Tributes Paid To Simon Tullett

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Tributes Paid To Simon Tullett: It’s sad to report that Simon Tullett, founder of STM Co Ltd of Warwickshire – a supplier of SCAG equipment, and a well-known member of the industry, died in hospital recently.

He had health problems for a couple of years and was awaiting heart surgery, but sadly succumbed to kidney failure.

Simon’s family have thanked the hospital where Simon was patient after it helped with arrangements for a wedding blessing to take place at his bedside for the marriage of his daughter Olivia so that he could give her away. It is a testament to the man that, despite his weak condition, he still managed to come out with “and I’m not having her back, either”.

Simon had always been involved in the outdoor machinery industry and spent a number years in Sales with Tony Turner at Turner International, then worked for Agria before taking the decision to set up on his own.

A successful trial venture with SCAG machinery led to a thirty year association, still thriving today under the ownership of the Dominic Mason, who originally came to the company as a young lad working on Saturday mornings, subsequently to be trained by Simon in Sales.

He made a mark in the industry and is greatly respected for the company he developed and his involvement in the groundcare industry.

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Linnets Aim For Perfect Pitch

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Linnets Aim For Perfect Pitch: The Walks might be a far cry from the old Wembley Stadium and Portman Road, but Steven Curtis is relishing the change in role after becoming groundsman at King’s Lynn Town Football Club.

Mr Curtis, who has worked at a number of iconic venues during the last 40 years, is enjoying the challenge of trying to make the surface at Lynn pitch-perfect.

So much so that he has even put his property at Beck Row on the market so he can be closer to Lynn.

As if the task in hand wasn’t big enough when he took the job on, the lack of rain during one of the hottest summers for many years has hindered his hard work even further.

“The weather has been horrible for a groundsman,” said Mr Curtis.

“Water has been a problem, as it has been for everyone, and trying to get the pitch green has been a nightmare.

“Richard (Simper) has been an angel, coming in and moving the hose pipes which we’ve had on the go constantly.

“We’ve literally had two hose pipes on the go 24/7 so I think that Mr Cleeve might have a very sorry water bill, but what do you do?

While several players were dusting down their flip-flops for the summer holidays at the end of last season, Lynn’s groundsman was plotting a pristine playing playing surface for the new campaign.

Mr Curtis, 63, was left with the unenviable task of transforming the surface – which came in for much criticism from the club’s previous manager – into tip-top condition after leaving his position at Mildenhall after two-and-a-half years.

Lynn’s pitch had four thousand metres (two-and-a-half miles) of new drainage installed before it was eventually verti-drained, overseeded and fertilised.

“I’ve certainly done my 10,000 steps a day,” quipped Mr Curtis.

“We’ve had to constantly back fill the trenches to keep them topped up. We’ve shifted about 20 tonnes of sand to help us keep it topped up.”

As previous Linnets turf-tenders will concur, sustaining the pitch’s quality throughout a nine-month campaign is a mammoth task considering its heavy-duty usage.

But it isn’t such an issue for Mr Curtis who worked at the old Wembley between 1986 and 1994, along with clubs such as Ipswich, Norwich City, Leyton Orient and Cambridge United during 40 years as a contractor.

“The club approached me and I was happy to come here,” he admitted.

“It was a step up, bigger facilities, better players and better everything really.

“The players have been great and appreciate what has been done, everyone has been great which is why we’ve put our house on the market and our thinking of moving this way.”

And the chances of Lynn having a surface to be proud of come kick-off on August 11?

“At the moment it’s a seven out of ten for me,” said Mr Curtis.

“Come another three weeks and given a bit of moisture, I think we will be there or thereabouts.”

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IOG Welcomes Lantra As End Point Assessment Organisation

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IOG Welcomes Lantra As End Point Assessment Organisation: Lantra has become the End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) for the new Level 2 Sports Turf Operative Apprenticeship Standard developed by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and a large employer group.

There are already more than 50 apprentices undertaking a learning journey to achieve this high-quality standard.

IOG Welcomes Lantra As End Point Assessment Organisation

Commenting, IOG learning programme architect Chris Gray, said: “After sustained work by the IOG which has included advocating for a solution as well as making representation to government and key stakeholders, the initiative of Lantra becoming the government-approved EPAO for the standard is welcomed.

“The development provides further reassurance to the industry that we are on a sound footing to raising standards within our industry and further promoting this as a sustainable career for many.”

IOG chief executive Geoff Webb, added: “This announcement complements our work in developing a national natural turf Pitch Grading Framework, which charts how grounds personnel can progress from volunteer to professional level – by linking the standards of surfaces to the necessary skills needed to ensure surfaces reach their optimum levels through a blended learning approach to education and training.”

Lantra marketing development manager, Jo-Anne Bryan, said: “Lantra is committed to supporting the development of skills in the land-based sector. Building for the future by developing the next generation of industry specialists is a fundamental business driver. We are therefore delighted to have been approved as an EPAO for the new standard and look forward to continuing to work closely with the IOG in helping to meet the industry’s needs.”

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Club’s Anger Over Pitch Damage

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Club’s Anger Over Pitch Damage: A council “must be held responsible” after race cars drove over a brand new football pitch costing thousands of pounds, an Irish League club has said.

Ballymena United said it was “saddened” at the incident during a stock car race at the Ballymena Showgrounds on Friday.

The venue is owned by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, which recently laid a new pitch after a major investment.

It said it was “deeply disappointed” by the incident.

The council spokesman said that “measures put in place to protect the new surface were inadequate” and that remedial work was being carried out on the pitch on Saturday.

The incident happened during a Ballymena Raceway stock car event on Friday night. The council leases the stadium to both the football club and Ballymena Raceway.

Ballymena United’s vice-chairman Don Stirling told BBC News NI that “stock cars have every right to be there” but the two sports are “just not compatible”.

“I honestly don’t know what the solution is, but the council have to be held responsible,” he said.

“They can’t keep cars off the pitch because if they veer off the track they have nowhere to go.

“They put down truck tyres (on Friday night) but they would have need massive tractor tyres to stop cars coming on the pitch.”

Mr Stirling said the new pitch had cost £250,000 and that the club had agreed to postpone any home games until 6 October so the new pitch could bed in.

“They’ve spent over £250,000 of ratepayers’ money on it, there’s a new sprinkler system as well. They can’t have cars driving over it.

“Ballymena United have one of the best facilities in Northern Ireland outside of Windsor Park – we just don’t have the bit in the middle you play on.

“In the past, referees have come close to calling off matches because there are tracks all over the pitch. Even oil spills.”

Tension between the stock car races and football club previously emerged in January, when Ballymena United manager David Jeffrey accused race organisers of a lack of respect after the pitch was damaged during a New Year’s Day event.

However, Aubrey Arbuthnot, who runs Ballymena Raceway, told BBC News NI he was “fed up” with criticism directed at the race events and that he had done as much as he could to keep cars off the pitch.

“All I want is fair play. I’m a ratepayer, not like some of the people sounding off in the press,” he said.

“We had 12 races last night. These cars race door handle to door handle. There’s up to 60 cars racing. Only two cars went off the track in separate incidents.”

Mr Arbuthnot said the council had organised and placed about 70 tyres around the track and around sprinkler heads and that he had insisted no personnel go on the pitch.

“Usually I have a clerk of the course and two photographers on the pitch. I didn’t even have a fire extinguisher on the pitch.

“I laid down the law to the drivers about what would happen if they went on the pitch. The driver who went off, he was spun off by someone else – he’s completely innocent.

“If I had found out who put him off, I would have put him out the gate. That’s how seriously I’ve been taking it.

“But it’s our first night back in and they’re hammering us.”

He added that he was unable to organise race meetings for three months during the racing season because of work going on at the Showgrounds.

“That’s a number of meetings I couldn’t hold. That’s a loss of revenue.

“Our season runs from about Easter to the first weekend of October. There’s only about five meetings that clash with the football season. That’s all. They just don’t want a stockcar around the place.”

‘Matter of urgency’

He added: “I’ve seen comments that I had been offered an alternative venue. That’s nonsense. You think I would have turned that down? If the council offered me another venue, I’d be out tomorrow.”

A spokesperson for the council: “We are deeply disappointed by last night’s incident and fully appreciate and understand the frustration around this.

“Ballymena Showgrounds is a multi-use facility, enjoyed by a wide range of local sporting organisations.

“The measures put in place to protect the new surface at the venue were inadequate for last night’s event.

“Remedial works are being carried out on the pitch today.

“As the owners of the venue, we are fully committed to doing all that we can to safeguard the new pitch, and we are considering a range of measures to minimise the risk of damage to the surface as a matter of urgency.”

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Ariens Appoint Masport

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Ariens Appoint Masport: Ariens Company has announced the appointment of Masport to represent the company and the Ariens and Gravely brands in New Zealand, Australia and Oceania countries. Ariens is a family owned business manufacturing snow blowers, lawn tractors and zero-turn mowers for commercial and high end consumer markets. The US company, which has been manufacturing since 1933, acquired the Countax and Westwood garden tractor business in the UK in 2010 and formed a UK and European base.

“Ariens are delighted to secure this new partnership with Masport in the Australia and New Zealand territories,” says Darren Spencer, Ariens Company Vice President EMEA and Asia, “during our discussions it quickly became apparent that Ariens Company and Masport Ltd’s principles of doing business are well-aligned, both companies share a commitment to forming long-term partnerships and creating responsible and sustained business growth.”

Ariens Appoint Masport

The Masport business began in New Zealand in 1910 and became an iconic New Zealand brand that is renowned in both New Zealand and Australia for being a leader in lawn mowers and barbecues. Masport also supplies under its Masport and Morrison brands’ other products such as ride-on mowers, various other outdoor power equipment and barbecues.

“Masport is excited about this new relationship with Ariens to distribute and provide after sales service for their products in our home region.” says Steve Hughes, Managing Director of Masport Ltd. “We see the Ariens and Gravely brands to be a perfect match with our current portfolio of quality products and this will allow us to offer an extended and wider product line to our specialist dealer base.

“Masport are proud to be commencing a partnership with a company that is aligned with Masport’s values and we see tremendous future growth opportunities in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island region for their quality line of Zero Turn machines”.

In 2017, Masport became part of the AL-KO Gardentech Group based in Germany, which enabled them to add to their product offering with items such as water pumps & robot mowers. The company has offices in New Zealand and Australia and distributes to over 45 countries worldwide.

“Masport is a highly respected distributor of high-quality power equipment with an outstanding reputation within the local dealer network for exceptional service and support,” adds Darren Spencer, “I have no doubt that Masport will provide exceptional representation of the Ariens and Gravely brands.”

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