TYM Impresses At Elland Road

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TYM Impresses At Elland Road: Elland Road, home of Leeds United Football Club, has been using TYM at its training grounds since 2017 and has now chosen the tractor brand for the stadium too. 

And the reason for that is TYM has proven to provide high-quality performance and deliver the results required across both surfaces says head groundsman, Kiel Barrett.

TYM Impresses At Elland Road

“We’ve recently invested in another TYM tractor because what we’ve been using has performed so well,” he says. “Thanks to the range of tractors available, we’ve found models to suit the surfaces at both the stadium and the training grounds which are very different despite being the same length and width.”

It all started in 2017 with the arrival of the T503 at the training ground: “The T503 has delivered over and above expectations and worked brilliantly for our annual renovation work at the training ground as well as for topdressing and stripping turf off. It’s a really reliable workhorse.”

With such an assured performance it made sense to invest in TYM again for Elland Road, but with such different requirements at the stadium Kiel requested a demonstration from local dealer Russell Groundcare who brought the mid-duty T393 for Kiel and the team to trial.

Kiel says: “The demonstration proved the T393 could deliver the same quality of work at Elland Road, although in less heavy-duty roles. Its user-friendly operation really impressed me as well as the cab, which is really comfortable to work in. It’s a productive all-rounder and we use it to help move equipment, carry out drainage, aeration and spraying.”

Since having the machine, Kiel has not been disappointed: “The T393 is the perfect addition to the stadium’s maintenance fleet. Like the T503 at the training ground, the T393 is a huge improvement from the previous equipment we were using and we can really tell the difference.

“In terms of a compact tractor range, TYM is one of the best around and I foresee that in the coming years it’s going to be seen more and more across the grounds industry,” Kiel says. “That’s what happens with a range that delivers innovation, reliability and value for money. Plus, it has the benefit of Reesink as its distributor who I trust to provide high-quality products. That’s why we have Toro machines and irrigation as well.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Bancroft Amenities’ New Combiseeder

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Bancroft Amenities’ New Combiseeder: Bancroft Amenities Ltd a well-established specialist sportsground contracting company based in Greater Manchester have recently added a GKB Combiseeder to their large fleet of modern and innovative contracting machinery.

Bancroft Amenities Ltd a well-established specialist sportsground contracting company based in Greater Manchester have recently added a GKB Combiseeder to their large fleet of modern and innovative contracting machinery.

Bancroft Amenities' New Combiseeder

“We like the fact it is a dimple seeder, it gives a lot of holes per square metre and the use of the machine for the operator is very simple. We like the small compact size and its ability to seed at very low rates. The GKB build quality is very good and strong” explains Stuart Thompson, Director of Bancroft Amenities Ltd.

Bancroft Amenities maintain both natural and artificial sports surfaces with a large range of equipment. The GKB Combiseeder will be a new and valued addition to a fleet, they also run a comprehensive range of GKB synthetic turf maintenance machinery, which includes two GKB Quick-Brushes, a GKB Quick-Clean and GKB Rotobrush. Stuart adds, “The quality of service we get through Tom [GKB Machines Operations Manager for UK & Ireland] is very good but just in general, GKB’s business model, their costs and what they offer makes them easy to work with.”

The GKB Combiseeder is a fast and efficient way to seed or overseed your golf course or sports pitch, offering both solutions, as well as the possibility to seed multiple types of grass. It’s two spiked rollers open up the soil and accurately spread seed across the full width of the machine, in and around the holes whilst two drag brushes incorporate the seed into the holes.

For more on GKB Machines and their reliable and robust range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, please visit www.gkbmachines.com or contact Tom Shinkins on 07495 883617.

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Groundsman Celebrates 30th Year

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Groundsman Celebrates 30th Year: A long serving groundsman at Worcestershire County Cricket Club has celebrated a milestone of 30 years looking after the picturesque cricket ground.

Tim Packwood, the head groundsman at the New Road ground, marked his 30th year at the club this weekend.

Mr Packwood came to the club in April 1989 as an assistant working under then head groundsman, Roy McLaren, before replacing him upon his retirement in July 2000.

Mr Packwood, a lifelong supporter of Worcestershire, has completed his three decades at the club just after the retirement of another long-serving member Martin Watts, who spent 40 years on the ground staff.

Paying tribute to his service, Matt Rawnsley, the club’s chief executive, said: “It’s fantastic we are celebrating two members of the groundstaff who have been with the club such a long time in Martin, who has just retired, and Tim.

“Tim has done a great job after coming in as an understudy to Roy McLaren.

“He probably has one of the most unique groundsman’s jobs in the country in dealing with the floods that we have. But he manages to produce some fantastic facilities – not only just out in the middle on the square but also on the practice wickets as well.

“We are trying to make facilities that put both sides on an equal footing and give entertainment for the crowd – and Tim certainly knows the New Road wicket better than anyone else.”

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Parkers Pitches’ New Verti-Quake

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Parkers Pitches’ New Verti-Quake: Suffolk based sports-turf contractors Parkers Pitches are now well equipped to deal with even the most heavily compacted of surfaces, thanks to the purchase of a Verti-Quake® 2516 from Charterhouse Turf Machinery. The investment made in October 2018 by owner Will Parker, compliments his existing Verti-Drain® 7316, and sees them prepared for a busy renovation season ahead.

Established by Will in 2015 and, supported by his father Tim and new team member Alfie, Parker Pitches offer a variety of maintenance services, along with consultancy and reporting to sports facilities throughout East Anglia. “By conducting Pitch Improvement Programme (PIP) site visits on behalf of Suffolk FA, I was finding that compaction was a major issue at many sites across the region” explains Will. “We can structure an effective aeration programme with our Verti-Drain®, but I decided that with an increasing number of football clubs coming to us for help, adding a linear aerator to our fleet would be a logical step.”

Parkers Pitches' New Verti-Quake

“We spoke to our local dealer, Adrian Brown at Tomlinsons, who showed us the Verti-Quake® and it was just what we needed. It’s effective when used in conjunction with the Verti-Drain®, but the wave action now gives us a different way of relieving compaction on the most heavily compacted of grounds.” For football pitches, Will now recommends 2 passes with the Verti-Drain® and 2 with the Verti-Quake® each year. However, the Verti-Quake® will also come into its own as Will approaches end of season renovations for football and rugby. “Fitting the Verti-Quake® with 20mm blades will create grooves for sand dressings, letting sand down into the soil profile while keeping drainage channels free and open.”

Final word from Will, “It’s a great machine that makes what could be a difficult job, quite a relaxing one to do. It’s well-built, quiet and easy to use – we trained Alfie on it and he was away in a matter of hours! As our workload continues to grow, it’s important we invest in kit to ensure we keep pace. With the Verti-Quake®, backed up with fantastic support from Tomlinsons, we’re doing just that.”

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Fighter Commando Combats Disease

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Fighter Commando Combats Disease: Germinal has added a high phosphorous foliar fertiliser – which improves plant health and increases disease resistance – to its expanding range of amenity specific fertilisers and sward conditioners.

Fighter Commando is a 0-28-26 NPK* liquid fertiliser containing 28% phosphorous in the form of phosphite (P2O5) and 26% potassium as K2O.  It’s high P and K content stimulates lush, healthy plant growth and can actively help grass swards to withstand disease during periods of increased stress.

Fighter Commando Combats Disease

“Unlike other forms of phosphorous, phosphite is highly water soluble which means it can quickly be absorbed through the leaves and roots of grass plants,” explains Richard Brown, Amenity Sales Manager for Germinal.  “Once absorbed, Fighter Commando remains extremely mobile and acts systemically to rapidly correct potassium and phosphorous deficiencies, enhance root development and improve the plant’s natural ability to resist diseases.”

As well as improving plant vigour and reducing the sward’s susceptibility to disease, Fighter Commando is also environmentally friendly: “The chemical composition of Fighter Commando prevents it from binding with soil, therefore preventing an excessive build-up of soil phosphorous and eliminating problems associated with ground-water contamination,” Mr Brown adds.  “It is suitable for a range of amenity purposes, from sports pitches, golf courses, tennis courts and bowls greens, to fine lawns, parkland areas and any grassed area where a potential nutrient imbalance could threaten sward health and vitality.”

Fighter Commando is supplied in 10-litre containers and can be tank mixed with most pesticides.  It is recommended for use at an application rate of 5 litres/ha at 3-4 week intervals from March to October.

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