New Era For GMA Leadership

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New Era For GMA Leadership: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Martyn Ward as Chair of the Board of Directors, and Neil Stubley as Vice Chair, ushering in a new era of leadership for the Association.

The GMA also extends its sincere thanks and best wishes to outgoing Chair David Carpenter, whose strategic guidance has been instrumental in shaping the Association’s direction over the last two decades.

New Era For GMA Leadership

New Era For GMA Leadership

Martyn Ward, Partner at Ward and Hagon Management Consulting LLP, brings over 40 years of experience in sales, marketing and executive leadership. His career includes senior roles at Foster’s Brewing Group/Courage, Alliance UniChem/Boots, and SSL International, where he served as Regional Managing Director. A strategic and collaborative leader, he offers deep expertise in business development and stakeholder engagement, making him a valuable asset to the GMA Board.

Joining him as the newly appointed Vice Chair is Neil Stubley, Head of Grounds and Horticulture at The All-England Lawn Tennis Club – a well-respected figure in the industry. His practical experience within grounds management makes him a strong complement to Martyn’s strategic vision. His appointment as Vice Chair reflects his longstanding commitment to the grounds management profession and the GMA’s mission.

Neil Stubley commented: “I’m proud to take on the role of Vice Chair and support Martyn and the Board in continuing the GMA’s vital work. Together, we’ll focus on strengthening the industry, supporting our members, and ensuring the value of grounds management is recognised across all sectors.”

As the GMA bids farewell to David Carpenter, the Board expresses its appreciation for his years of service. David has spent the last seven years as Board Chair, and prior to that supported the GMA as an independent Board member. David’s leadership has helped foster a strong, inclusive community and laid the groundwork for future growth and innovation.

Martyn Ward added: “I’m honoured to take on the role of Chair at such a pivotal time for the GMA. I look forward to working with Neil, the Board, and our members to build on the strong foundation laid by David and drive continued progress across the sector.”

Geoff Webb, CEO said: “I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to David Carpenter for his invaluable contributions over the past seven years as Chair. Throughout times of challenge, David’s quiet yet confident leadership has been a steadying force and should not be underestimated.

“We’ve also seen the GMA grow steadily, thanks to the support of dedicated individuals like Geoff Burges and James Wright, who now conclude their time on the Board. Their efforts have helped position us strongly for the future.

“Looking ahead, I’m confident that Martyn Ward and Neil Stubley will be a dynamic pairing, well-placed to build on the solid foundations laid so far and to support the executive team as we move forward.”

The GMA remains committed to supporting its members and promoting excellence in grounds management. With this new leadership team, the Association is poised for continued innovation and impact.

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Notts Sport Unveils CocoTurf Cricket

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Notts Sport Unveils CocoTurf Cricket: Notts Sport, one of the UK’s most established innovators in sports and play surfacing, has announced the launch of CocoTurf Cricket, the world’s first 100% natural, plastic-free artificial cricket surface. Designed from the ground up using natural materials, CocoTurf Cricket represents a major step forward in sustainable facility development for cricket at all levels of the game.

CocoTurf Cricket builds on Notts Sport’s pioneering CocoTurf® technology and has been specifically re-engineered to meet the demands of cricket performance. The surface is constructed entirely from natural coconut fibres, jute backing, and certified natural latex, creating a high-performance wicket system with zero plastics, zero microplastics, and zero PFAS. This makes it the first artificial cricket surface of its kind worldwide and a significant milestone in reducing environmental impact in sport.

Notts Sport Unveils CocoTurf Cricket

Notts Sport Unveils CocoTurf Cricket

The first installation of CocoTurf Cricket has already taken place at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, providing a real-world example of how elite facilities are beginning to embrace natural, plastic-free alternatives. The surface has undergone full cricket performance testing, including a Ball Pitch Impact Assessment, which confirmed the system’s consistent bounce, realistic pace and long-term durability comparable to professionally prepared non-turf wickets. An ECB application is currently in process, marking an important step toward official recognition and future adoption by clubs, schools, county boards and national programmes.

CocoTurf Cricket has been developed to support the growing need for environmentally responsible solutions within the sport. With concerns increasing around microplastic shedding, PFAS contamination and the environmental cost of synthetic materials, CocoTurf Cricket offers a future-proofed alternative that aligns with the sport’s sustainability objectives. The system is Oeko-Tex certified, 100% recyclable, features a dense pile weight of 1,300 g/m², and achieves an exceptional water infiltration rate of 15,166 mm/hr, providing reliable use throughout the year.

Each square metre of CocoTurf Cricket uses fibres from 6.5 coconuts, meaning approximately 585 coconuts contribute to a single-lane match facility. This approach transforms natural by-products into high-performance surfacing technology and reduces dependence on petrochemical-based materials. The product is protected under International Patent Application No. PCT/GB2024/050422 (pending).

Duncan Bennett, CEO of Notts Sport, said:

“CocoTurf Cricket is a genuine breakthrough for cricket facilities. For the first time, the sport has access to an artificial surface that performs like a professionally prepared pitch but is made entirely from natural materials. This is a major step toward eliminating plastics from non-turf systems and creating facilities that protect both players and the environment.”

Adam Walker, Technical Manager at Notts Sport, added:

“We engineered CocoTurf Cricket with players in mind, but with absolute commitment to sustainability. This surface shows that you no longer have to choose between performance and environmental responsibility — you can have both.”

With more than 40 years of experience delivering cricket surfaces across the UK and worldwide, Notts Sport continues to lead innovation in the industry, offering solutions that support the future of the game.

For more information, visit: www.cocoturf.co.uk/cricket-surfacing

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SIS Pitches prepares Estadio BBVA

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SIS Pitches prepares Estadio BBVA: Preparations ahead of the next World Cup are in full swing, with less than a year until the tournament commences on June 11, 2026.

The first to be hosted across three nations, 48 teams from six confederations will travel across North and Central America over the course of a month, visiting 16 venues to decide the winner. It’s arguably the most logistically complex football tournament ever held, laying the foundations for a similarly ambitious centenary edition in 2030.

SIS Pitches prepares Estadio BBVA

SIS Pitches prepares Estadio BBVA

Estadio BBVA will be one of three Mexican stadiums used in 2026. Having opened in 2015 as the new home to Liga MX team CF Monterrey, the ground and much of its surrounding infrastructure already met FIFA guidelines. Recognising the need for playing surface improvements, however, the management team sought a full refit of the pitch in early 2025 to prepare it for the crucial months ahead.

This is where SIS Pitches entered the frame.

Elite in 10 weeks

The client brief was simple: deliver a pitch fit for World Cup standards and specification, playable within 10 weeks.

This short window was particularly challenging given the changes agreed through early consultation. Estadio BBVA’s old playing surface was to be fully excavated to make way for a series of advanced drainage and aeration systems developed by SIS. Once installed, the top layer would then be fitted with a hard-wearing stitched hybrid pitch.

Working together, these components not only promote ideal root zone growth conditions but also allow stadiums to manage a packed calendar of fixtures and events without impacting the quality of their playing surface. This was especially important for Estadio BBVA, with a packed summer of events and a full domestic football season planned before and after the World Cup.

The planning and process

As with any large project of this kind, the key to successful delivery lies in good preparation.

SIS and Estadio BBVA agreed work would commence in May 2025, once CF Monterrey’s season concluded. From the early conversations held in January, this gave the SIS team only a few months to plan, design and procure everything needed to deliver the new pitch in time.

Much like the ’26 World Cup, the project demanded solid logistics management. Everything had to be ready to go in May – equipment, materials and teams – if the 10-week turnaround was to remain achievable. In preparation, SIS had two containers shipped from Europe to Mexico in advance of work commencing.

Excavation took just over two weeks. Once the area had been fully cleared down to the formation level, trenches were dug for irrigation pipework to be laid. The sand bed was then added, with gravel and a root bed on top, and finished with fresh natural turf, grown 100km away in the turf farm chosen by the client and FIFA.

Among the world’s most advanced playing surface

Estadio BBVA represents an important step forward for SIS, as the first major stadium to install three of our solutions at a single project.

The first was a new version of SIS Air – a turf aeration and rainwater management system designed to promote stronger, healthier grass. For Monterrey, the system was upgraded with enhanced moisture and temperature sensors, allowing the site team to adapt to local conditions in Mexico, where natural grass typically struggles to thrive.

This upgrade was designed to work alongside SIS Aqua, an advanced pitch irrigation system with 35 pop-up units that can be individually controlled. This creates an even distribution of water across the pitch, delivering a uniform playing surface.

Finally – and key to meeting the 10-week turnaround – the stadium was fitted with SIS Hybrid. The installation of hybrid grass can be completed in as little as three days using SIS Pitches’ leading X-Gen machines, which were launched globally in 2025.

All set for the coupe du monde

SIS’s planning and logistics has paid off, with the stadium now set for one of the world’s most-watched sporting events.

Delivery was completed by 24 July, meeting the 10-week deadline. The result is an elite-level football pitch now capable of performing to the highest standards all year round, supported by a suite of tools that optimise play regardless of local conditions.

Since completion, SIS has been on site to hand over to the Estadio BBVA site team, advising on regular maintenance and scheduling. Initial feedback has been positive.

“Transforming Estadio BBVA into a World Cup-ready venue in just 10 weeks was a milestone for SIS. By integrating SIS Air, SIS Aqua and our turf, we’ve delivered a surface that meets the highest standards of play and durability. It’s a proud moment – not just for our team, but for what this project represents in terms of innovation and collaboration.”

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Lay of the Links gets updated at Cabot Highland

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Lay of the Links gets updated at Cabot Highland: For Cabot Highland’s Course Manager James Hutchison a new course build, world-class golf conditions to maintain and a reputation to uphold are all part of the day job. Luckily, with a Toro Total Solution agreement, he has a fleet of Toro machinery, a new irrigation system and back up support from Reesink Scotland to make the job easier.

The Castle Stuart course has long been a Toro customer with both Toro machinery and irrigation maintaining the acclaimed links in Inverness and now the new Old Petty course, designed by renowned architect Tom Doak, will be too.

Lay of the Links gets updated at Cabot Highland

Lay of the Links gets updated at Cabot Highland

James comments: “There are over eight Cabot-managed courses across the world using Toro, but we still did extensive research and testing when it came to deciding what would work best for our new course and how to bring the latest technology onto our Castle Stuart course.

“With so much riding on the opening as well as maintaining Castle Stuart’s position in the top 100, we knew we needed Toro’s finest cutting equipment to guarantee success and allow us to continue competing for our place.”

The latest machinery order, which includes four Toro Reelmaster 3555-D mowers, two Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 mowers, a ProCore 648s aerator, ProPass 200 topdresser and Multi Pro 5800 with GeoLink have all been chosen with the specifics of the new course front and foremost says James.

When it comes to the decision of which irrigation system should be installed on the new Old Petty course, James opted for the Lynx Central Control System with Infinity sprinklers.

“We open officially in April 2026 and we’re currently growing the grass,” James explains. “For the delicate stage we’re in, precision is key, and Toro has delivered that from the 2000 pop up sprinklers with targeted watering with negligible water waste to the combination of the lightweight Reelmasters and the hybrid TriFlexes with no risk of hydraulic leaks.

“We’re about to start topdressing using the ProPass and 5000 tons of sand and spraying in wetting agents. The accuracy of the GeoLink with sprayer means we’re not wasting a drop of the expensive product; it’s all going exactly where it needs to and not putting the grass under unnecessary stress due to over spraying.”

Also aiding in the period of growing in the grass was the irrigation system says Robert Jackson, Division Manager at Reesink Hydro-Scapes: “We needed to be able to establish the grass species quite quickly. Having the correct irrigation system with the correct control and application meant we could assist in the whole process. With the input of the installer and consultant and Reesink’s experience on the irrigation products we were able to make sure the client achieved what they required from a system.”

By choosing Toro from Reesink Scotland, James is guaranteed the back up and support from the UK distributor: “We have a team of 23, which will go up to 30 next year with the requirements of the new course in mind, so we need to know the equipment can support them,” he says. “We don’t need any downtime or delays for repairs and Reesink’s support to our on-site mechanic will be a vital service.”

Mike Turnbull, Reesink Scotland Branch Manager, comments: “We are delighted to be chosen to partner Cabot Highland at the highly prestigious courses at Castle Stuart. We look forward to meeting and exceeding James’ expectations with the Toro machinery and support their whole business from our new depot near Elgin.”

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