Record-Breaking Number Of Entries To IOG Awards

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Record-Breaking Number Of Entries To This Year’s IOG Awards: The finalists have been announced from a record-breaking entry to this year’s prestigious Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards 2017.

Record-Breaking Number Of Entries To This Year’s Awards

Now in its ninth year, the awards – which enjoy headline sponsorship by Rigby Taylor and Top Green – acknowledge the passion, dedication and challenges faced by grounds staff, volunteers and professionals across all levels of sport.

“Once again we have enjoyed a record-breaking entry to the awards,” says IOG chief executive, Geoff Webb. “Nominations this year rose by 93 per cent, which illustrates the esteem in which our industry – from all corners of the UK – holds the awards.

“The judges, all of whom are groundsmen, were particularly impressed with the quality of the submissions. In fact, the standard of nominations improves year-on-year.

“Everyone who has been nominated should be recognised, regardless of whether they make the shortlist or, indeed, go on to be named as winners. It just shows the range and dedication of those working at both professional and volunteer level, day in and day out in all weathers to ensure our sports men and women, young and old, have available an increasingly higher standard of playing surfaces.”

Geoff adds: “The awards would not be possible without the generosity of our sponsors, and these companies and organisations have enabled the event to become a landmark event every year.

“The industry’s support is invaluable and it has created the conditions for a sell-out event and one that enjoys national and regional TV, radio, social media and press coverage.”

Independent judging at each venue will now take place. The winners will be announced Oscar-style at the IOG Industry Awards dinner by host Mark Saggers from talkSPORT radio at the National Conference Centre, Birmingham, on Wednesday 1 November – the evening of the opening day of the SALTEX exhibition at the nearby NEC.

The finalists are:

Bowling Greenkeeper/Team of the Year
Burnham Hillside Bowls Club, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex; Potters Bar Bowls Club, Hertfordshire.

Best Maintained Artificial Pitch of the Year
Highfields Sports Complex – The University of Nottingham; Manchester City FC.

Ransomes Environmental/Innovative Project of the Year
Arsenal FC; Forest Green Rovers FC.

Toro Most Promising Sports Turf Student of the Year 
Ollie Deeming, Bury St. Edmunds RUFC, Suffolk; Tara Massey, Manchester City FC.

Redexim Charterhouse/Kubota Volunteer Sports Groundsman/Team of the Year
Phillip Swann, Bridge Trust Society, Birmingham; Phil Toy, Wingerworth JSA FC, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

National Governing Bodies Grassroots Sports Grounds Team of the Year
Darlington CC; NPL Sports Club, Teddington, Middlesex.

This category co-sponsored by the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club), ECB (the England and Wales Cricket Board), The FA (Football Association), The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), the Premier League, the RFL (Rugby Football League) and the RFU (Rugby Football Union).

Headland Amenity Professional Cricket Grounds Team of the Year
Durham CCC; Hampshire CCC, Southampton.

Infinicut (MTD) Professional Tennis Grounds Team of the Year
All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, Wimbledon; Nottingham Tennis Centre.

SGL Professional Football Grounds Team or the Year (Premier League, Championship and Scottish Premier League)
Arsenal FC; Leicester City FC; Tottenham Hotspur FC.

SISGrass Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year (English Leagues 1 & 2, National, National North/South, Scottish Championship & Leagues 1 & 2, Ireland & Wales Professional Leagues)
Bury FC, Greater Manchester; Dagenham and Redbrige FC, London.

John Deere Professional Horse Racing Grounds Team of the Year
Nottingham Racecourse; Ripon Racecourse; Sandown Park Racecourse.

Mansfield Sand Professional Rugby Football League Grounds Team of the Year
Castleford Tigers, West Yorkshire; Leeds Rugby (Leeds Rhinos).

GrassMaster Professional Rugby Football Union Grounds Team of the Year
Sale Sharks, Salford; Yorkshire Carnegie (Leeds Rugby).

National Governing Bodies Professional Sports Grounds Team of the Year
All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, Wimbledon; Chelsea FC; Manchester City FC.

This category co-sponsored by the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club), ECB (the England and Wales Cricket Board), The FA (Football Association), The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), the Premier League, the RFL (Rugby Football League) and the RFU (Rugby Football Union).

Rigby Taylor/Top Green Young Groundsman of the Year
Alex Brierley, All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, Wimbledon; Jake Messenger, Tottenham Hotspur FC; James Wood, Manchester City FC.

Growth Products Independent School/University/College Grounds Team of the Year
Charterhouse School, Surrey; University of Surrey.

Private Members Sports Club Grounds Team of the Year
Darlington CC; The Queen’s Club, London.

Contractor of the Year
Premier Pitches, Sheffield; TurfDry, Derbyshire.

International Ambassador of the Year
Simon Gumbrill, Stadium Grow Lighting; Dean Gilasbey, Propitch.

Special Recognition Award (Professional Category)
Paul Burgess, Real Madrid CF; Andy Jackson, Stoke City FC.

Special Recognition Award (Volunteer Category)
Peter Green, Honley Cricket Club, Holmfirth, Huddersfield; Mick Oldfield, Sherriff Hutton Bridge Cricket Club, York.

 

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Visit Makita UK At SALTEX 2017

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Visit Makita UK At SALTEX 2017: Makita UK will be returning to Saltex this year which takes places at the NEC in Birmingham 1-2 November 2017.  Makita will be on stand K190d within the BALI Zone.

Visit Makita UK At SALTEX 2017

The BALI Zone features and promotes leading BALI Registered Affiliate and Contractor members.  Also confirmed for 2017 are Boningale Nurseries, M&M Timber, Green-tech, Ground Control and British Sugar TOPSOIL.

The Makita UK stand will showcase the ever-growing garden machinery range suitable for professional landscaping contractors, groundsmen and forestry workers.

“We are delighted to be joining the BALI Zone at this year’s Saltex and to be teaming up with other leading names in the landscaping industry,” says Mark Earles, Business Development Manager, Makita UK.  “Our cordless range will be taking centre stage but visitors will be able to learn about the entire range including our petrol and electric models.”

The 18v battery platform makes it economically viable for the tool owner as there is the option to purchase the ‘body only’ version of the tool if you already have the battery.   This battery platform has set an industry benchmark but still continues to expand with innovations such as the twin-18v battery 36v application.

Using battery powered grounds care machines means that exhaust emissions are zero – petrol engine exhaust fumes are eliminated and the risk of ground contamination from spilt petrol and oil is removed altogether. Many Makita grounds-care machines offer a considerable reduction in vibration and can be used all day without harm to the operator.  Where traditional machines make an awful noise, the battery powered Makita tools are significantly quieter whilst still delivering a professional performance. This quiet approach means teams can work around parks, schools, hospitals and cemeteries without causing nuisance and annoyance.

SALTEX is the UK’s national event for grounds care, sports turf, amenities, estates and green space management, as well as turf care and specialist machinery, landscaping and playgrounds.  Free to visit, SALTEX is the UK’s biggest event for the grounds care sector.  Register here www.iogsaltex.com/visitor-registration

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STRI Group Announce Research Day Dates

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STRI Group announce Research Day dates: STRI Group has announced the dates for its free annual Research Day event, hosted at its world-class facilities in West Yorkshire.

STRI Group Announce Research Day Dates

Greenkeepers, grounds staff, course managers, stadium managers and other sportsturf professionals are all invited to attend the open days on the 20th and 21st of September.

On the days STRI consultants will give attendees a guided tour around the STRI research grounds and show partners’ latest trials and technology that will benefit of the sport industry in the future.

There’s also delicious food served throughout the day and it’s a great opportunity to meet and catch-up with fellow sportsturf industry professionals.

The event is supported by Farmura – an Aquatrols company, Bayer, ICL, Syngenta, Sherriff Amenity and StadiaPitch, who are currently investing in R&D projects to help improve the quality and management of sports surfaces.

To book your place on either the 20th or 21st please contact info@strigroup.com or call +44 (0) 1274 565131.

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Countax And A Race To The Rescue

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Countax And A Race To The Rescue: Every year, universities from around the world compete to build a single seat race car for autocross or sprint racing.

Countax And A Race To The Rescue

Formula Student is Europe’s most established educational motorsport competition, backed by industry and high-profile engineers such as Ross Brawn OBE.  The competition aims to develop innovative young engineers and encourage young people to take up a career in engineering. Following that edict, Surrey University’s Formula Student team set about building their new electric 80kW single seat racer, with a specification that would take it from 0-60mph in under three seconds. Little did they know the project would bring them into contact with garden tractor manufacturer Countax, themselves the company behind British-built Runningblade, the racing lawnmower that broke the world record on Pendine Sands.

Formula Student forms part of a degree-level project that provides the opportunity to deliver a complex and integrated product and present it to a hypothetical manufacturing firm. The rules are the car must be low in cost, easily maintained, reliable, with high performance; and the team has to demonstrate it can support a viable business model for both parties. The Surrey University team’s car is entirely student designed and built by them, making virtually everything from the tubular frame through to the aluminium suspension uprights. It’s powered by an 80kW/240Nm electric motor with 600v 7kWH LiPo battery. Each team has to go through a rigorous testing process, including a Static Event, where the cars are judged on design, cost, sustainability, business presentation, technical and safety scrutineering, a tilt test and brake and noise test.

The venue for the Surrey team’s Static Event was Silverstone Circuit and when they arrived to assemble the car they found they were minus the correct wheel nuts. The ones they had with them were from the previous year’s model and this year’s had undergone a design change to the studs. They needed M10 x 1.25 pitch wheel nuts with a tapered seat to fit the new studs. Nowhere at Silverstone could they find the size. Bill Backhouse, Automotive Technician for the university’s Mechanical Engineering Sciences Department, phoned his father Graham at the John B Backhouse power and garden machinery dealership in Yorkshire for help.

Graham realised the wheel nuts they needed were coincidentally the same as fitted to the post 2013 Countax garden tractors and the race was on to the Countax Factory near Oxford, where Lauren in the Parts Department had a set of wheel nuts ready and waiting in reception. The short hop back to Silverstone saw the wheels and nuts in place ready to pass the Formula Student Static Event; and have the car ready to go on to the Dynamic Event with skid pan, sprint, acceleration, endurance and fuel economy. All with a big thanks to Countax from the Surrey University team and, one other coincidence, Ross Brawn has been a Countax customer for many years.

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SALTEX 2017 Visitor Registration Now Open

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SALTEX 2017 ‘Your Industry, Your Show’ Visitor Registration Now Open

SALTEX 2017 Visitor Registration Now Open

The countdown to Europe’s largest annual turf management event has officially begun, marked by the opening of online visitor registration.

SALTEX 2017 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 1-2 November, and has already attracted over 250 exhibitors – a number that’s set to grow further in the weeks leading up to the event. Confirmed to return are a number of leading brand names spanning the whole turf management industry including manufacturers and suppliers of world-class products and services for the maintenance of pitches, grounds, landscaping, parks and estates.

SALTEX will also once again boast unique show features such as:

  • Learning LIVE – an all-encompassing free-to-attend education programme offering grounds and open space practitioners across all disciplines, volunteer as well as professional, the chance to increase their CPD points.
  • Outdoor demonstrations – providing an opportunity to see a number of products in action directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8.
  • The SALTEX College Cup – a national student-led sports-turf challenge sponsored by Ransomes.
  • Pathology & Soil Science LIVE – allowing visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems.
  • The Young Groundsmen’s Conference, sponsored by Rigby Taylor and Top Green – an ideal opportunity for young people looking to advance their career in the groundscare industry
  • Ask the Expert – free pitchcare advice from the IOG’s team of regional pitch advisors based on the IOG Hub
  • The IOG Industry Awards – the UK’s biggest celebration in groundsmanship held on the evening of the first day (1 November) at the National Motorcycle Museum.
  • NEW for 2017! Careers advice area – the chance to receive one-to-one advice from industry expert Frank Newberry on how to progress your career, write a compelling CV and perform well in an interview situation.

Visitors can register to attend SALTEX via the website – www.iogsaltex.com. Visitors will receive a confirmation email with their badge to print and take along to the show in November, to gain free entry.

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