Vandals Ruin Village Football Pitch

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Vandals Ruin Village Football Pitch: A village football boss has condemned “mindless” vandals who ruined their pitch by driving across it and churning up the turf.

Cartmel AFC’s ground was targeted by someone driving across the wet surface performing “doughnuts and wheelies” and scarring the sodden ground on Boxing Day.

Club chairman Steve Chambers said it was ‘out of the blue’ for someone in the community to have done such a thing.

“It’s simply mindless vandalism,” he said. “We are such a supportive community and for this to have happened is very unexpected.”

Police have launched an investigation and the football club has gathered CCTV footage that may show who was in the area at the time.

Mr Chambers is hopeful that the CCTV evidence will help trace those responsible for the criminal damage.

“With luck the footage will give us something and the culprits will be brought to justice,” he said.

The team hope that they will still be able to play on Saturday (January 5) despite how deep the marks are on the field.

First team manager Andrew Kendall said: “A lot of volunteers spend a lot of time on the pitch and so it’s very disappointing and upsetting for the club for this to happen.”

Anyone with information should contact the police on 101 quoting log number 103 of December 27 or call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Sports Pitch Ruined By Quad Bike

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Sports Pitch Ruined By Quad Bike: Three junior football teams have had their pitch ruined by mindless vandals.

Bosses at Cleck Sporting Juniors believe a quad bike was taken onto the field, in Mann Dam Park, off Spen Lane, in Cleckheaton, and used to churn up the grass earlier this week.

It has left the pitch unplayable and forced the club to cancel the home games of the under 7, under 9 and under 10 teams which play there.

Large tyre tracks have been left all over the grass, with some deep enough to cause injury to anyone playing on the field.

Colin Harding, chairman of the club, said they will now have to re-arrange the games or play them away from home if they are to complete their fixture list for the current season.

The club was contacted on Facebook by someone who walks their dog on the field and club members of all ages were left devastated when they saw the damage.

“It’s quite badly damaged and will probably never be the same again.

“People don’t think about the long term impact this can have on the people who play there.

“We will probably have to travel outside the area.

“There has been no thought about us from whoever did this.

The future of the pitch is also under-threat, given the substantial damage done to the grass, which Mr Harding believes can not be repaired.

He has contacted Kirklees Council to see if there is anything they can do to help the stranded teams, which all play in the Huddersfield Junior League.

The club has teams in age groups right up to under 16s, but it is the younger players who will feel the brunt of the extensive damage done to their home pitch.

Mr Harding added: “With the weather we have got it won’t help because it has already caused more damage to the grass with it being so wet.

“This means we will have to travel outside of the area and play games away from home.

“Our next games is in early January, but I don’t think we will get that to go ahead.

“There’s not enough access for a car, so it would have to be a bike that got through and onto the field.”

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IOG Recommend 2.5% Pay Rise

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IOG Recommend 2.5% Pay Rise: The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) is recommending a 2.5 per cent increase in grounds staff’s national minimum salary bands for 2019.

The IOG say the recommendations have been made against a backdrop of economic uncertainty over the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, which is likely to impact growth; GDP growth is expected to be low in the medium term, with 1.6% the forecasted figure for 2019, and it is not expected to rise above this level until after 2023.

IOG Recommend 2.5% Pay Rise

The suggested rise sits between CPIH (Consumer Price Inflation including owner-occupier’s housing costs) inflation of 2.2% and the 2.9% increase in the voluntary living wage. As a result, it should take account of any increase in the cost of living and should ensure that grounds staff pay rates remain competitive.

The IOG recommended national basic salary bands for 2019 are:

  • Grounds manager – £34,782-£55,431
  • Head groundsperson – £30,517-£41,885
  • Deputy head groundsperson/sole charge – £24,967-£31865
  • Groundsperson (skilled) – £23,348-£29,785
  • Groundsperson – £18,706-£23,863
  • Junior groundsperson – £15,905 (Age 17)
  • Junior groundsperson – £13,208 (Age 16).

These bands reflect minimum recommended basic salary payment and are based on a 37.5-hour week. Bonuses, overtime and subsistence payments have not been included and are therefore additional.

Importantly, the bottom of the scale for groundsperson (£18,250 for 2018) is already above the current UK-wide living wage rate. The recommended minimum pay rate for a groundsperson in London should be set at £21,000 (Outer) and £22,500 (Inner) to ensure everyone receives at least a living wage.

The IOG also encourages all employers to become accredited living wage employers and to make this explicit in their recruitment and employment offers.

In addition, a 5% increase to at least £575 per annum (compared to £550 in last year’s recommendations) should be paid to everyone – not just to junior posts as in the past – for the successful completion of IOG qualifications. This, says the IOG, will encourage an ongoing focus on training and professional development.

Given the current climate of economic and political uncertainty and on-going fiscal restraint, the IOG says it is of critical importance to job satisfaction levels that employers ensure they are meeting their obligations in ensuring fair payment for overtime worked and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This should be done in partnership with employees with agreements reached about the balance between overtime pay, time off in lieu and flexible working.

In addition to this survey, IOG chief executive Geoff Webb says the IOG will be commissioning a separate body of research to look at salary scales in elite, global sports stadia.

“While the IOG’s suggested salary scales have progressively improved over the last decade, it is recognised that the roles and salaries of those working at sports stadia across the UK require further review and analysis,” he comments. “This will be undertaken within separate, ongoing IOG Industry Research and the results will be presented at SALTEX 2019.”

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Cambridge Mow Christmas Tree Into Pitch

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Cambridge Mow Christmas Tree Into Pitch: League Two outfit Cambridge United have shown their Christmas spirit by mowing a Christmas tree into their pitch.

The special design at Abbey Stadium for the U’s game against Yeovil Town on Saturday was created by groundsman Ian Darler and features stars and baubles.

“Our Groundsman does Christmas better than yours”, the club tweeted, along with a picture of the pitch.

Cue a number of ‘hilarious’ responses, including: “Think they should be focusing on getting the tree points myself…”.

The club itself tweeted: “Gary Deegan is very much aiming for the tree points today.”

Leicester City were famous for their inventive mowing patterns but they were banned by the Premier League at the start of the 2017-18 season.

Top-flight rules state the playing surface must contain no markings other than the traditional horizontal and white lines.

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Loss Of Propiconazole

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Loss Of Propiconazole: The EU Commission has decided not to renew the approval for the fungicide active ingredient, propiconazole. This means that all products containing propiconazole for any market, including turf management, will be withdrawn from sale over the coming months. Approval was not renewed because it failed the cut off criteria given its classification linked to the potential to give rise to groundwater metabolites above permitted levels. There were also various areas stated as of some concern although not as it is understood finalised. It will impact significantly on control in grassland, particularly given the earlier loss of iprodione, but the UK Government supported non-renewal.

The date set for final sale of products containing the active is 19th June 2019 in the UK.

Loss Of Propiconazole

The Forum recognises the concerns that result from this decision. The continuing loss of active ingredients in the amenity market means that the quality of our sportsturf and amenity spaces is likely to suffer. In this particular case, the loss of any fungicide active is a concern in terms of loss of quality and range of tools for sportsturf managers to avoid current and potential disease resistance in the future.

Integrated approaches to weed, pest and disease management are our priority but this needs to be based upon the widest options of non-chemical and chemical approaches, implemented by professionals fully supportive of the Amenity Forum and its commitment to best practice and to producing amenity spaces which are safe and healthy environments, fit for purpose.

A member of the Forum said ‘’The loss of this active does significantly reduce the sector’s options with the further loss of formulated products. This revocation in effect means that we have lost a multisite active ingredient which reduces further the number of modes of action we have available in the amenity sector’

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