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Sherriff’s Marathon Sport is King of the Jungle

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Sherriff’s Marathon Sport is King of the Jungle: Stuart Vause, head groundsman at Castleford Tigers RLFC, believes that Sherriff Amenity’s range of Marathon Sport fertilisers have signalled dramatic improvements on the pitch at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle Stadium.

Sherriff’s Marathon Sport is King of the Jungle

It is safe to say that Stuart Vause has earned his stripes as the head groundsman for Super League side Castleford Tigers. For thirteen years, he worked for the club at every available opportunity while also juggling a full time position for a local authority. His dedication to the Tigers was rewarded three years ago when he was appointed as the head groundsman, and it is a foregone conclusion that the pitch has significantly improved during his tenure.

However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Stuart – the pitch at the Jungle is over ninety years old and has no drainage or irrigation system and no undersoil heating. If that were not enough to keep Stuart busy, then there is the heavy usage to consider. The first team play approximately seventeen home games throughout the campaign and train on the pitch four times a week.  In addition, the pitch plays host to Castleford Tigers’ Under 19 and Under 16 teams. During peak periods the pitch can be used six times a week which can take its toll.

As well as his hard work and expertise, Stuart admits that having a good range of turf care products in place has been vital and none more so than Sherriff Amenity’s range of Marathon Sport fertilisers.

“I’ve tried lots of different approaches and products but three years ago I researched Marathon Sport,” says Stuart. “I trialled it and have been using it ever since because it really seems to suit the field. I’ve had excellent results from it and it holds incredibly well in this structure and soil – I can probably get a good three or four months out of each application, depending on rain.”

For a number of years, turf managers have reaped the benefits of Sherriff Amenity’s range of Marathon fertilisers. The Marathon Sport range of extended release fertilisers provide long-lasting, balanced growth on a number of surfaces such as golf greens fairways, tees, surrounds, ornamental lawns and of course sports fields.

The Marathon range is characterised by a balance of nutrients, the analyses of each product being geared to a specific growth stage or season. With six existing products in the Marathon Sport range – Autumn, Pre-Seed, Spring, Summer, Turf Core Renovator and Lawn Mini Pack– there truly is a solution for every requirement, no matter what the time of year.Stuart’s maintenance programme sees him start the season with the Spring and Summer mixtures, which he applies at 35g per square metre on a double pass with his spreader. He’ll apply these mixtures approximately three times during the spring and summer months and when the colder months kick in he turns to Marathon Sport Autumn to ensure good grass coverage over winter.

“The Marathon Sport fertilisers have dramatically thickened the sward – it’s been unbelievable. When I first came here the field was fragile, it used to rip up and lumps would come out. Now however, we have a really strong root zone – obviously with Rugby League games it is rough and tough but the pitch just seems to hold up to it.

“I love the colour that it provides too. During the winter months this field used to lose a lot of colour but it is now a lush green all year round. Sometimes, if we are on TV I’ll just give it a light application to really bring the colour out. It also never leaves foot marks and has never scorched for as long as I’ve been using it – this is with minimal water too.

“Perhaps one of the biggest benefits is that it doesn’t give you excessive growth. With it only being me here, it helps if I’m not chasing my tail having to cut it constantly. With some fertilisers, you apply it and if you leave it for a period of time you’ll be faced with an abundance of grass. The Marathon Sport just kicks on nicely at a steady pace and if I can’t get on to mow it for two or three days it is still manageable.”

Adding to the overall package from Sherriff Amenity, Stuart also revealed that the products are complimented by the technical advice he receives from his representative Robert Bone.

“I trust Robert completely – when he gives me advice I always take it on-board. If he thinks that a certain product isn’t working then he’ll let me know and we’ll try something else until we find one that does get results. He does my soil testing and when we come to sit down he’ll present me with charts and graphs detailing what I should be putting on the pitch at certain times of the year. Overall I couldn’t be happier with the service I receive from Sherriff Amenity.”

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

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Kubota UK Tackling Rural Crime Head On

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Machinery manufacturer adopts Cesar for M Series Tractors: Kubota UK’s continued commitment and investment in the agricultural sector has been raised once again after the leading machinery manufacturer announced its adoption of the official CESAR Scheme for its M Series range of tractors.

Kubota UK Tackling Rural Crime Head On

The CESAR security and registration scheme is owned and managed by the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) and supported by the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA).  By utilising Datatag ID technology, CESAR is designed to increase machine security and deter tractor theft.

Dave Roberts, Managing Director at Kubota UK, commented: “Farm equipment is a popular target for thieves.  As a manufacturer, it’s our responsibility to do all we can to make our products as appealing as possible to our customers and less attractive to criminals.

“As part of our ongoing investment in the agricultural industry, I am delighted to announce that from 1st September, all of our M Series tractors will be CESAR marked.  Datatag ID is proven in protecting and reducing machinery theft as well as being an essential technology for recovering stolen equipment.

“Another key benefit of fitting this technology on our M Series is the fact that our customers will now have the opportunity to benefit from reduced insurance premiums from NFU Mutual, and other leading insurers, who offer significant discounts for CESAR registered equipment.”

This news comes hot on the heels of the annual NFU Mutual Crime Report, which identified the cost of rural crime at £40m p.a. and notes that regrettably rural crime is once again on the increase.

Chris Harrison, Sales Director at Datatag ID Ltd, said: “We have been working in partnership with Kubota UK for a number of years helping to protect its market leading range of mini-excavators.  It’s fantastic that the business has now decided to expand its support of CESAR for its M Series tractors.”

The Datatag ID system works by giving each piece of equipment a multi-layered ‘fingerprint’ that thieves cannot remove. Each Kubota M Series tractor will be fitted with four tamper evident registration plates with a unique registration number, RFID tags, Datatdots and forensic DNA.

CESAR operate a 24×7 call centre which the police and other enforcement agencies can use to establish the identity and ownership of CESAR registered equipment. CESAR protects over 250,000 pieces of equipment and the recovery rate for stolen CESAR registered machines is more than double that for unregistered equipment.

Karen Tipping, Kubota UK’s marketing manager, concluded: “As a business, we are always looking at new initiatives that will benefit our customers, particularly when it comes to machine security.  Rural crime is clearly a serious issue and Kubota is extremely proactive in supporting the police and making the farming community aware of the risks they face from opportunist and professional thieves.

“A recent initiative that demonstrates our approach is the partnership we have formed with Thames Valley Police.  With the support of Kubota, the police force was the first in the UK to introduce a RTV utility vehicle into its fleet to tackle rural crime.  This police liveried Kubota machine has been used extensively in rural crime situations and is regularly on display at agricultural shows to heighten awareness of rural crime and the recommended precautions which should be taken. Kubota and Datatag will be working together, in the coming months, to further promote crime awareness and prevention.”

For more information on Kubota, visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

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Artificial Six-Hole Course Opens At Frilford Heath

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Artificial six-hole course opens at Frilford Heath: An exciting new course has just opened at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire in the form of a unique synthetic artificial grass layout.

The Yellow Course sits alongside Frilford Heath’s three existing championship courses but what sets it apart is that it has been created using Huxley Golf all-weather surfaces.

The course is divided into two accessible loops of three holes each with the second loop slightly more challenging than the first.

It caters for all standards of golfer, but will especially appeal to beginners who want an accessible and gentle introduction to the sport, experienced players who want to improve their short game within 100 yards, and the rapidly expanding group of golfers that find it hard to find time to play regularly.

The brand new course was officially opened with an exhibition match featuring European Tour Professional Eddie Pepperell, previously a Frilford junior member.

Huxley Golf’s Will Alsop worked with Executive Chairman Alistair Booth and Head Greenkeeper and President of BIGGA, Sid Arrowsmith, to design and create the course.

Said Booth added: “Huxley Golf worked with us over a period of 18 months to turn an under-utilised area of woodland into this stunning new feature. In my opinion, the team skilfully created an exceptionally high quality facility that can be used by young and old, novice and professional.”

The Yellow Course’s six greens all measure 1350 sq. ft (125 sq. mtrs) but all are unique in shape and undulations.

There are 12 Huxley Golf Premier Nylon Tee Mats, two for each hole, creating a variety of approach shots from differing angles and length with increasing difficulty.

The light, bright course meanders its way through avenues of trees with bird boxes to encourage wildlife and natural grass fairways and approaches.

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Toro Lynx Effect At Thorndon Park Golf Club

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The Toro Lynx Effect At Thorndon Park Golf Club: The Toro Lynx effect continues at Thorndon Park Golf Club, as course manager Robert George declares it “absolutely perfect” after a season of putting it through its paces.

Toro Lynx Effect At Thorndon Park Golf Club

In 2008, Robert oversaw the installation of a Toro irrigation system across the 240-acre 18-hole course in Essex. The system featured 855S sprinklers back-to-back on the greens and surrounds and T7s on the tees, with a Toro Site Pro Central Control in charge of everything.

“That system was great and served us well for over a decade,” says Robert. “But the PC tower was on its way out, so when I was at BTME in Harrogate in January I decided to have a chat with Rob Green and Robert Jackson on the Reesink Turfcare stand about the Lynx system. I took a good look at the system which was on display and decided there was no need to look anywhere else, it had everything I was looking for.”

And what Robert was looking for was an increase in technological capabilities. “I wanted more information and more programming options,” confirms Robert.

Designed in conjunction with a top Google software developer, and in close consultation with greenkeeping and other turf professionals, Lynx’s key features and benefits include an intuitive interface that allows users to precisely customise the system to their course conditions and requirements.

It features reporting and map components, plus access to comprehensive information like weather and pump stations, sprinklers and intelligent control with two-way communication between the control system and decoders giving ‘live’ reaction and adjustments to current activated irrigation programmes.

And with a season of use under his belt, Robert says with conviction: “It’s perfect, absolutely perfect.

“It’s doing exactly what I wanted it to do and making my life easier. I’ve hardly had to touch it, we’ve had the odd decoder go, but you’d expect that. Making alterations, changes and adjustments is simple and it once again confirms my faith in the quality and technology of Toro.”

As a Toro machinery customer as well as an irrigation customer, Thorndon Park is a Toro Total Solution customer – and a very happy one from the sounds of things!

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Learning LIVE Signals Opportunity

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Learning LIVE signals opportunity: The SALTEX 2017 free education programme is set to inspire visitors at the NEC on 1 and 2 November.

Learning LIVE Signals Opportunity

With the full Learning LIVE programme set to be revealed in the coming weeks, the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) has released a few teaser seminars. The programme looks set to provide limitless opportunities and inspire and educate visitors from a wide range of sectors within the turfcare industry.

Now in its third year, SALTEX’s free-to-attend education programme has gone from strength to strength. Last year, Learning LIVE saw 53 unique seminars, 99 high-profile speakers and many key topical issues explored. For 2017, the programme will follow the same successful format developed over the past two years situated within four purpose-built seminar theatres on the show floor with state-of-the-art sound systems and screens.

Within the theatres a number of influential speakers will be on hand to provide updates and key advice. Mark Pover, facilities investment strategy manager at The Football Association (FA), will be participating in a panel debate entitled ‘Funding the future of natural turf.’ With so much money being invested into artificial turf, SALTEX visitors will have an opportunity to ask the funders if there is a danger of natural turf being left behind.

Commenting on the panel debate, Mark said: “We haven’t forgotten the fact that the majority of football matches in this country are played on natural grass. We have just shy of 800 artificial pitches on our 3G register suitable for affiliated matches and we are continuing to invest in these but there are approximately 23,000 natural grass pitches. Clearly these are very important, as is the quality, so we will continue to improve and use natural turf pitches to keep people playing and also attract new players.

“We are currently spending two million pounds a year on natural turf pitch improvements and I believe that SALTEX is the ideal place to update the industry so that visitors understand exactly what we are doing and the targets we have set. It is also a good opportunity to address some of the negative rumours that are circulated annually and reinforce our commitment to natural turf.”

For those visitors that are looking to progress their career, the ‘Career development’ seminar presented by Steve Chappell, head greenkeeper at the PGA Centenary Golf Course at The Gleneagles Hotel, should not be missed. Steve will be primarily focusing on how volunteering can significantly help improve job prospects.

“The thought process behind the session is to provide a little bit more of an understanding of how volunteering can help improve and embellish your CV,” says Steve. “It can help you stand out from the crowd and be more employable to a prospective employer.

“The seminar would be beneficial for younger people in the industry, and also maybe for those who feel they have become stuck in a rut. The message behind it all, is to use the opportunities that are out there to develop yourself because it can help you take that next step which will give you that career fulfilment you are looking for.”

Additionally, the seminar ‘Making your move’ will be beneficial in helping a visitor along their career path. Wayne Billing, head groundsman at Northampton Saints RFC; Stuart Kerrison, head groundsman at Essex CCC and Danny Beckley, head of estates and grounds at Harrow School, will all be on hand to reveal the secrets behind making it to the top within their respective fields.

For further inspiration, John Ledwidge will be documenting his rise from starting in an apprentice position through to being the current grounds manager at Leicester City FC in ‘From apprentice to grounds manager’. In a separate seminar John will also be joined by the rest of his grounds team in a session entitled ‘Building a team for success.’

By attending any of these seminars within the programme, SALTEX visitors have the opportunity to enhance their CV as IOG and Basis CPD points are available for all Learning LIVE sessions. Attendance at the seminars can be recorded by picking up a CPD form from the IOG Hub (Stand C180) and can contribute towards the minimum requirement of 35 hours in 12 months in order to qualify for the IOG’s Certificate of CPD Achievement.

After being motivated by the Learning LIVE seminars, visitors can visit SALTEX 2017’s new feature – the Job Clinic. Located on the IOG Hub, industry expert Frank Newberry will be hosting 15-minute one-to-one sessions covering CV writing to interview techniques. To book an appointment with Frank, visitors are advised to go to the IOG information desk on the IOG Hub as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Located in the centre of the UK, whether you are travelling from overseas or within the UK, the NEC is incredibly easy to get to by car, rail or air. No matter what route you take, one thing is certain – opportunity awaits on November 1 and 2 at SALTEX 2017.

The full programme of SALTEX events will be regularly updated via www.iogsaltex.com.

Visitor registration to SALTEX 2017 is free. To confirm your attendance visit www.iogsaltex.com

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