Professional Groundscare July 2019

The GMB union has revealed the significant impact of 10 years of local authority budget cuts have caused for grassroots and schools football in the UK.

Data released under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that more than 700 council football pitches have been lost since 2010.

The figures show that there were 710 fewer local-authority owned or operated football pitches in the financial year 2017/18 than there were in 2009/10 – before the Conservatives’ austerity project began.

The worst-hit region was the north-west, which lost 164 pitches during that period.

Other heavily affected regions included Yorkshire, which lost 76, London which lost 54 and the West Midlands, which lost 84. Scotland lost 129 pitches and Wales 82.

Much of the land is being sold to property developers. The sell-off is in addition to land disposed of by schools.

Earlier researchby the GMB revealed some 215 school pitches had been sold since 2010, similar to the number sold under Labour.

In 2009 Jeremy Hunt, then shadow culture, media and sport secretary, criticised Labour for overseeing a period when 200 pitches were lost.

“Losing these council pitches shows what the government’s slash-and-burn approach to local government means in reality,” said Tim Roache, general secretary of the GMB union, which obtained the figures before its annual congress next Sunday 9 June.

“Councils have had their funding cut in half since 2010 – they’re struggling to fund the basics and keep the show on the road.”

BBC’s Dan Walker to host 2019 IOG Industry Awards

Tickets are now available for this year’s Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards, so book now to secure your place at the industry’s biggest celebratory event - hosted by the BBC’s Dan Walker on Wednesday October 30 at The Vox, located in Resorts World at the Birmingham NEC, on the evening of the first day of the SALTEX exhibition.

The awards – now in their 11th year - have continually grown in status for acknowledging the achievements of volunteer and professional grounds teams, as well as community clubs and national stadia.

They recognise the passion, dedication and challenges faced by grounds staff at clubs of every size and from all corners of the UK.

BBC sports presenter and BBC Breakfast anchor Dan Walker will bring a new dimension to this year’s event as the 20 award categories are presented.

• To secure your seat – which cost £95 each for IOG members and £190 each for non-membersplease contact the IOG by email (awards@iog.org) or call 01908 312 511 where you can also gain details of how to become an IOG member.

IOG

In addition to raising money from the sale of the land, councils save cash by no longer having to maintain the pitches. But as the sales continue there are concerns that they are becoming a factor in Britain’s mounting obesity crisis.

“Council-owned football pitches are a cherished local service and we have long made the case for the importance of leisure facilities and outdoor spaces for people’s health and wellbeing,” said councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the Local Government Association’s culture, tourism and sport board.

“In the face of the current childhood obesity epidemic, football pitches are a key resource.

We know pitches are enjoyed by children and young people across the country, and sit at the heart of local communities. Since 2010, councils have lost 60p out of every £1 they had from central government to spend on services.

At the same time, pressures are growing in children’s services, adult social care, and efforts to tackle homelessness. This is leaving increasingly less money for councils to fund other services, like sports and leisure facilities.”

GMB

Annual research open days launched by STRI

STRI Group has announced that its annual research open days will take place on 25 and 26 September 2019.

The event, which takes place at STRI’s UK research and development facility in Bingley, West Yorkshire, offers an opportunity for sport facility managers, owners, groundstaff and greenkeepers to learn about and discuss the development of the latest products and technology for the sportsturf industry.

Dr Christian Spring, research operations manager, said: “STRI Research Days are an excellent way to gain insight into the latest developments and thinking on

tackling current and future turf management issues.

“STRI Research Days offer turf managers a unique opportunity to network with, not only fellow turf managers, but to view and discuss the latest developments in turf maintenance with turfgrass scientists and industry professionals.

“This is reflected in feedback from previous events, where those attending have valued learning about what is new and upcoming in our industry and to have an opportunity to discuss these ideas.”

STRI UK

Turf Maintenance

Jane Carley on staying green this summer

Imants ShockWave the best solution for club’s drainage

Kyles Athletic Shinty Club has turned to the Imants ShockWave 100 from Campey Turf Care Systems to solve their drainage problems.

The Imants ShockWave is the perfect solution for Kyles

Athletic because it is designed to decompact heavy wear areas by relieving soil compaction using 12mm thick knives.

This makes it the ideal aerator on fields that have stone near the surface because the blades won’t

break and cause further damage to the machine. While the main aim of purchasing the machines was to eliminate the drainage issue, the club also wanted to be able to plan maintenance. In the past, the club relied on borrowing equipment from others, but now

they own their machines it feels able to raise the standards with plans already in place to hire the machinery out to provide income for the club.

Campey Turf Care Systems

Leigh Sports Village expands Dennis fleet

Keith Porter, head groundsman at Leigh Sports Village in Greater Manchester, has added to his fleet of Dennis mowers by purchasing four G860 cylinder mowers and four PRO 34R rotary mowers.

Leigh Sports Village certainly lives up to its name by comprising of a main stadium pitch - a Desso Hybrid GrassMaster, three additional soil based sand ameliorated pitches with primary and secondary drainage and irrigation; and two full size, three seven-a-side and a 5-a-side floodlit 4G synthetic pitches.

The village also features an indoor sports centre and a swimming pool.

Keith felt the time was right to add to his Dennis armoury. “We had a PRO 34R on a demonstration and were really

impressed with it so we decided to go ahead and purchase four,” he said. “It was also the ideal opportunity to bring in more G860’s because they have always given us great results.

“They are both light machines compared to competitors, so they are lighter on the pitch and therefore there is not as much compaction.”

The new Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface.

It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

Dennis

Galashiels have become another bowling club to join a growing list of those to purchase a Cub Cadet INFINICUT ®mower.

This time a 22” floating head version, and club Vice President and Green Ranger Steve Currie is delighted with the switch as it has already made significant improvements to green quality – not to mention reductions in noise and fuel cost.

Having taken over as Green Ranger two years ago without a greenkeeping background, Steve

has turned to industry contacts and nearby clubs for advice –which is where he first heard about the INFINICUT.

“We looked at all the usual petrol-powered models when Martin at Pro Turfcare, our green contractors, suggested we looked at the INFINICUT,” said Steve.

“He and our friends at Largs Bowling Club use the INFINICUT® and have both been seriously impressed.”

MTD

Multiple plus points for Toro’s Reels+ and EdgeSeries Reels+REELS+

Dedicated to bringing you more, Reesink Turfcare has extended its Toro Parts range with Toro Reels+ and EdgeSeries Reels+, and with this introduction comes multiple plus points for machinery maintenance.

With Toro Reels+ and EdgeSeries Reels+, everything you need for replacing your cylinders is included and comes pre-assembled. You get the cylinder plus all the necessary bearings, flock seals and spacers, plus the benefit of having all the parts professionally assembled at the factory.

This means that all the bearings are already pressed on with the required low-drag flock seals and spacers. Therefore there’s no need to install all the parts separately which results in a huge reduction in assembly time.

With the integration of the cylinder and all its components, the guesswork for technicians is removed, ensuring the recommended bearings are utilised which increases the product life of your cutting units.

Less time on maintenance, and a longer life span means there’s

more time to focus on providing the best turf care possible.

Using Toro Reels+ and EdgeSeries Reels+ reduces installation time by approximately 15-20 minutes per cylinder which brings yet another plus point – less time and labour means your mowers are back in action faster, saving money and resources.

Plus, using genuine Toro parts means you’ll always maintain Toro’s legendary quality of cut.

Reesink Turfcare

The Hayter Harrier Prothe mower for professionals

The New Harrier 48 and 56 Pro models were designed with landscape professionals in mind, and this summer we want everyone to get the most out of their machines.

The new models are designed to be robust and flexible to help users tackle a variety of turf with ease.

The brand new aluminium cutter deck is extremely strong and durable, with an impressive resistance to corrosion, helpful for professionals looking to keep their mowers for the long term.

With the first-ever Crank-Safe BBC System installed on some models*, landscape professionals benefit from the convenience

that comes with a BBC system, as well as the reassurance of a lifetime warranty against the engine crankshaft bending.

• (*Only on model number Code479A and Code579A.)

Hayter

Rigby Taylor’s R9 overseeding success at golf club

After seeing the results of Rigby Taylor’s R9 ultra fine dwarf rye grass on the STRI trial plots, head greenkeeper Colin Hopper knew that the perennial ryegrass mix would be ideal for overseeding his 18hole Elsham Golf Club course.

The fairways at the Brigg, north Lincolnshire course were looking the worse for wear following the record-breaking hot summer of 2018.

“But I knew that if I could repeat the impressive germination and coverage performance of R9 that I had seen – I couldn’t believe how well it looked - I knew the ideal solution would have been found and the fairways would be brought back to their best,” says Colin.

Indeed, such was the success of the initial overseeding, with germination at just 7 to 10 days, that he repeated the process

a month later with equally impressive results.

“Despite the fact that the second overseeding was very late in the season – around the last week in October – the R9 still performed excellently with fast germination and great coverage,” he adds.

The result was that the busy all-year-round course was back to its best in no time, enabling members and visitors to enjoy an 18-hole course. Indeed, this year (in June) Elsham Golf Club for the first time hosted the English Senior Men’s Open Amateur Championship.

The greens were cut to 3 mm for this competition, compared to the usual 3.5 mm, while the fairways are usually held at 14 mm; semi or first cut at 26 mm and rough at 63 mm.

Rigby Taylor

High performance from Honda

The HF 2417 HME is packed with features including a Honda V-twin engine, which is reliable and high performing.

A decompressor provides easy start and restart, and it’s currently one of the most fuel efficient engines on the market.

The cast iron cylinder sleeve and high capacity air filter ensure a long lifetime, while a hydrostatic drive gives greater accuracy and stepless speed control.

The synchronous blade cut system means both blades have an overlapping cutting area to create accurate mowing, avoiding any uncut areas when turning. A synchronized blade belt system results in contact cutting performance to avoid uncut areas even when turning, resulting in optimised grass collecting.

The model contains Honda’s Versamow selective mulching

system, and with a single lever the system will either collect the grass cuttings into the bag or finely shred and blow them down into the lawn, creating a natural fertiliser.

Additionally, the Optiflow feature improves airflow between the cutter deck and the high airflow grass bag, improving collecting performance.

Honda’s R&D team developed

•

Harry West (Prees) Ltd

Optiflow to combine powerful suction with controlled, low turbulence airflow to reduce power loss, noise and grass accumulation.

The Roto-Stop blade stopper system allows blades to be stopped quickly and safely without having to turn the engine off.

Honda

Stay green all summer

While the only predictable characteristic of the British weather is its unpredictability, long dry spells are becoming increasingly common and present the groundsman with the tricky challenge of maintaining a safe, good quality playing surface on dried out ground and encouraging grass to keep on growing at the busiest time of year.

Turf machinery specialists recommend a combination of good preparation and effective remedial action to take advantage of any breaks in the weather.

Being able to ride-out any prolonged period of warm weather comes down to the preparation of a surface, explains Nick Darking of Charterhouse Turf Machinery.

“It’s always difficult to see a sports facility struggling to maintain adequate cover when we experience a hot spell such as the summer of 2018, and for many, recovery from this is still ongoing. When we are in the midst of hot weather, attempting to conduct too many mechanical processes over a surface risks doing more damage than good.

“The key is to try and enter those periods with your pitch as strong as possible, which comes down to work that has taken place in the preceding months.”

He suggests that using a VertiDrain to a depth of 30-35cm during any relatively dry periods in the winter months will help to keep surfaces playable, draining and free from puddling.

When followed up with further verti-draining through the spring when growth begins, it will encourage a deeperrooting, stronger plant that is better able to withstand more challenging conditions.

“Linear aeration provided by the Redexim Verti-Quake is another option,” Nick adds.

“The rotary motion, combined with the forward speed, sets up a wave action which helps to decompact a surface and encourage deep rooting.

“However, this should again be conducted before any prolonged warm conditions as slit lines can shrink and open up if the ground is too dry.

“Where grass coverage is comprised, the recovery

programme involves scarification to remove dead organic material, followed up with effective recovery overseeding.

Using the Verti-Drain again to produce an aerated rootzone, in conjunction with a scarifier/verticut unit such as the Redexim Verti-Cut 1300 will improve establishment, he advises.

“Charterhouse definitely observed a surge in the demand for overseeders, following the dry weather last summer as groundsmen attempted to regain turf cover ahead of the winter season.

In these situations, where high germination is the number one priority, disc seeders. such as the Redexim Overseeder should be the tool of choice.

“The discs open up the turf and accurately deposit the seed into the furrow created, improving the seed to soil contact.”

Campey Turfcare also saw a marked increase in demand for overseeders to replace grass which had been lost.However, effective remedial action is down to more than just seeding, says Richard Campey.

“If you want to effectively revitalise heavy wear areas in drought conditions, then you will have to aerate effectively first,” he advises.

“Being able to aerate without shutting pitches has become increasingly important to so the Air2G2 Air Inject, which provides industry-leading aeration with no disruption or the Campey Imants ShockWave linear aerator are ideal choices.”

He stresses that choosing the right seeder is key.

“Minimise wastage by choosing the seeder which places the seed directly into the soil to give the highest seed into plant conversion rates.”

After a long, cold spring, summer weather brings a welcome boost to sports facilities, but provides a challenge for groundsmen. Jane Carley looks at way to keep pitches green and pristine in the heat.

Dennis G860

Campey Turf Care Systems

“Look for precise seeding depths with an easy depth adjuster to main good playability with a stable of the soil structure.

“Precision planting will give you the flexibility of shallow planting ‘light-germinating seed’ such as Bent grass, Agrostis, Poa pratensis and deeper depth planting for ‘temperature-germinating seed’ such as English Ryegrass.

“Choose the lightest seeder with a disc system to minimise compaction on the field and allow smaller tractors to be used while still achieving a good working width,” he says. “This is especially important for greens.”

The double disc seeder comes into its own on hard, compacted ground, points out Richard.

“Vredo double disc seeders were developed during drought conditions in the Netherlands, with the principle of not wasting seed by making sure it is placed at the correct depth in the root zone.”

Wastage is minimised because the seed is placed directly into the soil using high-quality self-sharpening baron steel discs to cut through dry and compacted surfaces, giving a 97% germination rate.

Placing the seed where it needs to be in the soil profile prevents it from being dried out by the sun or eaten by wildlife and allows grassed surfaces to be mown with the seed perfectly placed within the slit.

The user is able to determine the amount of seed with the help of the spindle and seed chart, which

Simple aeration

includes with the most common types of grass and mixtures.

Seed is regulated precisely through the cam wheel and the bottom flap, from the hopper to the ground.

These machines are widely used in football, golf, rugby, horse racing, and on country estates and campsites, comments Richard.

“The main reason for this is the close 7.5cm spacing of the Compact Series and the even closer spacing of 3.5cm of the Super Compact Series.

“With the slits created by the machine so close together, it is easy to continue play promptly after seeding, which an important factor at most sporting facilities.”

Vredo seeders are available in a range of working widths,

Case study

Keeping pitches hydrated is the best way to combat the effects of a long dry spell suggests SCH Supplies, which specialises in custom built watering units.

An example of one of their larger custom builds is the WG06, which features two 1,800 litre capacity tanks on a twin axle chassis.

break-back boom, which sprays water over a large width.

“This waterer was designed to dampen dirt tracks and horse arenas to keep dust at bay; however, it would be an ideal waterer in the harsh summer heat for large fields and pitches,” suggests SCH’s Sam Elliss.

Another unconventional watering unit is the SCH Irrigation Unit (IGU), with a Honda engine powered pump suitable for static water sources such as a pond or lake.

The IGU can be used to spray water over grassed areas, and could be attached to a sprinkler system to cover vast areas with minimal effort.

The unit comes with a hose reel, which will accommodate 80m of 1in hose or 120m of 3/4in hose. It is a great match with a towed or mounted water tank, says SCH.

A powerful centrifugal engine is used to pump water through a

The two-inch pump can deliver up to 495 litres per minute.

SCH products are designed and manufactured in Britain, so the company can also customise the build to meet niche requirements e.g. a waterer designed to fit on a specific ATV/UTV.

with the Compact Series ranging from 1m-2.2m and the Super Compact going from 0.8m-2.20m.

For golf greens, cricket squares or football pitches, the Eliet DZC 600 pedestrian Overseeder from PSD Groundscare can renovate quickly and guarantees a visible result in less than a month.

Cutting blades at the front of the machine cut open 10 to 15mm deep grooves in the soil in preparation for the grass seed, casting the soil in an arch to the rear of the machine so that it does not fall into the newly cut grooves.

The Helix Seed Duct distribution system carries the seed into small funnels leading to discharge channels precisely located above the clean grooves.

A small air pressure generator blows air through the seed funnels so the seed is blown while it is being distributed, helping it to settle faster and with more precision in the grooves.

Behind, the powered rubber roller ensures that there is good contact between the soil and the seeds by pressing the earth down.

Projected excess earth falls just behind the roller covering the seedbed and provides a protective layer for the seed. Flash flooding is the nightmare of any summer sport groundsman.

Terrain Aeration’s specialist area is one metre deep penetration aeration to relieve compaction using a hydraulic blast of air to fracture the soil on sports surfaces that have become compacted and prone to standing water after dry conditions followed by heavy rain.

By creating fissures which are then filled with dried seaweed to maintain the aeration and helps get water deeper, the grass roots push to a greater depth, thus extensively improving the top growth.

Where the pitch is draining but top growth is poor in very dry conditions, the process can be used to promote growth in the same way, particularly if the pitch is watered.

The action of normal aeration, use of machines and foot traffic over time can leave areas compacted and panning occurs, causing poor drainage and depriving grass roots of oxygen and nutrients.

The Terrain Aeration Terralift machine not only solves the immediate compaction problem, the process has a beneficial effect that lasts many years, says the company.

The robust chassis features lights, brakes, and jack legs for stability when not attached to the towing vehicle.

The Terralift hammers a hollow probe one metre into the soil using a JCB road breaker gun. Once the probe has reached one metre depth, compressed air is released up to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi).

The probe is withdrawn and the process repeated using two metre centre spacings on a staggered grid pattern - this means that each shot interconnects with the previous ones.

On the tail end of the air blast, dried seaweed is injected which sticks to the walls of the fractures and fissures and, over time, expands and contracts with the moisture content in the soil - similar to ‘breathing’ underground.

The 3cm probe holes created by the Terralift machine are backfilled with aggregate to provide a semi-permanent aeration/ventilation shaft, helping to keep the whole aeration process working.

The top 2cm should be topped with the usual top dressing to encourage grass growth over the probe holes.

Get your turf redeemed

Headland Amenity’s popular selective turf herbicide, Redeem has gained registration renewal and is again available to greenkeepers and groundsmen alike.

Redeem’s powerful triple active formulation controls a broad range of turf weeds and can be used on golf fairways, tees, sports pitches, lawns and other amenity grass areas. Containing Clopyralid, 2,4-D and MCPA, Redeem is effective against many common weeds including Daisy, Clover and Plantains.

Control is achieved at low application rates – up to half the rate of many competitor products –ensuring a lower amount of active ingredient is required for efficient control. Redeem is packed in 3L

containers and each pack will treat 1 Hectare (3L/Ha application rate). Grass areas can then be re-seeded as early as 6 weeks after application. Importantly, Redeem can be applied using knapsack sprayers as well as boom mounted equipment.

Redeem is an ideal product to use as a tank-mix partner with Elevate Fe and Xtend Soluble, to provide selective weed control alongside long-lasting iron and nitrogen application. Many liquid-applied iron products are unable to successfully mix with herbicides, but Elevate Fe is a unique, costeffective, formulation for use on outfield turf.

XTEND Soluble 46-0-0 contains two slow release components in combination with soluble, micro-

prilled urea, to form a stabilised nitrogen, slow release fertiliser. Loss of nitrogen by volatilisation and leaching is controlled by NBPT and DCD respectively and release takes place over two to three months, from one application, with excellent turf safety.

Headland Amenity

New amenity supplies and service business for North West England

and Wales

This comprehensive range of amenity products is supported by a dedicated team of experienced amenity professionals, with individuals based in Cheshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire and Monmouthshire.

attention to understanding a customer’s requirements and providing appropriate advice and timely supplies.”

Spunhill Amenity

Spunhill Amenity’s portfolio includes: LG Seeds and Momersteeg seed mixtures; the company’s own Marcher brand of fertilisers and ICL fertilisers; plant protection products from Monsanto, Nufarm, Belchim and FMC; Aquatrols wetters; linemarking paints and machinery; Bathgate composts, top dressings and soil enhancers.

ROBUST, PERFORMS ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN.

Siôn Price, Spunhill Amenity business manager explains: “Between us, we have gained experience and expertise through working for Monsanto, BASF, Barenbrug, ICL, and Nomix. Our team also has hands-on green-keeping and golf course construction experience.

“As local area specialists, everyone can give their personal

rotary mowers, the flail mowing unit returns tiny particles of grass back to the soil as natural fertiliser.

The AS 1040 YAK 4WD’s newly developed 100 cm wide flail mowing unit is a superior alternative to the conventional rotary mowing unit.

Groundsmen, amenity contractors and local authorities in the North West of England and Wales now have a new source of amenity supplies and technical support following the launch of Spunhill Amenity, a business division of Spunhill Ltd.

Terrain Aeration

Essential turf maintenance with the Campey Uni-Scratch

Campey Turf Care Systems’ latest innovation, the Campey UniScratch, is the ideal solution for those looking for a professional and effective maintenance of natural and synthetic grass surface.

The Campey Uni-Scratch can be used for organic matter removal on natural grass hybrid carpet pitches when carrying out annual renovations.

idverde UK who manage a growing portfolio of sports pitches and facilities on behalf of several local authorities, is the first

company in the United Kingdom to purchase the Uni-Scratch.

Operations manager, Steve Tingley, explains: “We install and maintain a lot of hybrid carpet surfaces and we are always looking at new machines and how they can improve our operation. We bought the UniScratch specifically to speed up and improve our maintenance procedure and it has met the aims we had for it.”

Campey Turf Care Systems

Toro Grandstand stand-on mower with rear discharge

Groundscare

The INFINICUT® line of all electric precision mowers was designed to be user-adjustable to match the conditions of any given day. From the dynamic return floating head mechanism to the variable clip speed, height of cut adjustment and moveable bedknife the INFINICUT® provides more functionality than any other pitch mower. Combine that with today’s highly technical approach to pitch construction and unpredictable microclimates, the INFINICUT® ensures a healthy turf while providing an unrivalled quality of cut.

Introducing a new Fixed Head option

Engineered for flat surfaces, the new fixed head mower provides the same cut quality without sacrificing precision, all at an unmatched value.

Toro’s Grandstand was developed with landscape professionals in mind, offering a compact, operator-first mower which combines the benefits of a ride-on and professional walk-behind mower.

Its fold-up operator platform provides maximum versatility, allowing the Grandstand to be converted to a walk-behind when operating on sloped terrain, or to save room in workshops or during transport.

professionals will also enjoy the cushioned suspension system, reardischarge deck, and twin-levered, easy-to-operate steering controls Available in 36” and 48” cutting widths,

both models boast a range of accessories including the RearRoller Striping Kit and Recycler Kit, which turns grass clippings into a fine nutrient rich mulch.

Toro

Classen – sod cutting made easy

The Classen PRO HSC18

Hydro-Drive Sod Cutters are built with the professional in mind, with quality components and innovative, labour-saving features; and designed to make the most novice user feel like a pro, with user-friendly controls and quick-view how-to panel.

If you’re a professional, you’ll be able to perform serious lawn care services, get the job done quicker and make serious money with our equipment.

If you’re a first-time equipment user, you’ll find that we’ve made it easy for you to achieve professional results.

Whether you are repositioning or relocating sod or expanding landscaping areas – the hydrostatic drive delivers high productivity with smooth power in both forward and reverse and the industry’s fastest transport speed at 4.7mph.

Simple operation comes from the integrated throttle/clutch control on the handle; releasing the handle puts the machine into idle and operator comfort comes from the advanced vibration dampening system, even with extended run times.

The short unit length and integrated rear swivel wheel make the PRO sod cutter the most compact and manoeuvrable in the industry. Knobby tread drive wheels ensure far better traction and reduce dirt build up.

The centre-mounted blade ensures a more consistent cutting depth and the cutting blade makes 20 cutting strokes per second of 1-3/8” which is 50% longer than competitive models, this results in more work being completed in less time.

David Dixons confirmed as Etesia dealer

David Dixons has been appointed as a new Etesia dealer and will be distributing Etesia’s complete product range throughout the North East of England.

Based in Hexham, Northumberland, David Dixons have been suppliers, service engineers and advisers to the arboriculture and horticulture

industries in the North East of England for over 37 years.

The company will now be supplying the complete range of Etesia ride-on mowers, scarifiers, brushcutters, green technology and pedestrian mowers, and Julian Weightman - dealer principal at David Dixons is delighted with the announcement.

Specialists in manufacturing high quality grass cutting machinery for both the professional and domestic market, Etesia’s extensive range of products have been in consistent high demand for a number of years.

Etesia

Ventrac package for CGM Group

The CGM Group (East Anglia) Ltd is one of the latest landscape contractors to purchase a Ventrac package from Price Turfcare.

Supplied by local dealer Ernest Doe & Sons, the package includes a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and Finishing deck.

CGM Group has bases in King’s Lynn, Norwich, Cambridge and Peterborough and regularly undertake projects in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.

Price Turfcare

EP Barrus

Terrain Aeration’s long-term treatment reaches one metre deep where compressed air blasts the compaction. The soil is opened up for good drainage and a healthy sward with minimum disruption. We have been successfully aerating sports turf, bowling greens, golf courses, parks, trees and gardens for over twenty-five years.

Aeration options from Groundsman Industries

Your Passport to Success with Replay Maintenance

As the UK market leader in synthetic sports surface maintenance, Replay Maintenance works closely with facilities management teams nationwide to help maintain more than 1500 pitches, courts and tracks.

With such a large customer base and being ever innovative, Replay Maintenance launched Passport365 in March. This exciting new app helps streamline the way facilities teams manage their assets, staff and time.

At the click of a button Passport365 can help to track, trace, store and produce live information throughout the lifetime of any sporting asset.

Start your free trial now at www.passport365.co.uk or for further information, visit: www.replaymaintenance.co.uk, email: info@replaymaintenance.co.uk or call: 01636 640506

Replay Maintenance

Groundsman Aerators are available from 45cm (18”) to 180cm (72”) working widths.

All use Groundsman’s proven rugged Elliptical Plunge Action mechanism for aeration down to 15cm. Quick-change accessories are available for Solid, Hollow and Chisel Tining plus Cluster Tines for dense pattern aeration and seeding.

Core & Collect in one pass with a Groundsman Flexblade Collector now available to fit many makes of aerators and turf vehicles.

The Flexblade is most efficient way to collect cores in all weathers scooping the cores or linear aeration soil cleanly from the surface leaving the holes or slits open.

Don’t forget to check out the Groundsman two and four-wheel drive Turf Multi Cutters, they delivering effortless precision sod-cutting with the lowest operator handle vibration levels.

J Premier Pitch delivers vitality to surfaces

Ian Lucas, Head of Grounds at AFC Bournemouth, knew straight away what his choice of grass seed for both the Vitality Stadium and two pitches at King’s Park training ground would be.

When Ian joined the club 18 months ago, Johnsons J Premier Pitch mixture was the seed of choice across the two first-team facilities, and having delivered reliable coverage, colour and wear tolerance, it looks to be a decision that’s set to stay.

Ian oversows with J Premier Pitch at a rate of 45g/m 2 during renovations in April and at a lower rate of 15g/m 2 in October, depending on the weather conditions and how the pitch is wearing.

Through the season, they adopt a ‘pre-germinated seed’ strategy for ongoing recovery and repair of high wear areas.

DLF Johnsons

Successful partnership leads to second agreement plan with Toro

Having been at Edgbaston Golf Club for 31 years, course manager Eddie Mills knows more than anyone what’s best for the club, which is why he recently signed a second fiveyear agreement plan with Toro.

Just one mile from the centre of Birmingham, the course provides golfers with 144 acres of stunning parkland, including a lake and woodland nature reserve, so keeping the maintenance up to a high level is no easy feat.

“I’ll have been at the club for 32 years this August and course manager since 2007, so I know the course pretty well to say the least,” says Eddie. “Before we signed our first agreement, we had a real mix of things in the shed, but we always preferred Toro.”

Despite seeing early on the clear benefits of Toro, the club needed to wait for the right circumstances in order to sign an agreement deal. But it was only a matter of time, says Eddie.

“Since our first agreement we’ve had a great relationship with Jon Lewis at Reesink Turfcare and our back up service provider, Redtech Machinery.

“With the first agreement we saw a real improvement to the course, and I predict we’ll experience the same outcome with the updated fleet.”

The club’s comprehensive fleet is a mix of like for like renewals and some new additions, including three Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 mowers, one of which is set up for surrounds and approaches with universal groomers.

Plus, three GR1600 hand mowers, a Reelmaster 3575-D fairway mower with groomer brushes, Groundsmaster 4000D, Groundsmaster 3500, Reelmaster 3100 Sidewinder, Groundsmaster 7210 zero turn rotary mower, Multi Pro 5800-D sprayer and a new TYM T654 tractor to boot.

Reesink Turfcare

Groundsman Industries

Save time, money and resources with Intelligent One

Professional grounds maintenance teams can save time, money and resources by using the Intelligent One (IO), the sports turf industries most advanced autonomous line marking robot. Restricted budgets can make it difficult for local authorities, schools and sports teams to mark consistently, but the IO provides a new way of marking that reduces the cost for the customer and the contractor.

Before looking at the impressive speed and accuracy of the IO, there is one important factor to consider – the price. Manufacturers of the robot, Intelligent Marking, has made this product available on a fiveyear payment plan, making it an affordable and cost-effective tool. The overall cost of £25,000 can be spread into five annual payments of £5,000 or customers can trial the robot for a year for £5,000 and return with no further obligation.

It isn’t just the price that makes the IO unique. Intelligent Marking is the only company to provide a base station within the package to deliver unrivalled precision and reliable line marking, consistently performing in areas without the need for cellular connectivity or coverage.

In addition, the base station is supplied without a costly annual subscription required by alternative line markers.

Using the closed system means the machine can be used anywhere in the world with unprecedented reliability and an accuracy of just +/- 1cm, whilst matching the marking speed of every robotic line marker on the market, with a FIFA regulation football pitch only taking 20-25 minutes to mark from scratch.

The accuracy of markings is millimetric and makes overmarking lines quick and easy with no external signal factors able to impact the performance. The IO comes with 45 pre-loaded templates including UEFA regulation football pitches, track and field marking, rugby union and league, NFL pitches, lacrosse and customisable grids, shapes, and tracks

All coordinates are stored within the app so areas can be marked again at the touch of a button.

Contractors and can also request custom templates from Intelligent Marking which can be made within a short timeframe ready for use.

All templates are stored within the tablet – provided with purchase – that is used to manage the IO with a dedicated smart app which enables users to easily control all relevant parts of the automatic line marking process.

It is completely up to the user if a whole pitch is marked or only certain areas. This function gives the user complete control in using their time to the greatest effect.

Users of the machine will be able to manage their schedule in greater detail because the time it takes to mark the areas will already be known and will only require one person for the task. The robot is stable on every kind of surface and can work continuously due to interchangeable batteries. The machine can mark out two to three fields on one drum of paint depending on the nozzle used making it very easy to calculate when new paint is needed.

The guaranteed cost saving the IO provides makes consistent contracted line marking an attractive and cost-effective prospect to establishments that may otherwise overlook it and in turn an affordable investment for contractors.

Making its mark at Finborough School

The Intelligent One has a lot of strong product features but one of its greatest assets is timesaving for those who have a small number of staff for a large area.

Rory Ferguson, head groundsman at Finborough School in Suffolk has one full-size football pitch, two half size hockey pitches, five 7-a-side football pitches and two small sided rugby pitches to maintain by himself.

Ten of these pitches are in white and four in blue, with marking out all of these areas taking over two days. Before using the Intelligent One, Rory was sceptical it would be able to find a signal deep in the Suffolk countryside. Programming the robot to mark out his nonregulation size pitches was also a potential concern, but all of his worries have been put to one side.

“Before seeing the IM Robot in action, I was sceptical about how it would perform because I’ve had other line markers that used similar technology struggle in this setting because of the signal quality we have here,” he said.

“Having now had the system explained to me and how it uses the base station to eliminate any dead spots I feel very confident in its capability and this proved the case as during the demonstration, there were no issues at all.

“The fact it was possible to quickly adjust the template at the side of the pitch to match our pitch sizes and keep that format for any further use of the machine was very impressive. It produced a straight line every time and once we programmed it, we were able to let it get on with marking with no issues at all.

“As part of the on-site training, Alex talked me through how to change the templates and with a bit of practice it is something that you can easily do yourself. The beauty of it is once the measurements are in, they are saved on the device, so with a push of a button, you overmark on the exact same line again.

“For a site like this where we have a lot to mark out, it has to be a huge advantage. The machine marked out a full-size pitch in 25 minutes whereas it would take me at least double that just over marking an existing pitch. So, being able to save that time and go off and get other work done is a significant benefit. We also spend about two and a half days plotting out our running track and marking it out and this robot can do it much quicker than that.”

• There is a product spotlight on linemarking on pages 25-27.

Intelligent Marking

Since then it has seen further advancements to its GPS system and software to maintain its industryleading specification saving operator time, money and resources.

ProSportUK Ltd is the sole distributor for Intelligent Marking in the UK, headed by Ian Robson and supported by Alex Robinson who is the dedicated Product Specialist for the IO in the UK.

Alex will provide onsite demonstrations on request and initial training, with on-going field support whenever needed.

“The IO is a real gamechanger, said Ian “Line-marking need no longer be time-consuming. With the IO it is quick, consistently accurate, with precision measurements every time.”

The Intelligent One (IO) from Intelligent Marking has been recognised around the world for its accuracy, reliability and ease of use since it was released in 2016 and was awarded the SALTEX Innovation Award in 2017.

Fleet Line Markers launches eco friendly machine

Line marking specialist, Fleet Line Markers Ltd, unveiled its latest development - the COG Aline Marker – at an Innovations event held at Malvern RFC.

The event attracted a large array of guests from line marking industry leaders to the smaller clubs, all eager to assess the benefits and capabilities of Fleet’s latest revolutionary eco friendly marker.

The COG Aline Marker is the next step in line marking. It has been designed to be environmentally friendly and also eliminate paint wastage.

The COG Aline Marking System’s bespoke drums can be used repeatedly, saving money and helping the environment by preventing waste. When the COG drums do eventually reach the end of their re-usable life, Fleet will recycle the COG drums.

Their unique shape and design also means that, during shipping, the COG drums are completely stable – with no more than one strap to hold them, this eliminates single use wrapping and/or plastic pallet covers. In addition to the huge saving on all one-way plastic substituted by the reusable COG drums, Fleet will eliminate 40 to 50 tonnes of packaging per year.

Once fitted on the COG Aline Machine, a single COG drum is enough to mark up to six soccer pitches. When the COG drums are empty, Fleet will arrange collection, at no further charge, and the re-using cycle begins again.

As well as being environmentally friendly, the COG Line Marking System is an extremely clean and convenient system to use. The COG drum is attached to the COG Aline with ease, making spillages a thing of the past.

Fleet’s Managing Director, Iain McGuffie, comments: “Here at Fleet we strive to reduce our carbon footprint, the COG System eliminates single use plastics – and each single use plastic drum can contribute up to 6kg of carbon dioxide per drum.

“In keeping with Fleet’s commitment to the environment our target is to eliminate more than 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next five years … Not all investments are financially driven.”

The Innovations event was hosted by Iain McGuffie, the Managing Director of Fleet, and International Sales Director, Iain Courage.

The hype at Fleet is not solely about the COG Aline Marker.

The MAQA GNSS System continues to smash targets. An innovation in itself, which has transformed the traditional methods of line marking.

The MAQA Marking System enables the marking out of sports pitches to be carried out in a fraction of the time currently taken, when using string lines and 3, 4, 5, triangles. For example, marking a football pitch would usually take approximately 2.5hrs for two people, a total of 5hrs labour.

The MAQA Marking System can reduce the time taken by 90% on this one task, marking a football pitch in just 20 minutes and only requiring one person.

The MAQA GNSS Marking System is supplied with Fleet’s unique Flozle Nozzle System, which is a spray head that automatically cleans the nozzle after every line marked. This System has been made even more appealing due to the interest free offers that are now available.

During the event guests enjoyed a day of line marking activities including the launch of the COG System. A factory tour and the opportunity to get hands on experience with all of our new, and classic markers, with the added benefit of expert guidance from the specialist team at

Fleet, made the day a huge success. This included a chance to experience the BeamRider, which continues to hold it’s own across the world and remains highly regarded from grass roots to professional Stadia.

Fleet Line Marker

Improvements made to popular machine

For 2019, MH

Pressure Jet Markers have been the professional’s choice for over 60 years and their revolutionary Dimple Marker can be found at some of Europe’s top clubs and national stadiums, including Wembley and the Stade de France.

Goals has made several improvements to the Dimple model, including a new reinforced adjustable handle

with support struts, hand grips for comfort and forward facing grooved pneumatic tyres to leave less indention on your pitch.

What has remained is its cast iron heart – the Dimple transfer wheel, legendary for its reliability and ability to lay a great line every single time.

MH Goals

JULY 2019 www.professionalgroundscare.com

The Titan Spray Marker is Grassline’s ultimate solution

Grassline offers exceptional line marking technology at a great price, all manufactured in the UK and with all spare parts readily available.

The Titan Spray Marker is the company’s latest system and it delivers a smooth, constant and even spray line with variable line width of 50mm, 75mm or 100mm.

Twin Spray heads provide the opportunity for a single spray for an economical line or a double spray in a single pass.

The integral mixing system continues the mixing process before spraying commences and during breaks in spraying and the Titan Spray Marker also features a pressure valve to regulate

the pump and volume of paint delivered to the spray heads With a heavy duty battery that drives the pump for a days marking from a single charge, pneumatic tyres and accessories including a side marking arm, athletics boom and rear carrying rack, this is Grassline’s ultimate system.

Grassline

Long lasting lines and weed control

With it taking around 4-5 man hours to initially measure out and mark a football pitch or

products that has the label recommendation for the control of Mares Tail, and has approval for use on hard surfaces and areas not intending to bear vegetation.

So, in car park areas where Mares Tail is pushing through the newly laid Tarmac or block paving, then an application of Pearl will show visible results within 48 hours.

As it is a contact herbicide, there is a far lower risk to surrounding

vegetation than with a systemic product such as glyphosate and most stands of Mares Tail can be dramatically reduced with 3-4 applications of Pearl.

With very low dose rates, up to 22km of line coverage with a single 500ml bottle, and working out as low as 0.15p per linear metre, it can be a very cost-effective way of guaranteeing that the lines will still be visible for weeks to come.

Agrigem

GPS-guided linemarking has further advanced with the Generation 3 SWOZI from Vitax Supaturf.

The Supaturf SWOZI marked a quantum leap in the speed and efficiency of linemarking, with turfcare professionals able to mark out a football pitch in an average time of just 30 minutes.

The technology already allows sports contractors and site-based grounds professionals to mark out far more pitches in a day than when using traditional machines.

Generation 3 SWOZI features upgraded control system, electronics and communications, using a Windows-based app now ported to Android, introducing variable or constant rate paint outflow to give users more flexible work patterns. The new terrain

compensation module (TCM) boosts line quality and further eases marking out, while strip mowing is now available through the Android app store for loading on to the rugged, waterproof Samsung Galaxy Active 8-inch IP67 display tablet fitted to the latest version.

Users can now swap seamlessly between GPS with SWOZI RTK base to RTK app or to laser tracker without changing equipment or hardware.

Vitax Supaturf

Recognised internationally, Bowgrass concentrated line marking paints for sports pitches have been specifically formulated to offer exceptional levels of coverage and consistency.

Waterborne and environmentally safe, all Bowgrass line marking paint grades remain ‘bright white’ in both concentrated and

huge success both in the UK and internationally. Whilst universally compatible with all line marking machines, Bowgrass line marking paints have been

Android-based Supaturf SWOZI raises the bar THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING LINE MARKING MACHINES NOW EVEN BETTER! Pressure Jet Markers have been the choice of professionals for over 60 years and the revolutionary Dimple Marker is used at some of Europe’s top clubs and national stadiums, including Wembley and the Stade de France.

for optimal performance through the Bowcom range of line marking applicators, including the revolutionary GMX electric line marking machine, GM5, GM10, and Trike.

Council makes big savings with the TinyLineMarker

The extraordinary levels of savings in time, resources and therefore money forecast by the investment in Rigby Taylor’s robotic TinyLineMarker (TLM) line marking machine will not only see Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council’s Street Scene team achieve a return on investment measured in months, but the new-found efficiencies will also enable the operation to offer ultra-competitive line marking to sports facilities currently outside of the council’s remit.

With the maintenance of 92 pitches under their care, the Street Scene team – led by Operations Manager Darren Bisby – was formerly taking four man-hours (two men) to initial line mark each pitch (predominantly football) each week with the conventional 3/4/5 triangle method and string, using a total of eight men in four vehicles.

Now, with TLM, one man is able to deliver the boroughwide service for line marking, taking just 20 minutes to mark a pitch – and Darren even suggests that a standard pitch can now be mowed and marked in less than an hour.

So, with 2,392 scheduled overmarkings across the pitches, 797 man-hours will effectively be put back into the Street Scene operation.

With teammates released to perform other incomegenerating duties, the TLM operator can also now get on with other tasks during his visit – such as litter picking, goalpost strimming and divotting – while the robot is in action.

In addition, one vehicle has been removed from the fleet - saving several thousands of pounds on lease costs and around £900 on annual fuel plus any maintenance and repair costs.

Lightweight and easy to transport, TLM utilises the latest GPS technology with RTK receiver and antenna that connects with global satellites and mobile network connections.

It takes the input of pitch line dimensions and multiple pitches via an App and re-positions them to best fit the site using Google Maps.

Once stored, the lines are never lost, even if they disappear if a pitch is not used for any length of time.

Initial marking of a standard size football pitch ( by the

Street Scene operator) takes less than 20 minutes, including all perimeter lines, penalty boxes, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and penalty spot all with just one touch on the tablet control. Even pitches with fixed post sockets can be marked.

TLM is able to mark football pitches (any length/width), and rugby union and league pitches as well as multi-lane athletic tracks, tennis, lacrosse and American football pitches.

Today, each Street Scene pitch is marked every fortnight, with the paint being applied to grass rather than a burned-in line.

“Because with TLM the lines will never be lost, a pitch can be rested or a line can be ‘mowed out’ without the need to restring and measure and mark from scratch,” says Darren.

“To be confident of achieving the quality of line to fit our business model, we are now using a different paint dispensing nozzle (orange) to deliver 2.37 litres of paint per standard pitch based on 12 minutes spray time.

This is more paint [approximately 25%] than before (using a red nozzle) which, depending on operator speed, used around 1.5 litres of paint.

“However, the red nozzle was applied when weekly marking burned-in lines – so, it is much more cost-effective to apply the paint at a higher rate to achieve a fortnightly schedule.

“We are continuing our use of Rigby Taylor’s ready-to-use Impact paint, which has proved that it produces bright white lines that last longer than other paints.”

After a three-year apprenticeship in groundsmanship, Darren joined the Council in 1985, continually progressing up the career ladder until his appointment last year as Operations Manager with a wide remit that includes street cleaning, playground repairs and graffiti removal as well as groundscare.

His investigations into the feasibility of using TLM mirrored the work he did when the council invested in iGO walk-behind line markers some years ago.

This delivered tangible savings compared with conventional wheel transfer machines. This latest move, he adds, is a great example of how Street Scene and its operators have the willingness and flexibility to change – for the better.

“The move to TLM not only

means huge efficiency and financial savings but it also generates more job satisfaction for the team; no longer are people required to monotonously linemark every week.

“Another benefit of TLM is that we tick an environmental box by not having to burn-in lines (which do effectively create a ‘dent’ in the playing surface) and with one less van in the fleet have reduced our carbon footprint, too. Also, the robot does exactly what you ask it to do, without tea and lunch breaks!

“In the future,” Darren concludes, “TLM will likely also be applied to running tracks and for marking out our summer sports events (for example, javelin areas) and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be offering line marking to other sites on a commercial basis.”

Rigby Taylor

Leaders in line marking innovation

The Tiny Line Marking (TLM) robot is the latest advance in pitch line marking technology and complements Rigby Taylor’s award winning range of Impact line marking paints.

The TLM is a lightweight, easily transported, fully autonomous GPS guided robot that can initial mark a football pitch in just 20 minutes….with no direct contact by the operator with either the machine or the paint.

Leading the field in pitch line marking technology, Rigby Taylor’s Impact ready-to-use marking paint received both Queens awards for Innovation and Enterprise; the company was awarded the IOG Innovation award for its pioneering work in robotic line marking; and Impact XP was selected to mark the pitch for the 2018 World Cup final.

› For information on Rigby Taylor’s line marking demonstration days, call FreePhone 0800 424 919

AXEO

Be prepared, with great offers on AXEO salt and sand spreaders from 350 litre to 1500 litre hopper capacities.

TinyRobot

HP Sportsline provides an expert finish

Junckers HP SportsLine is a water-based two-pack paint for marking of court lines and colouring of other areas on wooden floors in gymnasiums and sports halls.

Junckers HP SportsLine is recommended on Junckers HP SPORT coated and Junckers prefinished lacquered floors. The range can be mixed to obtain other colours.

Junckers manufactures high quality solid wood flooring for all types of sport courts and gyms, including basketball courts, handball courts, volleyball courts, futsal pitches, racquet courts, squash courts and multipurpose arenas.

With experience gained from manufacturing solid hardwood floors since the 1930’s, Junckers has the technical expertise to design and supply the optimal performing high quality solid

hardwood flooring. Flooring solutions suit all indoor sport and activity areas, including, gyms, fitness flooring, athletic facilities, and multipurpose rooms.

Junckers sports floors perform with unique area-elastic

characteristics and this gives athletes the ultimate freedom of movement, protects against injury and ensures that they can achieve their best.

Junckers

FieldLazer puts you on the right lines to success

FieldLazer field marking machines have been recognized worldwide by sports turf maintenance professionals for delivering brighter, longerlasting lines with less paint.

Graco offers an assortment of marking and striping equipment designed for your specific needs:

• Walk-behind models with ride-on attachment

• Dedicated walk-behind field marking and parking lot stripers

• High pressure battery powered marking machines

All equipment delivers razor sharp lines, coats both sides of the grass blades, and uses Graco’s high-pressure airless paint spray technology.

Graco

New Decatone colours now available

Britannia’s tough, slip resistant Decatone tennis court coating is now available in a range of new shades including the two greys pictured.

The eco-friendly long-lasting colours offer a slip resistance of 60 in the wet or damp for safer play and contain algicide and fungicide. Decatone provides a tough, long-lasting finish for macadam tennis courts.

The company also provides SR65+ slip resistant netball court coating in deep, long-lasting colours.

A tough, long-lasting finish for macadam netball courts.

Slip resistance of 65+ in the wet or damp for safer play, contains algicide and fungicide.Britannia also supplies long lasting outdoor sports surface marking.

Deep penetration for long life, water based acrylic coating. Available in thick brushquality grade or for spray/ roller application.

Britannia