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JUNGLE FEVER Sherriff’s Marathon Sport has helped tame the Castleford Tigers’ ground THE PITCH AT Mend-A-Hose Jungle Stadium, home to Castleford Tigers RLFC, has to cope with heavy usage and the effects of being in use for over 90 years – which include having no drainage or undersoil heating. For Stuart Vause, who worked at the ground for 13 years before becoming head groundsman, a combination of hard work and using the right fertilisers has been essential to keeping the pitch in good condition. “I’ve tried lots of different approaches and products but three years ago I researched Marathon Sport,” says Stuart. “I trialled it and have been using it ever since because

“Marathon Sport has thickened the sward”

AFTER THE FLOOD Headline products resolved a historic pitch problem

Xpedite has helped clear the waterlogged grounds at Downside

it really seems to suit the field. I’ve had excellent results from it and it holds incredibly well in this structure and soil – I can get three or four months out of each application, depending on rain. “The Marathon Sport fertilisers have dramatically thickened the sward – it’s been unbelievable. When I first came here the field was fragile, it used to rip up and lumps would come out. Now, however, we have a really strong root zone – obviously with Rugby League games it is rough and tough but the pitch just seems to hold up to it. “I love the colour that it provides, too. During the winter, this field used to lose a lot of colour but it is now a lush green all year round. Sometimes, if we are on TV, I’ll just give it a light application to really bring the colour out. It also never leaves foot marks and has never scorched for as long as I’ve been using it – this is with minimal water, too.

WORKING ON THE grounds of an historic school is an honour, but comes with unique challenges, as Steve Eade, head of grounds and gardens at Downside School in Somerset, discovered. The school is attached to Downside Abbey and many of the buildings and features on the 250-acre site were handmade by the monks. Steve and his team of five oversee four cricket squares, three football pitches (including an artificial pitch), athletics facilities and more. However, it was one of the school’s seven rugby pitches where Steve had real issues to tackle. “Where the monks ‘dragged down’ the land we have a number of banks and our first team rugby pitch in particular suffers for this, as it sits on one of the lowest levels on the site,” says Steve. “During the playing season high levels of play cause compaction and this, combined with any spells of significant rainfall, sees water running down the bank and flooding the first team area. “We use a range of Headland products including Multigreen and C-Complex so I spoke to Alex Hawkes [Headland regional manager] and asked

Stuart Vause (right) with Sherri� ’s Robert Bone

“Perhaps one of the biggest benefits is that it doesn’t give you excessive growth. With it only being me here, it helps if I’m not chasing my tail having to cut it constantly. With some fertilisers, you apply it and if you leave it for a period of time you’ll be faced with an abundance of grass. The Marathon Sport just kicks on nicely at a steady pace and if I can’t get on to mow it for two or three days it is still manageable.”

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if he had anything which could draw the water down quicker. Alex suggested we try Xpedite in conjunction with our aeration, topdressing and overseeding programme.” Xpedite is a granular soil amendment product that introduces non-compacting pore space into problem rootzones. Applied in mid-March, Steve says it didn’t take long for the improvements to appear. “We found the areas that were previously very compacted and therefore puddled became much more free-draining. Xpedite draws the moisture down to below the root level.” Because of the improved rootzone conditions, benefits have also been evident with the seed take-up, growth and surface firmness. Steve says, “I was sceptical at first it could deliver what Alex said but it has and we’ve all been really pleased. Moving forward we’ll look to re-apply in March again next year as well as hopefully using it on other areas – now we’ve got a product that works, our only restrictions are budget and time!”

For more information visit www.headlandamenity.com