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NEWS ARTICLES

JCB Prepare For F1 Opener

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JCB Prepare For F1 Opener: JCB Loadall telescopic handlers are under starter’s orders for an appearance at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend as the company kicks off its exciting partnership with a new British motor racing team.

JCB announced the partnership with SportPesa Racing Point F1 team last month and it will see prominent JCB branding on the two cars driven by Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez.

JCB Prepare For F1 Opener

The first Formula One race of the season takes place in Melbourne this weekend – when JCB Loadall telescopic handlers equipped with special jib attachments will also be trackside. The 15 machines – Loadall 531-70 models made at the company’s World HQ in Staffordshire, UK – will be on hand to quickly recover crashed cars during the various race events, including F1 practice, qualifying and the main F1 race event on Sunday.

Worldwide Marketing Director Michael Plummer said: “We are excited to kick off our new partnership with SportPesa Racing Point in Melbourne and delighted that JCB telehandlers will also be making an appearance at the Australian races. JCB Loadalls are the biggest selling telescopic handlers in the world and already a familiar sight on Formula One race circuits. To have them trackside at this season’s inaugural race is a great opportunity to show off the machines’ capabilities to a global audience.”

The special jib attachment on the Loadalls was developed to move the lifting point of the car away from the actual machine, making it easier and safer to recover a vehicle from the track.

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Verti-Clean Ideal For Synthetics

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Verti-Clean Ideal For Synthetics: When it comes to cleaning an artificial surface, many turf managers have found the little and often approach to be the most effective. Most material that will end up on the surface is natural debris and detritus, which if left will invariably get trodden on and broken down into the surface. Removing this as and when it occurs is the most effective way to prevent this material reaching the bottom of the carpet, which can ultimately cause issues with compaction and drainage.

The Verti-Clean from Charterhouse Turf Machinery will pick up surface debris with a rotating brush, powered by ground wheels, and throw it onto a vibrating sieve. The sieve filters any infill material back on to the playing surface, whilst retaining the debris and collecting it in a lightweight hopper, that can easily be removed for emptying.  The finish is a revitalised surface with clean infill.

Verti-Clean Ideal For Synthetics

A Verti-Clean 1500 has been used as part of the synthetic maintenance programme at Scotstoun Stadium since September 2017. The hard work of Head Groundsman Paddy Ferrie was recently rewarded as he was crowned the winner of the ‘Best Maintained Artificial Surface’ category at the IOG Awards. “On the synthetic surface, I conduct regular brushing to stand the fibres up, redistribute the crumb and improve the appearance of the pitch prior to matches” explains Paddy, who has been at Scotstoun for two years.

“Because of the pitch’s surroundings, at certain times of year we get a lot of leaf-fall and debris on the surface, for which I needed something that would conduct a more thorough clean. With this machine I can work at a nice steady pace, collecting any leaves or debris before they become embedded into the pile.”

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Manager’s Tribute To Former Groundsman

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Manager’s Tribute To Former Groundsman: Southend United manager Chris Powell has paid tribute to Sid Broomfield, the man who helped to build Roots Hall.

Broomfield passed away earlier this week, aged 94.

And Powell insisted the club’s former groundsman would forever be a massive part of the club’s history.

“You don’t get too many people like Sid at a club,” said the Shrimpers chief, who first met Broomfield in the early 1990s.

“I knew him from my days as a player and since coming back as manager too.

“This is a man who built the ground.

“We talk about moving ground and pastures new and it’s something which needs to happen.

“But sometimes we forget about where we are, who we are and who has been involved in that.

“Sid’s a man we saw regularly and he’s part of the reason we’re at Roots Hall.

“He’s a massive part of our past and a massive part of our history.

“He will be sorely missed by all of us because when you talk about Southend he was someone who definitely bleeds blue.

“Rest in peace Sid.”

And Shrimpers legend Kevin Maher has also paid tribute to Broomfield.

“Sid’s a true legend of the club and a lovely man too,” said the former Blues skipper.

“Condolences to his family and friends.”

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Rigby Taylor Appoint Peter Robin

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Rigby Taylor Appoint Peter Robin: Rigby Taylor has expanded its product management team of industry product specialists with the appointment of Peter Robin as UK Irrigation Product Manager.

Peter will spearhead the company’s expansion into the irrigation market as the UK distributor of Rain Bird’s golf, sports pitch and landscape products.

Rigby Taylor Appoint Peter Robin

Peter, a New Zealander by birth, has a Bachelor of Horticultural Science degree and over 20 years’ experience across a wide range of irrigation market sectors and installations, 10 years of which have been spent in the UK.

Peter lives in York but has a nationwide brief and can be contacted by email (peter.robin@rigbytaylor.com) or by ‘phone on 07741 665679.

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Sherriff’s Marathon Tackles Drought

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Sherriff’s Marathon Tackles Drought: With prolonged heat and drought conditions challenging turf managers up and down the country in 2018, Tim Attwood, sports field groundsman at Beaudesert Park School in Minchinhampton, Stroud, believes that his use of Sherriff Amenity’s Marathon fertilisers have helped his turf to endure this testing period.

Beaudesert Park stands in beautiful grounds high up in the Cotswolds, commanding magnificent views over the surrounding countryside. Founded in 1908 at Henley in Arden, Warwickshire, the school moved to its present site in 1918 and has become a thriving co-ed day, weekly and flexi boarding school for 450 boys and girls aged 3 – 13.

Sherriff's Marathon Tackles Drought

The school has excellent facilities which includes 15 acres of beautiful playing fields. Football is the main focus at the start of the spring term which is shortly followed by hockey. Rugby is the major sport in the autumn term and as you would expect, cricket is prominent in the summer.

Tim is the man charged with maintaining all of the sports pitches and after working with Sherriff Amenity for 15 years, he believes that his use of Marathon fertilisers is a tried and tested method which guarantees results.

“I’ve used Marathon fertilisers on sites where I have worked before and they have just always worked. They are also semi-organic which ticks a nice big box for me,” he says.

As Tim remarks, the range of Marathon fertilisers feature a patented organic complex base that provides the extended release characteristics needed to give gentle root development without producing excessive top growth. The slow release mechanism avoids soft growth that is more susceptible to disease attack whilst the high potassium content helps to harden turf against fungal pathogens and low temperature stress. The analysis has been further amended with ingredients to supply the correct balance of nutrients required by the turf.

With the analyses of each product in the range being geared to a specific growth stage or season, Tim incorporates three particular Marathon fertilisers into a year round maintenance programme.

Applying the product by using a spreader behind a compact tractor and at rate of 25g/m2, Tim firstly uses the Marathon Sport Spring 16.4.8 typically at the end of March. In the midst of a warm July he will then apply Marathon Sport Summer 10.0.15 followed by the Autumn mixture 7.0.21 in October.

“This programme keeps the pitches ticking over nicely throughout the year,” he says. “It greens up nicely, the sward seems to thicken and it lasts for a good long time. Even throughout this summer, which has been incredibly challenging with the weather, my sports field has maintained its health and colour. From what I’ve seen, there are a lot of sports fields round here which haven’t and I think the Marathon Sport products have gone a long way in achieving that.”

Sherriff Amenity’s extensive range of quality products are also perfectly complimented by the first class customer service provided by the company’s amenity specialists. Renowned for their technical knowledge, which is consistently enriched through industry leading training programmes, Sherriff’s amenity specialists are always on hand to ensure that customers are always getting the best results from their turf.

“I’ve known David Evans (amenity specialist for Wiltshire and South Wales) for a long time and I know that he would never push any products my way which are not appropriate for what I want to achieve. He genuinely wants the best for my turf and he’s always there for help, recommendations and support. For me, that is a big factor in choosing to work with Sherriff Amenity.”

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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