Vandals Tear Up Football Pitch

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Vandals Tear Up Football Pitch: The Gibbons soccer field recently suffered from vandalism.

Sometime between Sunday (Jun.11) and Monday, the soccer pitch was driven on while wet, causing significant damage to the grass.

“I feel for the kids who use that field because the local groups they’re really all we have for our entertainment,” said Gibbons councillor Amber Harris. “And then I felt bad for the tireless volunteers who work with the minor soccer folks because they put their heart and soul into developing those fields and making sure they’re playable.”
This isn’t the first time this has happened in the town.  A similar incident happened at the same time last year.
“It ticks me off that some people don’t have any respect for property,” added Harris.

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Emergency Authorisation For Acelepryn

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Emergency Authorisation For Acelepryn: An Emergency Authorisation has been granted for the use of the Syngenta insecticide, Acelepryn, for the control of Chafer grubs and leatherjacket on golf course greens and tees, horse racing courses and airfields. The approval was applied for by STRI, on behalf of and with support from the amenity industry.

Chafer Grubs and leatherjackets cause damage to turf through extensive feeding on roots, which can be severe in localised patches. Furthermore, extreme damage can occur when badgers, birds and other foragers root through turf in search of the grubs.

The Emergency Authorisation permits Acelepryn use in situations where there is an acknowledged instance of economic damage and where the product has been recommended by a BASIS qualified advisor.

With the loss of available control options independent advisors, ADAS, has calculated the economic cost of Chafer Grubs alone at up to £85 million a year for golf courses in the UK, from lost income and damage repair. The report also highlighted that on the 40% of racecourses affected by the pest’s damage, lost income could amount to up to £605,000 per course.

‘”Since the withdrawal of effective insecticides, economic damage from chafer grubs and leatherjackets has been of major concern to many of us,” reported STRI Head of Research, Dr Ruth Mann. “Obtaining this Emergency Authorisation of Acelepryn enables us to manage the most damaging effects of these soil pests as part of an integrated turf management programme.”

Acelepryn UK Emergency Authorisation

The UK Emergency Authorisation for Acelepryn has been granted from 7 June to 30 September 2018, to cover the key Chafer Grub and leatherjacket treatment timing.

The Emergency Authorisation covers golf greens and tees, horse racing courses and airfields, specifically where there has been a history of pest damage or a recognised risk of damage. In all instances the use of Acelepryn must be recommended by a BASIS qualified agronomist.

The authorised label permits application at the rate of 0.6 litres per hectare, applied in 500-1000 l/ha water. Ideally Acelepryn should irrigated in after application. One application per year is permitted, with the latest time of treatment being 30 September.

Turf managers or owners who believe they have suffered economically damaging effects of Chafer grubs and leatherjackets are advised to contact their BASIS agronomist or ICL Area Manager in the first instance.

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Club Devastated After Mower Theft

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Club ‘Devastated’ After Mower Theft: Nantwich Town FC have spoken of their devastation following the theft of thousands of pounds worth of groundsman’s equipment.

In a statement released by the club this afternoon (Wednesday) a spokesman said they were “sad to report” that the club was broken into overnight, with thousands of pounds worth of equipment being taken from the groundsman’s store.

This is the second time the club has been targeted in two years, the spokesman said, adding that some of the equipment had been donated by supporters.

They said: “Thieves broke into the ground and took a Ride on John Deere mower and one of our Haytor mowers plus other pieces of kit. Both pieces of equipment stolen were less than two years old. The Haytor mower was bought for the club by our supporters.”

Chairman Tony Davison said: “This is devastating news for the club. The equipment stolen was nearly brand new. Some of it had been donated by supporters which makes the theft even more upsetting.

“Running a club at this level is difficult enough at any time but events like this can put the whole future of the club at risk.

“We will have to launch and emergency fund raising initiative to replace the equipment and make sure we can look after the pitch to make sure it is ready for next season.”

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “Police are investigating a burglary at a football club in Waterlode.

“Sometime between 10pm on 12 June and 8am the following morning thieves broke into the grounds of Nantwich Football Club and forced open a container stealing garden equipment including lawnmowers.

“Anyone with information should contact Cheshire Police on 101 quoting incident number IML 92102.

“Alternatively information can be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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Vandals Cause Golf Club Closure

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Vandals Cause Golf Club Closure: A popular golf course heavily damaged by vandals in Skagit County is now temporarily closed while crews replace more than a dozen greens.

Roll by roll.

Green by green.

A transformation is underway at Swinomish Golf Links.

As soon as a row of new sod is put down, crews pull it into place.

They then trim each of the edges.

It’s a process they’ll have to repeat 16 times due to the extensive damage vandals caused at the course last month.

“7-10 days…we’re hopeful we can get all of the replacement and repairs done,” Dallas Widmark, Lodge General Manager for the Swinomish Casino and Lodge.

If that timeline seems quick, it is.

Employees made the difficult decision this week to temporarily close the course after vandals sprayed a grass-and-weed-killing compound called Glyphosate on 16 of the course’s greens last month and spelled out a swear word on the 11th hole.

Damages could climb to more than $400,000, Widmark told KOMO News. About one-third of that will likely be in lost revenue, he added.

“Historically, in this part of the state, this part of the country, your golf season is really Memorial Day through Labor Day. And the fact that it happened when it did and being closed essentially 1/3 of the summer… maybe more… it’s incredibly impactful,” Widmark said.

The clubhouse and the driving range will remain, Widmark said.

So golfers like Jeff Yoder can continue to take lessons.

“I was angry. Wondering why somebody would do that to the golf course. I don’t know what they’re trying to prove, but it just seemed to me like a stupid move,” Yoder said about the damage caused by the vandals. “It’s a good course. People that work here are good to work with.”

Some of the greens will require new drainage systems, Widmark said.

Crews will try to salvage what they can, he added.

The hope is to get the course back open in early July after the new greens have been watered and given time to settle, Widmark said.

“I really think we’re going to do everything we can to turn this into a positive,” Widmark told KOMO News.

It’s a setback Widmark wishes would have never happened.

But he and his crew are already making plans for a big reopening, that could include a free day of golf for the entire community, he said. Donations could be collected to give to various charities and fundraisers that host their golf tournaments at the course.

“The support that we have received from the community has been amazing,” Widmark said.

The course does have insurance, so that could cover some of the cost for repairs, Widmark said.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is still offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

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Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch

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Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch: Hamilton have splashed out £750,000 to ensure their plastic pitch does not come out bottom of the pile again in the new season.

The news comes 24 hours after the artificial turf at New Douglas Park was rated the worst surface among Scotland’s 42 senior clubs following a survey of players.

A study organised jointly by PFA Scotland, Sports Labs and the Scottish Football Association found top-flight professionals gave the 3G turf an average score of just 1.18 out of five – worse even than the rutted patch found at League Two minnows Albion Rovers’ Cliftonhill home.

That led PFA Scotland chief Fraser Wishart to renew calls for such pitches to be banned in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

But Accies say they are investing in a new Greenfields MX pitch to ensure they do not find themselves embroiled in another turf controversy.

The club stated on their website: “The hard work continues at New Douglas Park over the summer with the installation of a new FIFA-approved, state-of-the-art, 3G pitch in preparation for our 5th consecutive season in the top flight of Scottish Football.

“The club have made a significant investment of £750,000 on the pitch project, signalling a continued commitment to both our first team and well renowned youth academy in ensuring they are afforded the very best playing surface available.

“The 2018-19 season will see the New Douglas Park surface tailored to the same specifications as the Scottish FA’s 3G pitch at the Oriam, Scotland’s National Performance Centre – a facility the governing body itself describes as ‘world class’.

“The project is being completed in partnership with a number of the leading companies within the sports grounds industry to ensure the pitch is installed to the highest standards.”

Accies head groundsman William Watson added: “We have left no stone unturned in our drive to bring the best playing surface available to Hamilton Accies. Over the past 18 months we have gone through a thorough process of data collection and club visits.

“Greenfields MX is widely used in elite sport across Europe. It is used in Holland by various top tier clubs including Vitesse, by English Premier League side Arsenal at their state-of-the-art London Colney training centre and, in Scotland, by Alloa Athletic.”

Alloa’s Recreation Park was rated 10th overall of the 42 clubs in the SPFL.

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