Stop thief!

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Polaris officially announces at the LAMMA show that all new Polaris ATVs and Side by Side vehicles (excluding the Youth range) will be fitted with the CESAR ATV System. Security for ATVs and Utility vehicles has become a growing concern and as Europe’s leading All-Terrain Vehicle manufacturer, Polaris has taken this positive action towards protecting customers’ vehicles. The company has formed a new partnership with the CESAR Scheme – the official security initiative of the CEA (Construction Equipment Association) and the AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association) and Datatag, who are the technology partner behind CESAR. CESAR, is already widely recognized on larger construction and agricultural equipment and since launch over 225,000 machines have been registered and are protected with CESAR.

The CESAR System is fitted to new Polaris vehicles by authorised Polaris dealers, and comprises both visible and covert markings which are a real deterrent to the prospective thieves. Should a vehicle be taken, quick police access to the CESAR database provides an instant trace on stolen equipment via Datatag’s 24/7 UK Secure Contact Centre. The system is recognized by national and local government agencies and supported by the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Statistics show that a CESAR registered machine is four times less likely to be stolen and six times more likely to be recovered if it is taken. CESAR is approved by all major insurers and the NFU Mutual for example can offer a 12.5% discount with their NFU 5X farm machinery product policy if your ATV or side by side is fitted with the CESAR system. When you purchase a new Polaris ATV or side by side utility vehicle it comes complete with the CESAR system already fitted and there are no annual fees or charges and no recovery fees should your machine be stolen and recovered.

MANCHESTER CITY FC’S KATIE CROFT TOP OF THE LEAGUE FOR SPORTS TURF EXCELLENCE

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Toro and its UK distributor Reesink Turfcare sponsors the Most Promising Sports Turf Student of the Year Award at the annual Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Awards to find talent just like the 2016 winner, Katie Croft.

Katie is a driven, hard-working and talented addition to the grounds industry and since she joined Manchester City Football Club two years ago she has paved the way for other women in the industry.

Lee Metcalfe, head groundsperson at Manchester City who recruited Katie, says: “In her first interview Katie showed promising signs of being a successful apprentice. The competition was tough, with over 200 people applying for the job, but her desire to learn was evident and her bubbly character a welcome addition to the team.

“She was the first female grounds person we have taken on, and we are one of the first football clubs in the country to have employed a female in the role, but she has paved the way and because of her success we have employed another female apprentice, Tara Massey, a year ago.”

Katie says it is this trail-blazing that she would like to use her award to do more of; by making a difference by encouraging those girls who, like her, know they want to work in horticulture, that there are plenty of options. “I am so honoured to have won this award and am blown away that I was found deserving of it. Two years ago I had a dream and it has come true. I’d really like to be able to use this position to educate more women about what a career in groundsmanship entails. It’s an exciting time and there are some fantastic opportunities out there for anyone with an interest in horticulture.”
Concluding a successful two-year apprenticeship at Manchester City FC, while also studying at Myerscough College Preston, Katie has won the award, graduated and been made assistant grounds person at one of the best football clubs in the world all within a matter of months.

“When I applied for the apprenticeship at Manchester City I had no idea that it would lead to this,” she says. “I have had the huge benefit of working at a club that really invests in young talent. The training and support system I’ve been offered by everyone in the team could not have been better. Lee took a chance on me and I am so glad I’ve been able to prove my worth.”

Lee continues: “Katie winning the award is of course fantastic for her personally and her career, but it is also fantastic for the club and the team who have invested in training her. We have a strong and supportive team here and these accolades benefit everyone who has invested time in their fellow colleague’s career development.”

Marketing manager at Reesink Turfcare, Holly Jones, says: “Engaging with a wide sector of young people in the grounds industry, supporting and promoting their talents and watching them progress, is an important role for us and sponsoring this award demonstrates Toro’s long-term commitment to the development of the industry. This is a wonderful achievement for Katie, but it is just the beginning and we will follow with great interest her career and look forward to letting everyone know what she is getting up to over this all-important year.”

And with Katie already pushing for the start date for her Advanced Apprenticeship, it looks like there will be plenty to keep up with!

For more information visit www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

Kempton Park to close, new racecourse for Newmarket

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The Jockey Club has revealed plans to sell off Kempton Park for a new housing development and build a new all-weather racecourse in Newmarket.

The Jockey Club said Kempton Park would be sold for housing subject to planning permission and could close in 2021, as it unveiled its 10-year plan to invest at least £500 million into British Racing

Sandown Park would also receive major investment to unlock its potential as London’s Class 1 dual-code racecourse.

The Jockey Club is preparing for a planning application to create a new floodlit all-weather course at on The Links in Newmarket.

This site in Newmarket is a front-running option, given the access it provides thousands of horses trained at the world’s premier Training Centre.

This would be a new course replacing Kempton Park’s all-weather operations and The Jockey Club would require it to be operational before racing stopped at Kempton Park.

The Jockey Club said it has no intention of converting any of its existing Turf surfaces to all-weather.

The Jockey Club said it intends to fund its ambitions through its diverse commercial operations and, subject to a successful planning process, redevelopment on its estate at Kempton Park, which has been submitted for consideration in the local authority’s Local Plan in partnership with Redrow plc.

This follows Spelthorne Borough Council’s recent ‘Call for Sites’ to address unmet local housing needs and a decision to undertake a review of its Green Belt boundaries.

The Jockey Club said:

“These combine to provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote the site for new homes and local benefits, while preserving green space between the local borough and London. 

Such an outcome has been carefully considered by the Stewards of The Jockey Club as in the best long-term interests of British Racing given the benefits for horsemen and racegoers that can be created and with the Surrey community already well-served for racing. If development is permitted, The Jockey Club will be looking to ensure it generates in excess of £100 million for investment in British Racing.”

Roger Weatherby, senior steward of The Jockey Club, said:

“A new purpose-built all-weather course on The Links in Newmarket to replace that at Kempton Park would be ideal for the thousands of horses trained at the Home of Racing and beyond, as well as shortening the working day for racing’s people there. I am also particularly pleased that The Jockey Club will be even better placed in the coming years to provide further support to important causes, such as racing’s welfare and education programmes. As ever our intention is for our sport to benefit to the greatest extent possible.”

To read the original article, click here

Curators Cry – Local Cricket Groundsmen Struggle In Face of Financial Challenges

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Despite weekly wages in the region of $6,000 and very little recognition, local cricket groundsmen are expressing their commitment to the craft, even if there has been a considerable falloff among their ranks in recent years.

Local groundskeepers say that although they face financial challenges, they still remain dedicated to their jobs due to their love for the profession and the sport.

Lucas Cricket Club’s Travis Reid, who also plays for the outfit, says that despite the measly returns, he continues to carry out his duties because of love for the sport of the cricket and for his club.

“You have to love the game to be a groundsman because most men who are in it have been in it for years. They have dedicated their time to it,” said Reid, who has been curator for the past seven years.

“It is an underpaid job in Jamaica because nobody recognises the work that the groundsmen do,” Reid noted. “The main reason why I do it is because of my club Lucas, and so I will continue to do my work here.

“It is only when we have International and first-class matches you will make little money,” Reid said.

In fact, Reid said that many curators who have been in the profession before him are now walking away from the craft, because of the limited funds.

“Locally, there is no money in it, and because of this a lot of people are turning away from groundsman work in Jamaica,” he said.

Floyd Williams, who has been a curator at the Melbourne Cricket Club for 23 years, said that despite the lack of financial rewards, he, too, remains committed to doing his job to the best of his abilities. 

“Cricket is my main sport, and so this why I continue to be a groundsman,” said Williams. “The money don’t’ matter to me because it may be small, but I just love doing my job as a groundsman,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, Lucas Cricket Club president Daniel Wilmot, said the lack of financial support at the club is hampering its ability to properly pay its grounds staff.

“The curators, or groundsmen, don’t earn that much money, and what they earn is not enough to keep doing that alone. This is partly because the clubs are struggling for money, and only maybe two clubs are doing well, and so they are able to pay their staff.

“However, generally, the clubs are struggling, and this is one of the reasons why cricket as a sport is struggling,” Wilmot said.

However, all is not lost as the University of Technology (UTech) is set to stage a curator’s course this year in a bid to create new opportunities for those with interest in the field.

Anthony Davis, UTech’s director of sports, said that the aim of the course is to improve the standard of Jamaican curators.

“I realise that we really don’t have a consistent formal way of training groundsmen because people learnt the trade as a ‘prentice’, and there is no scientific method of doing it,” said Davis.

“Looking around the world, we realise that it is a job in itself and a very distinguished job because if you are a curator in Sydney or Lords or any of the big places in the world, it is a serious job you have, but we don’t treat it that way,” he said.

He said that the university would be engaging the services of a well-known curator from Durham in the England to conduct the course.

To read the original article, click here