robust re-growth, keeping surfaces in play throughout the intense pressure period.

The official testing programme for the Geves Turfgrass List highlights great disease tolerance in tetraploid cultivars.

Both R314 Rye and R140 contain the tetraploid perennial ryegrass cultivar Fabian that scored high points rating in this listing: FABIAN Leaf Spot

Microdochium

Red Thread

Rust

7.5

7.9

8.1

8.3

Find out more about R314 and R140 on Rigby Taylor’s BTME stand B60

MAINTAINING HEALTHY TURF coverage year round is a constant problem for UK groundsmen, but Hurrells’ Coldstar 100 Professional seed mix helps to address this.

It’s a mix of two advanced perennial ryegrass cultivars, Centurion and Colosseum, that are able to grow well in cold conditions, with soil temperatures down to 5C. According to the New Zealand breeders, this enables growth 11 months of the year.

“Unlike many broader-leafed tetraploid grasses, Coldstart produces a fine leaf breadth and wears and recovers well”

Unlike many broader-leafed tetraploid grasses used for year-round coverage, Coldstart produces a fine leaf breadth and wears and recovers well.

It’s dressed with mycorrhizae for better root growth and stronger emergence.

Visitors to BTME will be able to meet the Hurrells team on stand A32. www.hmseeds.co.uk

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

GRASS SEED

SQUARE DEAL

MM50 SETS THE STANDARD FOR CRICKET SQUARES LIMAGRAIN’S MM50 SEED mix has become the exclusive choice of Jamie Foyster, owner of Sportsturf Management, across all 14 cricket squares he manages, following a trial on two squares in late 2012.

“We had an incredibly wet season that year and in the autumn I trialled MM50 on two cricket squares,” says Jamie. “Very soon it was apparent that the germination rate, the development and the root density was fantastic.

“However, the real test came in the summer of the following year, and for me the wear tolerance and recovery rate was just superb. That

Jamie is a big fan of MM50

sealed the deal for me and since then I have converted all my squares to MM50.”

MM50 gives good shoot density and tolerance to close mowing making it especially suitable for cricket squares. It contains the perennial ryegrass cultivars Venice, Alison and Malibu and

is treated with Headstart Gold, Limagrain’s seaweed-based treatment that is designed to give rapid germination.

“Others have seen how well MM50 has performed on our squares and they have since started using it,” says Jamie. www.lgseeds.co.uk/amenity

www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

01636 640506

info@replaymaintenance.co.uk

Synthetic pitch holding water?

Compacted? Moss or algae problems?

Give it some Replay TLC a one-off visit or a complete rejuvenation

REVOLUTIONISING MAINTENANCE

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Synthetic Surfaces

Official Training Supporter to the IOG

Synthetic Solutions

Brushing | Cleaning | Decompacting | Regeneration See us at BTME 2018 on Stand B48

www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk | 01428 661222

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

A R T I F I C I A L S U R FAC E S

BRUSH WITH SUCCESS

Synthetic results from Redexim RTC Brush

REGULAR BRUSHING is crucial to keep artificial pitches in top playing condition, as Aveley FC discovered when it installed a new 3G pitch.

The club had been at its previous home, Mill Field, for 66 years before moving to a new stadium complex at Parkside, nearby. A new full-size 3G pitch is at the heart of the facility and,

The unit will keep the pitch playing well

with no dedicated grounds team, the task of looking after it falls to chief executive Craig Johnson. “When the carpet was installed, I asked the fitters for their advice on what kit they recommend and the RTC Brush unit was top of their list,” he says. “It’s doing a great job of keeping the infill free of debris and compaction. The 3G pitch will hopefully be a healthy revenue stream for us so it’s in our interests to keep it playing at its best – but I need a maintenance regime that’s time-efficient and effective and the RTC unit is just the job!” www.charterhouse-tm.co.uk

“It’s doing a great job of keeping the infill free of debris and compaction.

It’s just the job!”

CLEAN SWEEP

DEEP CLEANING BRINGS SURFACE RESULTS INSTALLING A 3G surface is a serious investment for any facility, and regular deep cleaning is essential to protect that investment and keep the surface playing well all day, every day.

The Terra Clean 160 from Wiedenmann helps extend the life and improve the playability of 3G sport surfaces. It’s a sweeper, cleaner and collector.

Terra Clean 16 combines a sieved separation system with a dust cyclone extraction system, to filter and remove miniscule deposits.

Needing just a 18hp tractor, the Terra Clean 160’s deep cleaning capability targets powdered rubber crumb. These tiny, fine particles can cause havoc to a pitch because they seal the playing surface and compact the yarn. Once this happens, ball roll and playability is compromised.

As a sweeper/collector, the Terra Clean 160 lifts litter and debris from the surface and returns infill back to the playing surface. A counterrotating brush on the floor sweeps debris, dust and rubber infill, aided by a blower, up into the machine.

The waste travels into a two-stage sieve with the dusty air confined to a storage chamber. A progressive sieving system aids better separation of the returnable infill from the debris. Rubber crumb granules fall back to the ground while other waste is collected in 50-litre baskets. www.wiedenmann.com

“A progressive sieving system aids better separation of the returnable infill” KEEP IN TOUCH

www.iog.org

The Hurricane Combi in action

UNDER PRESSURE

FROM SPORTS TO ALL SORTS

FOR STAFF RESPONSIBLE for large sport complexes or mixeduse areas, it makes sense to have one pressure washer that can cope with multiple surfaces. The Hurricane Combi from Demon International provides a solution that not only helps to keep artificial sport surfaces clean, but can also be used on street furniture, walls and kerbs in the surrounding grounds – even removing chewing gum.

The Hurricane Combi is an industrial pressure washer designed to clean many different surfaces and has proved very successful on artificial rubberised surfaces such as tennis courts and sports tracks.

This all-in-one pressure washer has both a flat surface cleaning deck and, through a handle, can be switched to a standard pressure washer to clean edges and kerbs. Many organisations have switched to the Hurricane Combi thanks to its versatility. www.demon-pressure-washers.co.uk

The Terra Clean 160 aids playability

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www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 41

IN ACTION

PERFECT PARTNERS FOR NEW PITCH MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches worked together to install a new SISGrass pitch at St James’ Park Bringing together two firms to work on a project can sometimes introduce complications, but when Premier League football team Newcastle United needed a swift installation of a new hybrid pitch, MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches proved an effective combination.

“We did the job at very short notice,” says stadium manager Eddie Rutherford. “We decided to put the SISGrass pitch in with only four weeks’ notice, so considering the time they had to get everything organised and put in place I couldn’t fault them.

“My only worry was that when you put two companies together, will they work well together? But they were both spot on. When one is getting towards the end, the other needs to be ready and mobilised and that worked out really well.

“MJ Abbott comes as a partnership with Premier Pitches when installing

BIGGER AND BETTER ICL products help Adam King and his team keep Radley College’s huge grounds in top condition Adam oversees the 800-acre grounds

St James’ Park’s new SISGrass pitch

SISGrass pitches. Premier Pitches has done a lot of work in the past with us, but I know MJ Abbott is a good contractor so I was quite happy to work with the two combined.”

The installation was complex, as Nathan George, contracts manager at MJ Abbott, explains: “The project comprised removing the existing fibre sand surface down to a suitable depth to expose the existing drainage slits.

This operation had to be carefully completed so as not to destroy the integrity of the retained drainage.”

When you’re managing an 800-acre site used year-round for multiple sports, you need all the help you can get. Adam King, grounds manager at Radley College in Oxfordshire, has to work hard with his team of 17 grounds staff, to keep the site looking and performing well, and ICL products and advice help them to achieve that.

Adam is responsible for the whole site, which includes a farm, nine-hole golf course and numerous natural and synthetic pitches. Sports at the College include rugby, hockey, football, cricket, lawn tennis and athletics.

“The one thing we work on really hard here is recovery,” says Adam. “As long as the soil temperatures and the moisture levels are there, we want the grass to keep growing because we have 14 weeks of rugby followed by 12 weeks of football. ProTurf really helps.”

ProTurf from ICL includes a potassium element which can help precondition the turf for intensive play

“A new, fully automatic pitch irrigation system was installed and an imported rootzone laid to re-establish the original pitch levels. Premier Pitches completed the preparation and seeding of the new pitch, which delivered the project a week ahead of schedule.”

Premier Pitches’ planning ahead of the start date was crucial to delivering the project on time.

“We have worked with MJ Abbott on our prestigious pitch construction projects for over five years now,” says director Russell Latham. “Their efficient and meticulous way of approaching a product, from design and planning to delivery, is everything our key clients want to see. But it doesn’t stop there. The back-up and support and knowledge is second to none.”

i

For more information visit www.mjabbott.co.uk

and harsh weather. It also contains Poly-S controlled-release fertiliser technology, which gives consistent growth over two or three months.

Adam and his team also make regular use of Vitalnova Stressbuster, a liquid formulation that conditions turf against stress and aids recovery.

“Stressbuster is a cocktail of everything you require, which gives superb results. It contains iron, biostimulants, sugar, nitrogen – all of which encourage recovery. Colourwise we get about 21 days out of it and an instant colour-up overnight – perfect when we apply before a game.

“Ultimately, Stressbuster is helping us to produce a tightly knit sward that keeps its colour and sends as many roots down as possible. That’s what it’s all about in winter – for rugby and football it’s all about traction.”

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For more information visit www.icl-sf.co.uk

www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 43

Tools & guidance MAINTENANCE CALENDAR AND WEATHER UPDATE

LEARN AND GROW Find out about courses you can attend in 2018 page 50

FEBRUARY OPERATIONS BOWLING GREEN

Finish off any turf repairs that might be outstanding.

Ensure you use a suitable turf (one that is closely matched to the indigenous green sward).

Consider applying a low nitrogen and high potash fertiliser (a soil analysis is advisable, following the manufacturer’s guidelines), to help reduce the chance of disease attack. Drag brush and/or switch daily. Continue with aerating the green when ground and climatic conditions are suitable.

Ensure the surrounds to the green are clean and tidy and that any outstanding work is being completed, at least for no later than March.

CRICKET SQUARE

Most likely the square will be too wet to carry out much work.

However, drag brushing should be a priority, especially if earthworm activity is significant.

A light topping of the sward may be required; perennial ryegrass sward may have produced some leaf growth.

Maintain any perimeter fencing.

Towards the end of the month, it might be possible to start rolling, but this will depend on soil moisture content. A soil sample to a depth of 75mm should be taken to establish if the correct amount of moisture is present.

Try to plan pitch usage for the coming season and the sequence of use. This way the centre

pitches will be available for high-profile games if required.

Carry out a thorough inspection of the outfield to identify any worn areas; this will be especially important if the outfield is used for winter sports. Check all bowlers’ run-up areas and repair if required.

Start to set out the stripes for the outfield; this will aid presentation and efficiency of cut.

of fairways – also consider raising lower branches of trees from the edges of fairways.

Have materials been ordered for the spring renovation work?

Machinery maintenance should be completed this month.

The completion of topping up of bunkers should be done this month, especially if major events are planned for April/May. This will allow sufficient time for the sand to become consolidated.

FOOTBALL

RACECOURSE

CRICKET OUTFIELD

Brush/chain harrow, depending on the quality of the facility, if ground and climatic conditions are suitable.

Aerate the pitch wherever possible, although again make sure to use tractor-mounted equipment only if the correct ground and climatic conditions are present – otherwise hand fork goalmouths and centre circles.

Apply a suitable sand to the goalmouth and centre circle areas to allow a more consistent, playable surface, and to aid surface drainage.

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

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

A light topping of the sward might be required.

Continue to divot and repair after each meeting.

Ensure all materials have been ordered ready for the April renovation work.

GOLF

If the weather is suitable, a light topping of the grass may be required.

Some form of aeration would be useful – verti-draining, slitting or even hand forking would be good for airflow and drainage. Use of drag brushes is two-fold. Use them to get rid of

Mostly non-green course work will be underway. This might include: – bunker renovation or reconstruction – construction of pathways – cutting back of branches from overhanging tees and the edges

RUGBY LEAGUE

dew and to stand the grass up.

This will also help put the stripe effect onto your surface.

Make sure all machinery is back from servicing.

Consider any improvements and targets you want to achieve for the coming season.

A light topdressing of worn areas with sand may be required. Chain harrows on the smooth side will help you gain a consistent surface. Constant divoting is essential. Brushing the surface will stand the grass up and give the surface some cover, this will also put you in good stead for the growing season. Make sure markings are bright and straight.

RUGBY UNION

If the weather is very mild, a light topping of the grass might be required.

Aerate if ground and climatic conditions permit.

Overmark lines regularly, using string lines for accuracy.

Hand fork and sand wet areas.

Order all the end-of-season renovation material and machinery hire now.

TENNIS

A light topping of the sward might be required, if the ground and climatic conditions allow.

Aerate if conditions permit.

Continue with regular drag brushing to remove dew and earthworm casts.

www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 45

TOOLS & GUIDANCE

W E AT H E R

INTEGRATE CONTROL ACTIONS • Weather forecasting and disease risk prediction enables selection of the most appropriate modes of fungicidal action to counter the threat.

Frosty nights are rarer now

COLD SNAP CLEAN-UP

O

then came some snow and ice, and finally it ended unseasonably warm Bizarrely, parts of Scotland recorded the region’s record high for January of 14.2°C, then five days later a low of -10.1°C Overall rainfall was well below average for the month – down nearly 50 per cent in Scotland – after several successive years of very wet Januarys (Table 1) Despite the cold snaps, nationally overall the temperature was again well above the long-term average – +0.9°C – although cooler than the more recent seasons across England Sunshine was well above the norm – +40 per cent in Scotland, but significantly duller for central England

ver recent years, January has seen most greenkeepers and turf managers struggling to cope with saturated soils and extensive flooding across the UK. This winter, the north and west of England have already seen some wet periods, although it has been much drier in eastern counties. Heavy snowfall in December was extensive across the country. Any further prolonged rainfall or melting heavy snow could cause a repeat of the problems.

KEY FACTS FOR JAN 2017

January 2017 will be best remembered for wild extremes: it started cold and dry, turned mild in the middle of the month,

JANUARY RAINFALL PATTERNS

Days with rain

Rain (mm)

UK N. England S. England Scotland Wales N Ireland

Av

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Av

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

121 94 77 177 157 116

110 80 79 149 140 141

188 145 168 218 258 173

153 106 86 252 187 133

180 146 114 254 244 176

76 54 69 94 93 53

15 14 13 19 17 17

16 14 13 18 19 21

23 22 24 23 26 24

19 16 15 23 22 21

21 20 17 23 23 24

12 11 12 14 13 11

Table 1: For several seasons January has proved to be extremely wet, with a well above average frequency of rainfall, until last year when rainfall was significantly below the long-term average and a welcome chance for surfaces to dry up

• Protecting turf before forecast disease risk periods can provide long-lasting results, with Medallion TL offering especially effective protection ahead of any predicted snow cover.

• When soil temperatures are fluctuating, and there is evidence of some growth – as seen in many recent January conditions – a multi-active fungicide with contact and systemic activity, such as Instrata Elite, can provide the most appropriate protection for turf.

• Surfaces should also be kept as dry as possible – open up air flow and switch or brush to remove moisture.

The implication for turf health was welcome reduced pressure from microdochium patch (Fusarium) activity in the drier conditions. However, the huge fluctuations in temperature did create some challenging and stressful conditions for turf.

With the high incidence of disease already reported this season, turf managers must make every effort to keep surfaces as dry as possible, and look out for predicted risk conditions of rain and mild temperatures.

GreenCast historical records indicate localised pressure for January is set to see problems persist, especially where the pathogen is already well established in the thatch.

IOG

RECRUITMENT

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GROUNDSMAN CONTACT JACK WATTS: 48 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

E jack.watts@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

0203 859 7099

IOG

IOG

CLASSIFIEDS

RECRUITMENT

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GROUNDSMAN CONTACT JACK WATTS:

E jack.watts@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

0203 859 7099

www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 49

GROW WITH THE IOG

NEXT MONTH

More advice on continued training and development

Draw a line under last year and sign up for new training today

MOVING ON UP

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU There is no better time to plan for developing yourself than January

W

By Dan Prest IOG head of member services

KEEP IN TOUCH

e have all been there: working in grounds and contemplating starting a qualification is a daunting thought. But when you’re thinking about those New Year’s resolutions, at home and at work, further education should be top of the list as you set out on a new season, plan renovations or prepare for a new maintenance programme. Do you, or your team, often think about looking into some options on training or qualifications? Well, now is the time to act!

Whether you are thinking of a formal qualification at a land-based college, or an online route through the IOG, we can help advise you on the best route to take through our new Training Needs Analysis service for the team. Alternatively, you may want to discuss your personal training needs informally. Pick up the phone and speak to one of the team now on 01908 312511.

As IOG head of member services, I definitely fall into the category of “there is never a great time to start” but also realise that there is no time like the present. The IOG’s qualifications cater for all levels of groundsmanship so there’s plenty to choose from: Level 2 Suitable for those entering the industry, or those with plenty of experience but no formal qualification. The eight modules include: soils, fertilisers and nutrients, plant classification and identification, grasses and seeds, weeds, pests and

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50 THE GROUNDSMAN January 2018

diseases, turf and turf grass maintenance activities, and health and safety.

Level 3 and 4 Progressing up the ladder or looking for that opportunity to do so? These qualifications will suit your needs and increase your knowledge and employability by giving you in-depth technical knowledge, optimising resource use, saving money and understanding wider management requirements.

Level 5 Earn the recognition you deserve. This qualification will suit the experienced manager and allow you to prove your technical knowledge both on and off the pitch by helping you to manage projects effectively, improve risk management and increase your knowledge of natural turf grass and non-turf developments.

Level 6 Years of experience to share? Knowledge to increase others’ confidence in maintaining surfaces?

This qualification will enable you to put together a comprehensive advisory report, drawing on your own experience and knowledge. It will help you better engage with external consultants, provide consultancy services to others and contribute to raising industry standards.

So, now is the time. What will 2018 hold for you?

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Institute of Groundsmanship

Find out more about training opportunities at www.iog.org/learning twitter.com/the_iog

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