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GMA expands pitch advisory service

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GMA expands pitch advisory service: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) is thrilled to announce the expansion of its highly successful Pitch Advisory Service into Wales, marking a significant milestone in grassroots sports development.

This exciting expansion, backed by the Cymru Football Foundation (CFF) with funding from the Football Association of Wales (FAW), aims to elevate the quality of grass football pitches across Wales by providing local clubs with essential guidance and resources needed to maintain top-level playing surfaces.

GMA expands pitch advisory service

GMA expands pitch advisory service

Craig Bellamy, Head Coach of the Cymru Men’s National Team said: “The Pitch Advisory Service Wales will make a huge positive difference to football clubs across Wales – it’s a great tool to tackle an ongoing issue across the country and hopefully we’ll start to see grass pitches improving and less games being called off as a result.”

Building on a decade of success in England, where the Pitch Advisory Service has transformed grassroots sports, the GMA is set to bring its expertise to Welsh football clubs. Since its launch in 2014, the service has supported over 12,500 clubs, helping to assess almost 50,000 playing surfaces across football, cricket, rugby league, and rugby union.

Now, Welsh clubs will benefit from the same proven model, supported by the GMA’s dedicated pitch advisors Daniel Bradley (Key Account Manager – North Wales) and John Sullivan (Regional Pitch Advisor – South Wales).

Jason Booth, Chief Operating Officer at the GMA said: “Over the past ten years, the GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service has demonstrated just how critical quality pitch maintenance is to the success of grassroots sports. We’ve helped countless clubs across England to reduce match postponements and enhance the overall playing experience. By expanding into Wales, we’re excited to bring these same benefits to Welsh clubs and communities. Grassroots sport is the heartbeat of many communities, and we’re eager to support even more grounds teams and volunteers in creating the best possible playing surfaces for everyone, therefore increasing participation in sport across the nation.”

Currently, only 21% of grass pitches in Wales are rated as “good” against the GMA’s Grounds Management Framework, but with the launch of the Pitch Advisory Service in Wales, the GMA aims to raise that standard. The initiative will work in tandem with the CFF’s Equipment Fund – a grant scheme that supports grassroots football clubs that re-opens on Monday 18th November – offering Welsh clubs not only financial support for equipment but also expert guidance on maintaining their pitches to the highest standards.

With the guidance of the Pitch Advisory Service Wales, local clubs will be better equipped to maintain playing surfaces that are both resilient and sustainable, ensuring more people than ever can enjoy the game.

Aled Lewis, Director at the Cymru Football Foundation said: “We are thrilled to be launching our partnership with the Grounds Management Association to support the improvement of grass pitches across the country. We recognise the current and future challenges in delivering quality grass pitch surfaces and we are confident this partnership will provide valuable support to our football family in addressing these challenges.”

As the GMA celebrates a decade of grassroots pitch improvement in England, its expansion into Wales marks an exciting new chapter for the Pitch Advisory Service. Clubs across Wales are encouraged to reach out for support by visiting: Pitch Advisory Service Wales.

Clubs can also explore the free resources available through the GMA’s Grounds Management Toolkit, which offers essential maintenance guidance for volunteers: resources.thegma.org.uk.

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Dr Simon Watson Joins ICL

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Dr Simon Watson Joins ICL: ICL is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Simon Watson as Senior Scientist within its AmegA Sciences business unit. Simon brings extensive experience from his previous role as Senior Agronomist at The R&A, where he was part of the Sustainable Agronomy team, leading the sustainable certification programme and working closely with golf courses across the UK.

Simon’s career in the turf industry began as an agronomist at the STRI, with a broad portfolio that includes roles at Syngenta in technical services for the Turf, Landscape, and Ornamental sectors. His time at Syngenta saw him rise to Head of Technical Services for the Asia Pacific region, based in Singapore, and he also has experience as an independent arable agronomist.

Dr Simon Watson Joins ICL

Dr Simon Watson Joins ICL

In his new role, Simon joins AmegA Sciences, a unit dedicated to the development of cutting-edge biostimulants, and water and nutrient use efficiency technologies for ICL. Mike Finney, Business Manager at AmegA Sciences, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Simon to our R&D team. His extensive technical expertise will be invaluable as we continue to lead the way in developing innovative solutions for the turf and ornamental markets. With an exciting pipeline of technologies in the works, Simon will play a key role in ensuring that our products deliver on performance, with claims backed by rigorous research.”

Simon Watson expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, stating, “The opportunity to contribute to the development of biostimulants and technologies for water and nutrient use efficiency is something I find truly exciting. I look forward to working with the teams at AmegA Sciences and across the broader ICL business to develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of our industry.”

In his position, Simon will collaborate with global ICL technical teams, independent research stations, and universities to drive innovation and product development. Outside of his professional life, Simon enjoys spending time outdoors with his family. He is an avid football fan and supporter of Aston Villa, often attending matches with his son.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-growingsolutions.uk or www.icl-growingsolutions.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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

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Iseki Banner

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Volunteers hosted at MKM Stadium

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Volunteers hosted at MKM Stadium: In a first-of-its-kind event, the Grounds Management Association (GMA), Hull City FC and East Riding FA have come together to welcome over 60 local grassroots volunteers to the MKM Stadium.

This behind-the-scenes experience offered participants a unique insight into professional grounds management and enabled grassroots volunteers the opportunity to learn more about the skill and techniques utilised to maintain an elite playing surface.

Volunteers hosted at MKM Stadium

Volunteers hosted at MKM Stadium

Attendees, who are all part of East Riding’s ‘Pitch Partners’ programme, were given a guided tour of the stadium, oversaw different aspects of pitch testing and were provided insight into the science behind pitch care. There was also the opportunity to learn about the GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service and how it supports grassroots organisations such as clubs, local authorities and educational institutions to ensure that playing surfaces meet the highest standards possible.

Chris Hunter, GMA Regional Pitch Advisor said: “This event really shows how important it is for everyone involved in sport, from volunteers to professionals, to come together and share ideas. To see so many grassroots volunteers here today has been fantastic. An event of this scale would not have been possible without the work of all the stakeholders involved.

“It’s not often that these individuals, who work so hard behind the scenes to make sport possible, get to experience the professional side of grounds management. We’re grateful to Hull City and all the partners for providing such an enriching experience and showcasing the importance of community.”

The ‘Day in the Life of Hull City’s Head Grounds Manager’ not only highlighted the practicalities of maintaining grass surfaces but also enabled the community-focused attendees to network with like-minded volunteers as well as professional grounds people and grounds care experts.

Representatives from the Football Foundation were on hand to provide information about potential funding grants and further avenues of support that could be taken away to help community clubs across the region.

Adam Lowthorpe, East Riding County Football Association Chief Executive Officer said: “It is with great delight that we have been able to welcome so many volunteers from across the breadth of our county to this fantastic workshop today. Our collaboration with the Grounds Management Association and Hull City AFC is another significant step in our attempts to provide more high-quality grass football pitches for people to play on and enjoy grassroots football in East Riding.”

Aaron Tong, Head Groundsman at Hull City, said: “Grassroots football is close to my heart, and it was a pleasure to host the event at our stadium and give something back to grassroots in the community. We showed them our equipment and a few of the jobs we do on the pitch, shared our matchday operations and post-match procedures, as well as giving them a stadium tour. They asked questions on what to do in different scenarios and asked for our advice on their pitches. We hope they found our outside perspective useful and that everyone left having learned something new.”

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Leaf Reducer solves parkland problem

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Leaf Reducer solves parkland problem: Formally part of the Bishops of London hunting estate, the 83 acres of leafy, parkland that make up Highgate Golf Club are proving no match for the quick and effective leaf clearance offered by a GKB Leaf Reducer.

Course Manager Russell Ling was looking for a sustainable solution to the time-consuming task when he discovered the GKB machine – which has eliminated the need to collect and dispose of the waste in exchange for delivering all-important nutrients back into their roughs.

Leaf Reducer solves parkland problem

Leaf Reducer solves parkland problem

 

Managing the leaf fall from the many large oak trees which line the Highgate course has been a mammoth annual task for Russell, who has been at the club for 33 years, and his team of eight. Compact in design, areas once designated for leaf piles were either being re-allocated for new purposes or becoming increasingly inaccessible due to the wetter winters. “I saw the Leaf Reducer on the GKB stand at BTME and could immediately see how it could solve multiple problems for us” he explains.

“After a demonstration I had no doubt it was the way to go.” The unit was delivered by GKB’s Tom Shinkins and local dealer Ernest Doe at the beginning of September – in time for the new leaf fall season!

“We have a blower working out in front, moving the leaves into the roughs. We then pass over with the Leaf Reducer which mulches the leaves into such fine particles that you can hardly see where the leaves had been. In addition to leaving a clean and tidy finish, it also provides some additional nutrients back into areas which we wouldn’t usually feed.”

A unique circular system, the Leaf Reducer uses paddles to lift the leaves and a combination of turbines and milling blades to finely process the leaf waste, converting it into fine mulch before redistributing it back to the surface. Eliminating landfill costs and significantly reducing C02 emissions, it offers a sustainable alternative to leaf collection for local authorities, parks managers and greenkeepers maintaining off-play areas around the golf course.

“Tom has been brilliant throughout the purchase process and spent the time to ensure the whole team got to grips with the machine. A few weeks in and it’s already proving itself to be a great purchase! As we move through the season, it’ll be out everyday to keep on top of all the leaves.” Russell concludes, “It’ll become one of our most used machines and one of the most important for retaining both presentation and playability as we host more and more golf through the autumn and winter months.”

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