Complete Weed Control pull out of BTME and SALTEX

In a company statement, Ian Graham – managing director of Complete Weed Control has announced that the company will no longer exhibit at BTME or SALTEX.

“Historically both shows have been successful events which have resulted in good levels of interest. However, BTME and SALTEX enquiry numbers and values have been in steady decline. As a consequence our continuing presence has become a topic of conversation each year.

“We have attended the two exhibitions since 1983 and therefore our decision to withdraw has not being an easy one. Overall, the budget for both shows, including stand space, time and all other associated costs, runs into many tens of thousands of pounds. We are very confident that this sum of money will be better diverted into digital and online channels where we have seen an increase in enquiry levels over the same period.”

“It is also our intention to put together a series of regional events where we can invite existing and potential clients along to discuss the various services we can provide.
Our opinion is that trade shows in general are becoming obsolete as a consequence of the success of digital platforms. Customers can find information quickly and at their own convenience whilst vendors are far more willing to visit a client for bespoke demonstration of their equipment or services.

We will continue to attend both shows in the capacity of visitors and wish both BTME and SALTEX the very best for the future.”

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s national office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk

You can also follow Complete Weed Control on Twitter @CWCLimited

Souters Sports put on a royal performance

Souters Sports have been commended by Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate in York after the company completed a multi-million pound project which involved a total re-development of the school’s existing playing fields and transforming them into professional sports pitches.

Queen Ethelburga’s, set in over 100 acres of manicured country park in the Vale of York, is ranked as the North of England’s academically most successful, independent co-educational day and boarding school. The school caters for girls and boys from 3 months to 19 years old, offering day, weekly and full boarding places. Founded in 1912, the school boasts exceptional academic success and 2016 saw the school’s best ever year for A-level results with over 98% of Year 13 going on to the UK’s best universities.

Standards are incredibly high at Queen Ethelburga’s, which is highlighted by the school’s recent decision to invest over £80m in new resources and facilities. When the school announced that it was looking for a total re-development of the existing playing fields, it was imperative that they selected the best company to embark on the new multi-million pound project.

A project of this magnitude enticed sports turf contractors from all over the country and a rigorous tender process ensued. Souters Sports were part of the process from the very beginning and soon found themselves in the final two. However, there could only be one winner and Amy Martin, CEO of Queen Ethelburga’s based at Thorpe Underwood Estate, gave her reasons as to why Souters Sports won the contract.

“When you know that you want a project completed to the highest possible standard, you actually start looking at every detail of the tender process. Souters’ presentation was immaculate – it was well presented, well put together and covered every piece of information we were after. They were the most professional company that we met with and they were ready to grab the project with both hands and that was what we were looking for.”

The mammoth project commenced in late March 2015 – the site was set-up and earth works began to cultivate and the re-levelling of the existing areas was carried out. The works progressed quickly on the initial project which included:

  • 1 cricket area comprising of 6 wicket squares (5 natural and 1 synthetic) and an outfield area.
  • 1 full size football pitch.
  • 1 full size rugby pitch.
  • 5 smaller pitches of varying sizes for dual-use football and rugby.
  • Full drainage systems. Full irrigation system.
  • Network of footpaths.

In a matter of weeks the Souters’ team had installed the drainage and irrigation systems and preparation of the footpaths had begun. However, the team soon faced somewhat of a huge curve ball after the installation of a huge LED floodlighting scheme was added to the project.

Ground investigations identified that over 50% of the site was made up of sand which posed problems for the sizes of bases and installation as it was key to ensuring stability for wind loading of the columns once installed. The sizes of the holes that had to be excavated meant that significant impact and damage was sustained to the already completed works.

Nonetheless, the Souters’ team rose to the challenge and soon overcame the issue.

“When we decided that we would add in floodlighting we changed the goal posts massively,” says Amy. “They (Souters Sports) have a great can-do attitude – and as a team they just started looking to solve the problem instantly. In fact they actually adapted their way of working to suit us, which I don’t think you find in many contractors these days.”

Going above and beyond the call of duty, Souters’ were tasked with other additional work throughout the project which included the supply and installation of a six bay cricket practice net facility; two single multi-games areas for football basketball and netball; one larger multi-games area for netball, tennis and basketball; an upgrade of the existing hockey pitch irrigation system which included a full remote control system; the installation of perimeter fencing for the wet hockey pitch and the artificial hockey pitch; the installation of ball-stop netting systems to all the natural turf and synthetic pitches; redevelopment of a recreational pitch for general play including drainage and natural turf surface; redevelopment of the existing back field which included re-levelling, drainage installation and natural turf surface to allow a further football pitch and two rugby pitches; installation of drainage lift pumps to recycle water from the drainage system and reservoir back into the irrigation system; and additional paving and reinforced vehicle crossing points.

Within 18 months the project was completed and Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate now boasts arguably one of the finest sporting facilities in Europe.

“It truly is an amazing facility, says Amy “The kids love it, the England FA Ladies under 18’s love it, the Bath rugby team love it and even the Brownlee brothers who cut the ribbon to officially open it said it was fantastic. It’s all big names and sports teams that are saying how good the facility is and that speaks far more highly than myself saying how great it is.”
“Overall, I would highly recommend Souters Sports because I’m incredibly happy with the work they carried out. Right from the start they were very good – they are just an excellent and highly professional firm.”

One man’s obsession brings joy to Morton faithful

Mark Farrell is an odd fellow. His lean physique, his weather-beaten face, his calloused hands: this is a man who works outdoors, come shine, or, this being the west of Scotland, thumping rain.

But it’s his particular passion that marks him out as different from we mortals. This singular, migrant Mancunian is fixated by a special rectangular plot of dear, green land, a place of worship for hundreds if not quite thousands.

Pity his wife, Tracey, as he paces the living room in Ardgowan Street, Greenock, of a Friday evening, eyes fixed on glowering skies, muttering. His girls, Scarlet, six, and Olivia, four, know well enough to leave Daddy well alone at stressful times like this.

Mark is groundsman at Cappielow Park, home to Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton, and nothing – outside family – matters more to him than his domain, 100 metres long, and 68 metres wide. And groundstaff matter.

Just ask Ken Hare. His plight secured heartless Southend United some rare column inches in the national sports pages last week. A frozen Roots Hall pitch meant the clash against Bolton Wanderers was called off – and led to his summary sacking.

This just one week after Southend had tweeted praise for making sure the pitch was perfect for Rochdale’s visit – and after Mr Hare’s unblemished 27 years of service. He is now pondering legal action and fans are petitioning for his reinstatement.

No such problems for our Morton man, though. Your correspondent may be biased, but this seems to be the finest playing surface anywhere, and light years ahead of the boggy mire of the old days when free-scoring Andy Ritchie, Bobby Thomson and John McNeil fired us to the top of the Premier League for a glorious weekend or three way back in 1979.

To ask Mark, 40, why is to unleash an excited tirade of horticultural gobbledygook: of verti-cutting; rye-grass surfacing; top-dressing; time-tabled line-painting and mowing (with the 12-year-old tractor bought for a snip from Queen of the South when they went plastic) to exactly 25mm the day before a match. Little wonder, perhaps, that Tracey’s eyes can glass over sometimes.

“I can’t stop thinking about it. I can be at the lights in traffic, or watching the kids’ nativity play, or shopping in the supermarket, and I’m worrying away about the pitch and its condition. You’ve got to be on top of what needs to be done all the time. We’ve always played football on the deck, so it’s got to be right.”

The art of the groundsman had become much more of a science since the days of treacle-like conditions at the likes of the Baseball Ground in the mid-seventies. At the top end of the game, it’s big business now.

Of the 44 pitches in the top two flights in England, 43 of them are boosted by plastic fibres. They prevent pitches cutting up. And all of them have undersoil heating and pop-up sprinklers.

None of this, though, at Cappielow. Elbow grease and expertise garnered through jobs as golf-course green-keeper are key to a playing surface which now hosts 55 matches a year. As well as providing Jim Duffy’s side with the best surface in the league, it earns the club precious income: Scotland under-20s play there, and the Celtic youngsters do too. Barcelona’s kids have graced the turf here too.

Time, then, to salute Mark Farrell, just one of tens of thousands of unsung heroes up and down the land. They make Saturday afternoons special for us all.

To read the original article, click here

Etesia Launches Remote Control Brushcutter

The Etesia Attila mower has become synonymous with cutting high, dense vegetation in difficult terrain. Now, Etesia UK is pleased to announce it is available as a fully automatic robotic mower with the use of an iPad.

The Etesia SKD ExxDrive has been developed with partners FeBroLift GmbH and is a completely new type of external operating concept that allows the user to operate the device reliably and precisely by means of a gesture-controlled operation via an app on an iPad – without having to sit on the mower itself.

All functions, which the device contains serially, can also be accessed via the tablet, including the permanent use of the ‘deadman button’ during use which ensures safety at all times. If an emergency does occur; the device can be switched off via a secure emergency stop function.

The biggest advantage of the Etesia SKD ExxDrive is that it can be fitted with a dual wheel kit and be used on steep slopes where mowing work can be carried out with a low risk to the operator, who can stay at a safe distance and avoid risks of being injured, while still ensuring a high productivity in difficult terrain.

The Etesia SKD ExxDrive retains all of the features of a standard SKD mower including an 85cm cutting width and cutting decks with steel reinforcements specifically designed to withstand different mowing conditions for a long period.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk

11 Days Left To Nominate Your Groundsman Of The Year

Following on from the success of last Season, nominations for the FA’s Groundsman of the Year Award are now underway. 

This annual Award provides a great opportunity to recognise and reward Groundsmen at Steps 7 and below. 

To make your nomination, just complete the Nomination Form (below) and return either by email to kate.foote@wiltshirefa.com or post to the County Offices. 

Nominations close on Friday 17th February 2017. 

The Wiltshire FA will gather nominations and using the Judging Guidelines, select the top three to put forward as part of The FA’s National Awards. 

Last seasons’s winners were invited as special guests for the England v Spain friendly fixture in November. They also attended an Awards Day which took place in August at St Georges Park. The nominees were given a guided tour of the site as well as an insightful presentation from Karl Standley (Head Grounsman at Wembley Stadium) and also a Q&A workshop with professional groundsmen from Southampton, Manchester City along with Alan Ferguson from St George’s Park. 

Don’t delay in getting your nominations to us!

To read the original article, click here 

Nomination form: nomination-form-steps-7-and-below