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TRIBUTE TO ARSENAL’S STEVE BRADDOCK
One of the most influential figures on our industry, Steve Braddock, has died following a long illness.
Steve was synonymous with Arsenal and was a significant figure in the move from Highbury to The Emirates, and in making the training ground at Colney such a success.
He won countless awards for the quality of his pitches; was voted the turf’s top influencer in 2019, and became only the second inductee to the GMA’s Hall of Fame the following year. The respect in which he was held could be seen as Arsenal wore black armbands in his honour in their match away at Bournemouth, while tributes appeared in the national press.
Steve had been brought to Arsenal by former manager, George Graham, but the man who was closest to him throughout his career was Arsene Wenger, who was as much a close friend to him as he was a mentor.
While the work he carried out on the Arsenal pitches was universally regarded as gold plated, it was his nurturing of talent that he will be perhaps best remembered. Our thoughts are with Steve’s family and friends at this very sad time.
Singing praises of an Agrovista tank-mix
A tank-mix designed by Agrovista Amenity is helping to control the weed population at the Singing Hills Golf Club in West Sussex.
Course Manager Mark Lunday and his Deputy Tom Granite have improved the course each year and are proud of the fact that golf can be played all year round.
“But we have suffered with a really bad weed problem on our fairways and green surrounds. In the past we have trialed all the different herbicides you can think of. Following the unsuccessful trials, we spoke to Joseph Dormer from Agrovista Amenity and he put together a special tank-mix,” said Mark.
“We trialed it on two fairways and it worked well so we then chose to spray the entire course.”
The three-way tank-mix consisted of Praxys – a systemic, post-emergence herbicide, containing clopyralid, florasulam and fluroxypyr which combines three active ingredients and two modes of action; GoGreen Select which is a complex iron sulphate for rapid greening; and Evolution Xtra Soluble – a stabilised urea product which is a cost-effective nitrogen source giving two to three months longevity.
ALS Contractors were brought in to spray the tank-mix on all 27 fairways and green surrounds.
Mark and Tom were suitably impressed with the process from start to finish.
“Singing Hills is such a large site, and we physically can’t get round to do the spraying,” said Tom.
“Therefore, we needed the professionals to come in and get it all done in one morning rather than us trying to do a little bit at a time, and not get anywhere. The process went really well.”
Mark added that it was down to Agrovista Amenity’s scientific research that has enabled them to control the weed population.
“Hopefully we will continue to see a lot more vigour and colour on our fairways.” n www.agrovista.
co.uk/amenity
DESPITE DROUGHT CONDITIONS, CLOVER OFFERS OASIS OF GREEN
As drought conditions continue and more restrictions come into force around water usage, it is hard not to notice that many local authority sports grounds, gardens and public spaces have fallen victim to heat.
However, you may have noticed that among the current brown and barren land, patches of green remain – clover – which, as DLF explain, generates its own nitrogen from the atmosphere, making it one of the most tolerant varieties to drought and other high stress environments.
Alongside more frequent periods of sustained hot and dry weather, the rise in fertiliser prices is driving seed producers to look for varieties that can be maintained with a more sustainable nitrogen programme. The unique root nodules on clover are formed by the Rhizobium bacteria, capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a natural fertiliser available for the clover as well as the companion grasses.
Sourced in this way, the supply will also be gradual and ongoing, contributing to more sustained growth when compared to the ‘flush’ that can occur when larger quantities of nitrogen are applied as part of a managed feeding programme.
Microclover is a special bred dwarf white clover which joins in well with other turf species. The smaller leaves and lower growth habit contribute to a dense, uniform appearance as well as delivering strong wear qualities and heat/drought tolerance.
Trencher Hire’s great relationship
Nestling in the heart of the Shropshire countryside is the home of the UK’s largest fleet of pedestrian trenchers available for hire – machines that make short work of laying water pipe, drainage pipe or electric cable.
In the space of 10 years, Trencher Hire UK has established itself as the number one player in this segment of the market and a reputation for providing customers with a firstclass service. This includes providing advice on the best trencher for the prospective job-in-hand and training on how to operate them.
At the heart of the company’s success has been the forging of a great affiliation with leading brand Toro, whose machines form the backbone of the Trencher Hire UK fleet that includes the Toro TRX-16, Toro TRX-20 and the Toro Dingo TX 525 with Trencher Head and Toro Dingo TX 525 with Vibro Plow. All the machines have tracks instead of wheels.
Matthew Coleman, Toro Sales Manager, Professional Landscape Contractor & Site Works Equipment – UK Direct Market, said: “Trencher Hire UK is our largest customer for self-propelled trenchers and we’d like to feel we have developed a mutually strong relationship. We want to support them in what they are doing and are always interested in their feedback with regard to our products, which we relay back to our engineers and the R&D team.
“The Toro TRX-16 is a machine that Trencher Hire UK tends to sway towards. Like all our machines they are very reliable, incredibly straightforward and someone can quickly learn what levers to pull – the operator controls are very intuitive.
“Toro is committed to meeting the markets needs and our investment in product development is key to this. It is vital for companies like Trencher Hire UK to know that in Toro they have the back-up of a major corporation and all its resources in terms of product support, servicing and parts availability.
“We own 17 different manufacturers with 24 manufacturing facilities globally (including the US, UK, France, Belgium Australia, China, Italy and Poland) and sales of $4 billion annually.” n www.trencherhire.com
‘No brainer’ as St George’s Park opts for Dennis E-Series
Andy Gray, Head of Grounds and Estates at St. George’s Park, believes that Dennis Mowers got everything absolutely right in producing its new range of battery-powered mowers – the E-Series.
Once settled into the role Andy felt the time had come to start exploring the idea of introducing battery-powered mowers.
“There were a number of reasons for wanting to go down the electric route,” he said. “The real motive though was for employee welfare in terms of noise and vibrations. There were also the emissions to consider, as well as the environmental impact and rising cost of fuel.”
As a long-term user of Dennis Mowers, Andy was quite certain on what brand of battery-powered mowers he wanted.
“I have used the Dennis G860 cylinder mowers since 2001 and when I moved here there was already a fleet of nine G860s and four Dennis PRO 34R rotary mowers. I felt it was a nobrainer to stay with Dennis.”
Dennis Mowers spent three years working with carefully selected partners to develop a range of quality battery-powered equipment befitting of the Dennis badge. The aim was to provide a reliable and long-lasting solution with the ultimate performance that helps meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, reduce carbon footprint, emissions, running costs and noise without any range anxiety.
“It was obvious Dennis took their time to do their homework to make sure they got it absolutely right. This was really positive from Dennis – they made sure they were selling the finished article.”
Andy chose to purchase two Dennis ES-860 cylinder mowers from the ES range.
This 34” battery powered turf management system delivers maximum versatility and options to provide a solution to many day-to-day maintenance tasks such as cutting, scarifying, brushing, sorrel rolling, and verticutting. n www.dennisuk.com
Lani Togi, St Andrews workshop manager, left and team with Ian Robson from Prosport UK, right
Foley combination shines at 150th Open at St Andrews
One hundred and sixty-two years after the first Open at Prestwick, St Andrews hosted the historic 150th edition of golf’s most famous championship.
In July, the anticipated record-breaking crowds lined the Old Course to witness golf’s best players compete for the Claret Jug. Every blade of grass from the pristine greens, immaculate fairways and challenging roughs which have been cut with blades sharpened by a Foley grinder – and that is how Director of Greenkeeping Sandy Reid wanted it.
Sandy is no stranger to hosting an Open, with three under his belt during his time at Carnoustie.
“It’s the highlight of your career because it doesn’t get any bigger than hosting The Open, and you try to absorb all of that and cherish it,” explained Sandy.
“We never stop planning for it, but from 18 months out, that’s when you’re doing more winter preparations.”
Preparation is everything at the home of golf, and for three years, the 653 Accu-Master Reel Grinder and 673 Automatic Bedknife Grinder have aided preparation. Recently joined by the 622 Accu-Spin Reel grinder, these machines’ ease of use and quality output have impressed Sandy and his team of five technicians.
Presentation and playing consistency take centre stage and with the three Foleys in place, the Old Course team have achieved that in the build-up to the main event.
“We really couldn’t ask for a better combination of grinders to keep our cutting units sharp,” said Sandy.
“It’s critical that all of our mowers are as sharp as they can be. What we’re able to get is extreme accuracy and ease of use for the technicians. The speed at which they can grind means we’re saving on person-hours and are never without machines for long.
“The quality of the grind gives us longevity in terms of performance from the mowers and because they are staying on cut for so long, we can be more productive.”
At St Andrews, four greenkeeping teams maintain seven courses. Each team has its own machinery fleet but relies on a central workshop. In the build-up to The Open, it was business as usual on the other courses, making the efficiency and reliability of the Foley grinders paramount.
Hunter first class for Bromley
David Wilson, cricket committee member and director of the main sports club Bromley Cricket Club have raised enough funds to purchase a much-needed new Hunter Irrigation system from KAR UK.
Founded in 1820, Bromley Cricket Club is one of the leading cricket clubs in Kent, with a long, successful and proud tradition. As well as boasting four senior sides, the club is focused on promoting youth cricket and has approximately 500 youth players ranging from 4-18 years old.
A lot of cricket is played at the club’s ground and David Wilson, cricket committee member and director of the main sports club, explained exactly why an irrigation system was needed.
“We have a very low, shallow, subbase of soil and the consequence of that, from our point of view is that in particularly hot periods in the height of summer, without any rain, the pitch would turn into a desert. It would turn to straw, become very hard and any undulations would become quite dangerous.
“Rainfall is becoming less and less reliable. We felt that we were getting to a point where a period of say six weeks, would make the outfield nonplayable,” explained David
Bromley Cricket club commissioned a topographical survey and a feasibility study, which stressed the importance of an irrigation system. The board began to raise funds in various ways, and it eventually reached its target at Bromley Cricket Club’s bi-centenary dinner celebrations which took place at The Oval.
The project went to tender, and Prime Irrigation was selected as the chosen contractor to install a Hunter Irrigation system from KAR UK. The system included 25 of the most technologically advanced commercial rotors on the market – the I-80s.
Engineered for sports turf, the I-80 is built with a robust, dirt-tolerant gear drive that offers the highest torque output of any rotor in the commercial sphere, and extends a radius range from 11.3 to 29.6 metres.
The I-80s were installed strategically around the outfield while 6 TTS-885s were installed on the square.
The Hunter TTS-800 rotors provide maximum uniformity and longevity as they use the same gear drive and nozzles as the I-80s. The high-torque gear drives are the strongest in the industry, so the challenges of reclaimed water use or poor water quality are mitigated.
The club also purchased the Roam remote which means operators never have to walk back and forth to stop and start irrigation. Furthermore, the club will soon be benefiting from the mobile-friendly Centralus irrigation management platform. This provides highly secure, comprehensive cloud-based control and monitoring features which allows users to view a controller’s status, change settings, view forecasts, save water, and receive instant notification of important system alarms.
“I like the fact that Trevor, our Groundsman, will soon be able to wake up in the morning, if needed, and operate the system from his phone all the way from his house in Whitstable!” added David.
“I have been around the club cricket world for about 45 years, and I can’t think of another club that has a system like this, certainly not to this scale. We have a lot of competitors in this area, so we want the best possible surface for people to play on. I’m very impressed with this irrigation kit and now that we have water, I am confident that this pitch will soon be first-class.” n www.karuk.com
Polaris Ranger SP 570: Making light of every day
The Ranger SP 570 makes everyday work a breeze with class-leading capacity as well as light and easy handling.
The small but mighty mid-size UTV is punching well above its weight, with a Prostar 570cc double-overhead-cam engine which packs class-leading power. The Ranger offers incredible suspension which provides 25.8cm of ground clearance, a tighter turning radius and has a compact width of just 144.5 cm.
Adding to the Ranger SP 570’s capabilities is the Versatrac Turf Mode. Not only does the Ranger offer all-wheel and two-wheel drive systems, it also has the functionality of unlocking the rear differential and only sending power to one wheel known as Versatrac Turf Mode.
The Ranger SP 570 is the right size, at the right price with the right features; the compact width makes it easy to fit through tight gates and can easily be stored in a garage or barn. It also features a useful 227kg gas assisted, spacious cargo-bed with a quick and easy tilt function via a single lever.
The Ranger SP 570 is fun to ride with all day comfort with class leading 9”Front / 10” Rear suspension travel to give you a smooth, comfortable ride over any terrain. With ample ground clearance and 25” tyres, you can ride over tricky obstacles that would have normally caused a halt in the plans.
Designed for you to be out all day, there is 75 litres of in-cab storage, including a mobile phone holder, enclosed storage bins, a map or tablet pocket, a massive sealed glove box and so much more. There is even space to put your riding gear!
Polaris has thought of everything with added protection in the likes of a full-body skid plate and large front bumper to give you peace of mind in case of large boulders and stumps. The sealed suspension bushings/ bearings help to keep mud, dirt and water out to help maintain the high quality of the vehicle.
The Ranger SP 570 comes in three colour options including Sage Green, Hunter Edition in Polaris Pursuit Camo, and Nordic Pro Edition in Black Pearl with an in-cab heater and winch. Prices start at £10,399 excluding VAT.
Super-fast germination at Wigan Athletic FC
Grounds Manager Ian Forshaw, left, with Belgium Women’s Manager Roberto Martinez Wigan Athletic FC’s grounds team had a short window for renovation this summer – due to playing host to Belgium women’s national team at its Christopher Place training ground during the UEFA Women’s European Championships, alongside Wigan Warriors’ usual early start to its playing season at the dual-use DW Stadium.
Nevertheless, Grounds Manager Ian Forshaw and his team of five managed to turn around exceptional playing surfaces at both venues in record time, thanks to Rigby Taylor’s R140 and Sports Field Renovation grass seed, plus a robust fertiliser programme from Origin Amenity Solutions.
“We noticed seed germination at the training ground in just four days and were pretty amazed to say the least,” said Ian.
“I had full faith in Sports Field Renovation’s 50% blend of Tetraploid & Diploid Ryegrass seed, which I used for quick germination in the short six-week renovation window. The soil temperature was there and so was the moisture. We didn’t sheet any of the pitches it just came through naturally.”
Ian has developed an expertise in managing and installing various types of playing surfaces during his career and is a big supporter of Rigby Taylor products. He joined Wigan Athletic in 1998, from a background in horticulture. Looking to further his skillset, he moved to County Turf in 2016, and gained experience in installing hybrid carpet systems at Real Madrid FC and Paris St Germain training grounds, as well as Croke Park, Gloucestershire Rugby, Leicester Tigers and Doncaster Knights – before moving back to a grounds role at Flyde FC.
“During my spare time at Flyde, I helped Wigan with mowing and divoting, after they went into administration a couple of years ago, and when the club was able to take on a head groundsman I was asked to come back. It feels like I’ve come home,” he said.
One of the first things Ian did on his return was to get the playing surfaces back up to standard. The demand for quality surfaces in the Championship League is high, which is why he says he trusts Rigby Taylor products and appreciates regular visits from Area Technical Manager Andy Merry.
“Andy and I have put together a stadium and a training ground programme, which both fit within our agreed budget and are continually reviewed and adapted where necessary,” he said.
According to Ian, the stadium pitch’s programme includes R140 seed and a mixture of PolyPro controlled-release fertilisers alongside specific products from the Apex Organic range for the stadium’s SIS hybrid playing surface. This is topped up with pre-mixed, liquid fertilisers – Nutri-Link Base, which promotes sward density, wear resistance and disease tolerance, plus Rapid Response and SeaQuest for exceptional pre-match presentation.
Regarding his choice to ryegrass blend, Ian explained that he was a big fan of the Tetraploid and Diploid mix after using Sports Field Renovation on a shady part of the stadium pitch and was impressed at how well it stood up to and recovered from a hammering by both Wigan AFC and Warriors during the winter months.
Ian also relies on Rigby Taylor for the club’s goalposts and line marking equipment. He uses the iGo Advance at the training ground but prefers the sharper lines created by the iGO Premier line marker at the stadium – using Impact Sport line marking paint in both models. “We were so impressed with the iGo that it’s the only line marker we use on the training ground pitches, and the Impact paint provides excellent white lines, “ he says.
He is also planning to promote biodiversity at the training ground by sowing Rigby Taylor’s Euroflor wildflower seed mixes to attract bee and insect activity.1
“The additional use and a shortage of irrigation equipment during the recent hot spell has given the grounds team some challenges, but we have manged to keep the grass green and are confident that we’ll continue our winning streak all season.”
Topdressing transformed at Arscott, thanks to Redexim
The arrival of a Rink and Speedbrush from Redexim has transformed topdressing for the team at Arscott Golf Club – turning a task that would have previously taken 14 hours into one that’s complete in just four!
The labour-savings and convenience brought about by their new DS800 now means that Head Greenkeeper Andrew Lewis can topdress more frequently and in more areas around the site, bringing further benefit to the condition of the Shropshire course.
Andrew has been at Arscott since it opened in 1992 and was part of the original team that converted the agricultural land into an 18hole golf course. Together with changes to the course, Andrew has seen changes in trends and maintenance techniques over the years – topdressing included.
“Where we would have previously been putting two ton’s down on a green and working it in, now it’s all about little and often dressings that work down in just a couple of days.”
To keep pace with the requirement for more frequent topdressing, the club purchased a Rink DS800 delivered by Charlies Groundcare, in the spring of 2022. The DS800 features a 0.8m3 hopper capacity, variable spreading widths of between 2m and 12m, and spreading thicknesses of 0.5 to 15mm for optimal versatility and effectiveness.
“Previously, we were using a fertiliser spinner which did the job but was very small and meant repeated trips backwards and forwards to the shed to collect material which was ¾ of a mile away from the furthest green! We looked at a couple of different models of disc spreader and opted for the Rink because of its size, reliability and the fantastic back-up support from the team at Charlies.”
“The time it now takes us to get around all 18 greens has more than halved, and as a small team of just three, it frees up all-important labour to be working on other tasks. It’s already completed one pass in April and where we would normally do just one more in September, we’ve actually decided to do an additional dressing on all 18 greens midsummer as well as some work on the tees and surrounds which would just not have been feasible before.”
To complement the Rink, Ascott also purchased a Redexim Speedbrush which Andrew says is proving to be a brilliant piece of equipment – not just for working in dressing. “We’re finding more and more things to do with the Speedbrush, from dispersing clippings to clearing moisture and standing the plant up on the surrounds to improve the quality of cut. All of this, together with the increase in topdressing are already making a huge difference to the course.”
Taking aim at the hot shot Kubota RTV
With more than 50 acres of grounds, the East of England Shooting Ground features extensive grass areas, banks, ponds and a lake, offering a stunning background for clay and simulated game shooting.
Located at the heart of the Lincolnshire Fens, near Spalding, the site has been carefully landscaped.
Helping to shoulder the workload is a Kubota RTV X-1110, used for a variety of grounds maintenance tasks by owner Barry Exton and groundsman Simon Allum.
“It’s a great vehicle for this job, very manoeuvrable and travels well on the undulating ground and steep Banks. Unlike a 4x4 it can access restricted areas on the site and feels very stable on the slopes,” explained Simon.
With a 24hp Kubota diesel engine offering plenty of power and VHT-X transmission with low range and engine braking, the RTV ‘will go anywhere’ on the site.
The 500kg load bay comes in handy too.
“We can carry 18 boxes of clays – they are heavy to manhandle so it’s great to be able to drive right up to where the traps are sited.”
Hydraulic tip also comes in handy.
“We move dirt and rubble around the site to maintain the roadways and pull ragwort in summer, so being able to tip the full load easily saves time.”
“The RTV’s a really useful machine to have on a shoot and we’re always thinking of extra jobs for it.”
Toro welcomed on sustainable island course
Ardfin Golf Club’s golf manager and mechanic were in complete agreement that the club’s hybrid machinery purchases should be Toro.
Carved along the shoreline at the top of a cliff on the Isle of Jura in Scotland, Ardfin Golf Club is not only one of the most unique golf courses in the world but one that has had the least interference in the natural landscape it is part of. And to both keep its spot in the top 100 best golf clubs to play at and continue the sustainability work it is known for, the club is now trusting its greens to Toro.
Golf manager Simon Crawford explained that he’s used Toro before in previous jobs, including overseas when he’dworked in Barbados, Austria and the Middle East.
“Nothing can compare to it, it’s my favourite brand to use and as soon as I came here, I knew we’d have to switch. Our mechanic is also a Toro fan and prefers to work with Toro machinery, something that also has a big impact on what we buy. It was a match made in heaven.”
Speaking of heaven, Ardfin’s location as part of the Inner Hebrides is pretty close but maintaining a golf course in such a remote location doesn’t come without its challenges. Ardfin has managed to strike a balance between the site’s environmental needs and the commercial side of business while remaining at the top of destinations for visitors looking for “a golf experience that’s like an adventure”, says Simon.
“An island like Jura is a precious place that we try to protect as much as possible. When the course was first built, we didn’t move a lot of land; instead, we reused the topsoil, improved the drainage and kept everything on a smaller scale to ensure habitats were protected – the greens are narrow, and we have fewer bunkers than usual. We don’t use fungicides or herbicides and try to have as little impact on the environment as we can: everything is recycled, and all the grass cuttings are used for composting. Getting more sustainable machinery was the logical next step.”
The club chose a Greensmaster TriFlex hybrid 3420 riding greensmower and a Reelmaster 5010-H fairway mower as starters from Toro distributor, Reesink Scotland. Both are hybrid machines and a perfect fit for what Simon and his ninestrong team are looking to achieve at Ardfin.
“We are trying to slowly but surely move away from using hydraulics and diesel engines. These ones we bought don’t have hydraulics thus there’s less of a chance of damage on the greens, tees, approaches and fairways. It gives us peace of mind.
“The difference in quality is also quite noticeable compared to other brands and the staff enjoys working with them. Overall, Toro machines are more robust, easier to set up and look after and we find the cutting units stay sharper for longer, too. Not to mention their brilliant finish.
“The service we get from Reesink is fantastic. It’s an easy company to deal with, with good aftersales and good contacts. Plus, when we ordered from them it only took a couple of months for the machines to arrive.”
So, what’s next for the club?
“We’re expanding the site by adding a new nine-hole course and when we do, we’ll be looking after 36 holes in total. So, we need to buy a lot more machinery to ensure we stay efficient and productive and, of course, provide the best experience to our visitors. It also needs to be reliable and have good longevity, which Toro delivers 100%
“We’re planning on going down the all-electric route next and have our eyes on a couple of the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 greensmowers. They will solidify our sustainability plan and help us carry on the work we do for generations. The technology is there so we’re very excited to bring it into the club.”
Whitemoss selected to take part in two major projects
Above, at Ingestre Oark GC and, below, at the Rayleigh Club Having worked with a number of EIGCA architects –including Saffron Walden/Swan Golf, Horsforth/ Jonathan Gaunt and earlier still on the vast JCB GCC European Golf Design – Whitemoss Eco/ BunkerMat Gen2 have been selected for two major projects.
The first is Ingestre Park GC. Whitemoss began working with the club over 25 years ago and in the last three to four years had discussed bunker liners at great length. Moving forward to two years ago and the start of HS2 works by lead contractors MJ Abbott, Whitemoss and Australian manufacturer BunkerMat Gen2 liner were selected for all 55 bunkers on the redesigned holes and new land. Design was by Jon Hunt, International Golf Design, and work began in 2021. It is expected to be completed this summer. The installation teams are able to install 10-15 bunkers in a typical work day and this can amount to up to 1200m2 of BunkerMat laid in a day.
Following an initial visit to the Rayleigh Club’s owner, Whitemoss arranged for fellow EIGCA partners DuraBunker and Rhydian Lewis to visit the site.
The owner is a very keen golfer with a real love of “Linksy” bunkers. The Rayleigh Club presents as an American style layout, vast high sand splash faced bunkers and the opposite of the owner’s vision. With a limited number of greens staff, indeed only seven for two courses and a driving range, the solution had to be long term and easily maintained.
Following a number of visits and presentations, DuraBunker were appointed lead contractors and appointed Whitemoss Eco Supplies Ltd to install BunkerMat Gen2 into all 55 bunkers and a total area of around 3000m2. Following a start date onsite of June 28 this year, all bunkers were BunkerMat lined and have DuraBunkers DuraEdge revetting installed, all completed by the beginning of August.
BunkerMat Gen2 was selected for both projects for very similar reasons – speed of installation and availability of the products. Flexibility and the product’s ability to retain sand even on steep, high faced bunkers was a further attractive feature.
Mansfield Sand is fab for Forest
Ewan Hunter, Grounds Manager at Nottingham Forest FC, has praised the products and service he receives from Mansfield Sand.
After starting his career as a greenkeeper, Ewan Hunter moved into football grounds management and has remained in the sector for over 20 years. His first job in football was at Rushden & Diamonds FC before starting at Nottingham Forest FC in 2005.
Having been at the club ever since, Ewan’s work has been recognised through numerous groundsman awards, and he can now add the title ‘Premier League Groundsman’ to his CV after Forest recently achieved promotion to the top tier.
Ever the professional, Ewan remains focussed.
“Our work won’t change with us being in the Premier League,” he said.
“We will continue to do our job the same way we always have. Obviously, we want to improve standards all the time, and there are future projects, which include new first-team pitches for the training ground, and eventually we will have a new stadium pitch. Yes, the technology we utilise might be better and more modern, but our work will remain the same.”
Ewan oversees a team of seven who work across the stadium pitch and the training ground. All the pitches across the two sites are of the same construction as Ewan explains.
“All of the pitches we have here are Fibresand, and we use a variety of Mansfield Sand’s products. I’ve been working with Mansfield Sand since my days at Rushden and Diamonds, so well over 20 years.”
Mansfield Sand is a company with history and pedigree – its origins can be traced to 1840. It has been a longstanding pioneer in the development and production of premium sandbased products and boasts the most up-to-date and advanced equipment currently in the industry.
From winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas – Mansfield Sand has a solution for all.
Ewan continued to offer an insight into how he uses Mansfield Sand’s products.
“Most of the products we use from Mansfield Sand are renovation products. We will strip the pitches, Koro them off and then top dress with Mansfield’s MM40. If we are adding fibre to the pitch then we will use their Fibresand, and that is mixed into the rootzone by the contractor.
“Through the season, we will use their top dressing and a little bit of rootzone, mainly to level out the goal mouths that get a lot of wear.
“Rootzone is very important and is integral to a healthy pitch.”
Furthermore, two pitches at the training ground are currently being reconstructed using 5000 tonnes of gravel, 6902 tonnes of MM40 sand and 4089 tonnes of 85/15 sand soil rootzone, all of which are sourced directly from Mansfield Sand’s Two Oaks Quarry.
The work is being carried out by Ewan’s reliable contractors MJ Abbot and Premier Pitches, who order the products directly from Mansfield Sand. Ewan may not necessarily be involved in the ordering process anymore, but he still maintains a good relationship with the company. n www.mansfield-sand.co.uk
GroundWOW makes its mark in Manchester
There was a weekend of breaking boundaries at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground as GroundWOW, creators of the world’s first autonomous ground printer, made their mark on the iconic pitch. The North-West innovators demonstrated their technology to create a grand scale logo for Emirates Old Trafford partners, University Academy 92.
The intricately designed artwork measured five metre wide by nine and a half metres long and was positioned directly in front of the Pavilion stand, in full view of the fans and cameras. The very fine detail of such a carefully designed logo helped to exemplify the cutting-edge capability of the robot, in this instance operating in 10mm pixels to create an incredible work in super high resolution.
Onlookers remarked on the incredible detail, the precision, and the absolute uniqueness of a technology able to accomplish such detail. Each swirl, line, and dot in the UA92 logo was included to create a pixel perfect replica for the Lancashire v Derbyshire encounter. While players on the field scored boundaries, North-West based tech innovators GroundWOW continue to push technology boundaries as they continue their roll-out across sport.
For this project, GroundWOW deployed a three metre wide boom head designed for install speed on grand scale activations in tight operational windows. The electric vehicle also deploys up to 95% less paint than the traditional methods, making it a more environmentally friendly option – no doubt a major driver of the technology firm’s increasing profile. GroundWOW paint is turf, animal and human safe and when it comes to the removal of the image, the on-board AI that manages the paint deposition serves to make washing off or growing out easier than it has ever been.
With a raft of subscriptions available tied to a range of product options, the technology is truly accessible to clubs and entities in all leagues, from grassroots to professional, at all levels of any given sector. This gives every club and venue the chance to create a new revenue stream from their existing land and take sponsorship opportunities to a new level.
Spray Star range boasts 100% greater accuracy over its competitors
Smithco were one of the first companies to introduce GPS technology when the Star Command system debuted in 2012. Today they are on the third iteration of the system on their Spray Star range of industry-leading sprayers.
To ensure the ultimate levels of support to end users, sales and technical staff from one of Smithco’s UK dealers, Ernest Doe and Sons, attended dealer training sessions at Woburn Golf Club and Hunstanton Golf Club in the south and east of England.
David Annis, a senior spray technician based at Smithco’s head office, flew in from Wayne, Pennsylvania, accompanied by John Moore, Smithco’s European Sales Manager, who together explained the attributes of the company’s GPS-guided Spray Star equipment and the TeeJet flow system that ensures the effective control of the sprayed solution to the turf.
At the second event, hosted by Hunstanton Golf Club on the north Norfolk coast, the attendees were able to gain a fuller understanding of the TeeJet spray application system using the club’s recently installed Spray Star 2000. Head Greenkeeper, Peter Read, also attended the session.
“Our Spray Star range features four self-propelled sprayers with control options such as the TeeJet Radion Rate Controller, Radion with Dyna-Jet Pulse Width Modulation, or Smithco’s Star Command 3.0 providing minimal corrections, turn compensation, and the industryleading 25cm nozzle spacing offering a 100% greater accuracy than competitors,” said John.
“Our competitors use nozzle spacing of 50 cm, but ours are spaced at 25 cm and pulse 20 times per second. This provides infinite control of the droplet size which means we can maintain the correct application rate at any speed.
“This refresher course for the Ernest Doe team was extremely beneficial and they certainly left the event with a greater understanding of the precision spraying systems available to the end-user and the savings that can result using GPS technology.”
Turf Tank upgrade increases efficiency
Turf Tank, the inventor of the world’s first autonomous line marking robot, is launching the next-generation line marking software for their robot, improving its usability, and increasing the efficiency of the line marking process. The new software became available to all new customers globally, at the beginning of July.
Ever since its launch in 2015, the Turf Tank robot revolutionised the line marking industry, helping sports organisations all over the world, from small sports clubs and high schools to major colleges and professional teams, save time and money painting their fields. And with the new product, the company aims to simplify the process for those managing fields.
The new system brings a set of innovative features which improve the user experience. On one hand, it gives the users a fast and easy solution to paint their fields, with just a few taps on the screen, while it also expands and gives more freedom to the user, who now has full control in customising every little aspect of the line marking process.
The new design features a user-friendly interface which resembles familiar apps, making the software easier to understand and operate. The tablet is loaded with predefined sports layouts, which are designed to follow the regulations of the governing bodies for the specific sports. The user can simply select the desired layout, drag it onto the map, and the robot will then paint by itself the lines in the correct location with the correct width and length, according to the rulebooks.
Once the fields are created, all the settings are saved through cloud synchronisation, so the turf managers can easily find what they need the next time they repaint and be at ease of mind that they will never lose their settings.
With the new software, users can now see an estimation of the paint required to complete the markings. The time estimations previously available will continue to be supported now with increased accuracy.
The users can choose different routes the robot will take when painting the fields. They can select between efficient settings for users who want the job to be finished as fast as possible or highest-quality to ensure the robot does the least amount of crossings over already painted lines.
