Synthetics - Turf Matters

SIS Synthetic Turf Innovation

in News, Press Release, Synthetics/by Andrew Ross

SIS Synthetic Turf Innovation: One of the world’s leading turf manufacturers has enhanced its diverse product range, following a £1.8m investment in a new factory and technology.

Industry-leading SIS Pitches, based in Cumbria, has developed its products to extend the life of its 3G pitches and improve overall player experience.

The improvements could see pitches last up to 10 years – two years more than the industry standard.

Exclusively available from SIS Pitches, the SISTurf Xtreme and SISTurf Xtreme Ultra products features a new premium yarn.

The yarn is made in the UK with specially developed polymer to create a natural look and feel. The new technology makes the product more resilient, improves performance and increases durability.

Both products use SISGrade infill made from Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM). It is both fire resistant and odourless, making it ideal for indoor use. The product is highly resistant to ageing, weathering and UV. It also conforms to the strictest REACH and EN safety standards.

SISTurf Xtreme and SISTurf Xtreme Ultra also feature a SISBond polyurethane premium backing which has been specially engineered to provide a much stronger and durable backing than other systems. It is primarily used for elite performance, providing enhanced fibre retention and improved moisture-resistance.

SIS Pitches is a full-service provider in specialist sports pitches and landscaping grass. Last year, they designed, constructed and installed SISGrass hybrid pitches at six 2018 World Cup venues, including the Luzhniki Stadium pitch for the opening match and the final.

Luke Edwards, SIS Pitches technical director, said: “We have evolved our product range and are excited to offer our best-performing yarn to date.

“Both SISTurf Xtreme and SISTurf Xtreme Ultra include our premium infill and backing systems, and deliver outstanding performance, durability and resilience.

“Our synthetic pitches are being used all around the world in a variety of sports and we are vey proud to be able to make these products available to our customers.”

Last month, SIS Pitches reaffirmed its commitment to UK manufacturing when it announced its new turf production facility in Maryport. The new factory, which covers an area of more than 2,100 square metres, is one of the most technologically-advanced production facilities in Europe, designed to deliver high quality, long-lasting synthetic surfaces.

The factory utilises the latest technology in thermal insulation, LED lighting, laser-fire detection and advanced cladding systems, while the new backing plant will be the most advanced turf backing system in the UK.

George Mullan, SIS Pitches owner and CEO said: “Our new state-of-the-art factory features world-leading turf production technology and provides us with the platform to increase our production volumes.

“We can produce pitches six times faster than before which equates to more than six million square metres of turf every year.

“At SIS Pitches, we are always looking at ways to stay one step ahead and these recent improvements in innovation and technology reaffirm our position as the market leader in the manufacturing of synthetic turf.”

For more information, please visit the SIS Pitches website: http://www.sispitches.com

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Manchester Grammar School’s New Hockey Surface

in Press Release, Synthetics/by Louise Henderson

Manchester Grammar School’s New Hockey Surface: Staff and students at The Manchester Grammar School, the largest independent day school for boys in the UK, are over the moon after many years of planning has seen their dreams for an elite hockey pitch become a reality. GreenFields were handpicked from a number of other companies for the construction of the school’s new hockey pitch along with adjacent tennis courts, which were all completed in time for Christmas.

The top spec water based hockey pitch features GreenFields TX Elite, a product which has seen many of the best players in the world compete on it at tournaments such as the 2017 European Hockey World Championship. Classified by the FIH (International Hockey Federation) as the Global Elite standard, which is the optimum surface type for competitive hockey tournaments, GreenFields TX Elite provides the ultimate smooth playing surface combining high playing and ball speed, incredible precision and control.

Dr Martin Boulton, High Master at The Manchester Grammar School commented: “The new hockey pitch and tennis courts are absolutely fantastic and will give our boys the opportunity to play on world-class surfaces of the quality used by international athletes, helping our boys flourish and develop their sporting potential. They are a great addition to our School.”

The 6,576m² elite hockey pitch was completed with a Trocellen ProGame XC 7008 shock pad for maximum comfort and safety with irrigation achieved by pop up sprinklers. The facility also includes a 3,560m² tennis surface featuring six compact courts.

Paul Milton, Commercial Director at GreenFields UK said: “We are delighted to have installed an international level water based playing surface at the prestigious independent school – The Manchester Grammar School and are happy to see that the pupils are getting full use of it already. This impressive sports facility will further strengthen our North West portfolio providing an elite case study for GreenFields for the future.”

Upon completion of the new hockey pitch and tennis courts, GreenFields arranged for professional photography and drone footage to be taken to support the school in their marketing materials.

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3G Pitch Enables Buxton FC To Launch Academy

in Press Release, Sport, Synthetics/by Louise Henderson

3G Pitch Enables Buxton FC To Launch Academy: EVO-STIK Northern Premier League Club, Buxton FC have seen their dreams turn into reality with the installation of their new 3G pitch, meaning that in September 2019 they will launch their academy for young aspiring footballers, a feat that would have been near impossible to achieve on their old natural grass pitch.

The club has wanted to set up an academy for many years to facilitate players moving up through the ranks to their first team, producing home grown ‘Buxton’ players. This was paired with the need for increased community participation in the area along with the requirement to reduce the number of cancelled fixtures after having a number of matches that had to be rearranged in the 17-18 season, resulting in not only a loss of revenue on the gate but also from food and beverage match day sales.

Playing in the Premier League of the EVO-STIK NPL, Buxton FC are the latest NPL club to select official league pitch partners, GreenFields to install their new 3G pitch. The club now proudly boast one of the highest spec 3G pitches in the country with the same product installed at the likes of Arsenal FC, Charlton Athletic Academy and a number of Scottish Premier League clubs including Hamilton Academical FC and Livingston FC.

Buxton FC made their choice to convert from natural grass to the 3G woven sports turf, GreenFields MX Elite after visiting the 3G pitch installed in Summer 2016, based at fellow NPL club, Hyde United with the same product in situ. The high-tech product is manufactured using patented woven technology resulting in an extremely high tuft bind. This forces the fibres to stand straighter providing a more natural playing experience and visual appearance.

The new pitch which has been operational for just over three months now has received exceptional reviews already from both Buxton FC along with visiting teams. David Hopkins, Chairman at Buxton FC commented: “We are delighted with our new pitch which overnight, alongside the obvious commercial opportunities, allows us to at last fully engage with our local community and already we have been able to partner with Buxton Junior Football Club’s twenty teams, including the ladies’ team. Partnering with Buxton Rugby Club also means we are now able to welcome not only all the football community from Buxton and the surrounding villages, but also the rugby community too. From the grass pitch last year, which we could use at best four hours per week, we now have a facility which enables us to become a real hub for the Buxton community.”

As official pitch partner to the EVO-STIK NPL as well as more recently the EVO-STIK League South, GreenFields have an ongoing relationship with non-league clubs and the leagues themselves with a commitment to providing and advising on surface solutions as well as supporting clubs with all of their natural grass related queries.

Paul Milton, Director at GreenFields commented: “Working with Buxton this Summer and on an ongoing basis sums up for me what GreenFields is all about. We aim to help and work with non-league clubs throughout the country with an emphasis on building long term relationships post installation. Now that the pitch is complete we will work with Buxton FC to support them with sponsorship as well as carrying out essential quarterly maintenance and being a constant point of contact for any pitch related queries. We look forward to watching how the club grows after the addition of the 3G pitch and to a long partnership between us.”

The completed pitch has been tested to both FIFA Quality and World Rugby performance standards as the pitch has been designed as a dual use facility to accommodate rugby as well as football to enable usage from local club, Buxton RFU.

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New Life For Sports Surface Thanks To Replay

in Press Release, Synthetics/by Louise Challiss

New Life For Sports Surface Thanks To Replay: The Pasture (Fairways) Sports Complex boasts an astroturf surface which is a hub for sport in the community of Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire. A true multi-functional pitch, it see’s many hours of play per week taking its toll on the condition of the surface. Synthetic specialists Replay Maintenance were recently called in to conduct their Rejuvenation^® process, which has given the pitch a new lease of life.

Owned by Selby District Council, the day to day running of the site is controlled by Parish Council Clerk of 34 years Margaret Gibson. “The Pastures is a great asset and hosts a variety of sports including hockey, football and tennis. The upkeep of the pitch, together with the surrounding park, falls to a contractor but this is really just on an ad-hoc basis and following months of poor weather, and high play usage the pitch was in need of a more thorough deep clean.” The services of Replay were recommended by a local England Hockey representative, to which Replay are the sole official maintenance partner.

“Replay came in to conduct their Rejuvenation^® process at the end of April and the end result was fantastic. It refurbished the pitch to a point where it looked like a new surface which was welcomed by all of the clubs and players who use the site.” Replay’s unique Rejuvenation process uses constant air-flow plenum technology and compressed air to remove the contaminated top layer of sand; restore the pile to vertical and fill again with new clean infill. It can restore a surface to an ‘as new’ condition for appearance, drainage and performance and often double the playing life of a pitch for a fraction of the cost of a replacement carpet.

Following the successful Rejuvenation^®, the Parish Council made the decision to appoint Replay on a service agreement basis which will now see them visit twice a year to conduct a deep-clean. Sales Director of Replay Maintenance Nick Harris reiterates the importance of planned maintenance. “Choosing regular, arranged maintenance gives you peace of mind that your surface is getting the treatment required, at a fixed amount and at intervals that suit the needs of each individual facility. With Replay we also conduct pre and post maintenance testing to show the difference the maintenance regime is making, enabling you to plan future requirements far more effectively.”

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AquaTrax Keeps Pitches Pristine

in Press Release, Synthetics/by Louise Challiss

AquaTrax Keeps Pitches Pristine: Lillieshall is one of the United Kingdom’s National Sports Centres and centres of excellence. The centre is set to host to some of the country’s leading sports activities like Archery, Gymnastics and Hockey. Within the 350 acre site are 2 synthetic pitches, a water based hockey pitch and a multi-sport surface. The Grounds Supervisor Peter Bolland, and his team of 6 which includes an apprentice, have their work cut out ensuring all the facilities meet their rigorous requirements and are kept performing at their best – which they do with the help of Replay Maintenance.

“The centre has a rich history,” explains Peter, “and having previously been on the English Heritage at Risk Register, but following a management plan set up back in 2013, the team are now working on a long term 21 year master plan, to bring the site back to the 1830’s when the Duke of Sutherland would have been prevalent. The majority of maintenance work, including pitch renovations, is conducted in-house and this is no different when it comes to the regime on the artificial surfaces. We do cleaning,
drag-mat/brushing and removal of debris on a daily and weekly basis, but as a training facility for GB Hockey and other international teams alike we like to go that step further and have Replay in to conduct a deep clean at least once a year.”

Their most recent visit saw Replay utilising their unique AquaTrax process on the two synthetic pitches. This process combines pressure washing and vacuum extraction to dislodge and remove dirt and algae growth. The annual work also ensures that the surfaces pass the Centres twice-yearly audits.

Replay have been working with Lillieshall for a number of years and Peter says that, moving forwards, he has no reason to change that. “It tends to be the same guy visit each year. He’ll report in and, unless there are any issues, he’ll just crack on with the job – there are times we don’t even know he’s there! They do such a great job, right from the initial quote and advice through to the actual work – they’re knowledgeable, always really helpful and work together with us in meeting the standards for the pitches and our facility as a whole.”

For more information, visit: www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

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Synthetic Success at Bloxham School

in Press Release, Synthetics/by Lucy Nicholls

Synthetic Success at Bloxham School – Tom Hall, deputy head groundsman at Bloxham School in Oxfordshire has reported excellent results from using SISIS equipment to maintain the school’s two synthetic sports surfaces.

With a rich history that can be traced as far back as 1853, Bloxham School is a prime example of great British public schooling. The independent co-educational and boarding school, covers approximately 60 acres of land in the picturesque village of Bloxham and over 400 pupils attend the illustrious school.

Standards are extremely high, as you would expect at a school of Bloxham’s stature, and equally impressive are the first-class sports facilities. Sport plays a significant role in Bloxham life and the school has enjoyed great success in sports such as rugby, hockey and cricket – to name but a few.

As well as a plethora of grass sports pitches, Bloxham also features two synthetic surfaces, and to maintain these; the grounds team relies on a range of SISIS equipment.

“Here at Bloxham, one of the synthetic surfaces is sand filled and the other is sand dressed. Predominantly we use the surfaces for hockey, but during the summer, we also have tennis, and in some circumstances we use it for cricket.”

“We use two pieces of SISIS equipment to maintain our synthetic surfaces – the SSS1000 Sweeper and the SISIS Twinplay Implement Frame, complete with a straight and zig-zag Brush.”

The SISIS SSS1000 is a tractor mounted sweeper which can be pulled by any machine. There are no tools required for the adjustment of the brush or the angle of the draw bar and to make storage easy the draw bar lifts to an upright position. With an aluminium hopper with stainless steel mesh, any infill that is collected when using the machine is returned back down to the surface leaving it free from contamination of debris.

“I am really impressed with the SSS1000,” says Tom. “Before we had it, we used to manually clean the synthetic surfaces using blowers, hand-held brushes and bags. At Bloxham we have a problem with ash seed falling onto the synthetic surfaces, and this is one of the main reasons we bought the SSS1000. Now we have it, it makes the job a lot quicker and it allows us to spend time on other tasks. We tend to use the sweeper before games and generally once a week just to pick up any organic foliage.”

The SISIS Twinplay tractor mounted implement frame can be fitted with several attachments for the maintenance of synthetic surfaces and Tom chooses to attach the SISIS straight brush and the SISIS zig-zag brush – which he claims “do exactly what they are supposed to.”

“We use the brushes at least three times a week and we use them to relieve compaction within the pile and to evenly disperse the sand over the surface of the pitch,” he added.

Synonymous with exceptionally dependable, durable equipment and an excellent after sales service, SISIS is the brand most groundsmen are turning to for all their synthetic turf maintenance – and Tom claims he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the products.

“If SISIS is mentioned to me I think of high quality products that do the exact job they have been designed to do. We’ve never had any issues with them and they perform the tasks excellently that we require here at Bloxham.”

“I would recommend SISIS equipment to anyone maintaining synthetic surfaces, purely because they’re reliable and top performing products.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

CLS Sports Reinforce Synthetic Surfaces Knowhow

in Press Release, Synthetics/by Greg Rhodes

CLS Sports reinforce synthetic surfaces knowhow – Construction to plant hire group Cleveland Land Services have further strengthened its burgeoning CLS Sports division with the appointment of David Fearn as Contract Manager.

David, 52, commands 28 years’ experience in the sports surfacing industry, mostly devoted to the installation of synthetic turf areas, and has travelled extensively abroad under that remit.

Among his many projects are included construction of two athletics training tracks for the 2012 London Olympic Games as well as a host of installations within the independent schools sector.

As Contract Manager his role will span all facets of the project timeline from site surveying for feasibility studies to managing the process from contract award to completion and aftersales support.

“Working with the CLS Sports team has great appeal for me,” David states, “particularly as it is a progressive, family-run business and I was keen to maintain the personal touch to the level I did in my previous post.”

CLS Sports Managing Director John Miller said: “We were seeking someone to help us develop the synthetic surfaces side of the business and when I learnt that David might be available I lost no time in contacting him.

“David’s vast experience in the installation of playing surfaces will further deepen our reach as a national contractor that specialises in all forms of synthetic sports pitches and athletics tracks, while continuing to strengthen our reputation for quality at all stages and levels of project fulfilment.”

Renovation of Wavertree Athletics Track, Liverpool, and reconstruction of a derelict hockey pitch at Sheffield Hallam University are among David’s first projects for CLS Sports.

He comments: “Council-run athletics tracks are costly to maintain and seldom deliver the level of return needed. The trend is to upgrade them to become fit for purpose before leasing them to local clubs, who are then responsible for running them.”

www.cls-sports.co.uk