Tributes Groundsman George Hay

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Tributes Groundsman George Hay: Tributes have been paid to a fixture of Clydebank’s sporting community who will be laid to rest at the ground that became a family home.

George Hay died on December 30 at the age of 69, just one year older than Drumchapel Amateurs. He lived his entire life across the street from the Glenhead Park grounds in Duntocher where he and his dad before him were groundsmen.

He is held in such high regard, a strip signed by the team and his family will be put in the coffin with him and his ashes will be taken on a tour of the grounds. “Gentle giant” George will be buried next to the Drumchapel Amateurs’ founder, Douglas Smith, behind one of the goals.

For the team’s next home game, they will be led out by the son of one of George’s nephews who plays for one of their youth clubs.

A minute silence was marked at the weekend when the team played St Patrick’s FP in Dumbarton.

Drumchapel Amateurs chairman Charlie Devlin told the Post: “His family asked for one of our strips for the kids and club to sign – anything they have asked us to do, we are happy to do.

“He has always been there. George was a big bit of the Drumchapel Amateurs family.”

George had struggled with diabetes for a number of years and one leg had to be amputated and there was a danger to the other. He later suffered a heart attack and had been in declining health.

A JustGiving page set up to support the family has raised more than £500 in George’s memory.

Speaking ahead of the funeral on Friday, his family acknowledged his health challenges, and in the eulogy will share the larger-than-life personality of the Duntocher fixture.

Born on November 20, 1949, George grew up with siblings James, Margaret and the late Charles.

He maintained a lasting interest in history, particularly the Second World War – assuming he turned up for school to learn it.

His family recount: “George’s teachers might not have been aware of his occasional unauthorised absences thanks to his lifelong pal Jimmy Murray.

George went to work at the local creamery, then as a machine operator in Singers and Adaapt and ultimately the groundsman and kit master for the Drumchapel Amateurs when his dad passed away in 1984.

His family said: “George was a real home bird, he wasn’t one for going out much. Even in his teens he preferred going to the football than the dancing.

“George was a well known face at the club where he was liked and respected by everyone he came into contact with be that the chairman, the players, the supporters, even the opposing teams. In fact many have been in contact with the club to pass on their condolences in the last week.

“It wasn’t just the grounds and the kit George looked after, he’d do odd jobs around the club too.

“When Dougie, the founder of the club, asked him to make a new trophy room, George asked Kenny to help him. Dougie gave George the plans of how he wanted it to look, we’ll just say that’s not how it turned out, George made a few alterations along the way.”

George was close to all his nieces and nephews and took each to London to see the sights as they turned 13.

He was more housebound after the loss of his leg, watching the History channel, documentaries or comedy, and, of course, football.

“But the most important ‘F’ to George was his family, his brothers, sister, nieces, nephews and lifelong friends. He’d have done anything for them and given them the world if he could.

“They in turn just adore him and always will. How long will George Hay be loved? As long as the stars are above you.

“We thank George for being one in a million and for sharing his life with us all.”

The funeral for George Hay will be held on January 11 at 9.30am at Dalnottar Crematorium. The procession will leave Glenhead Social Club at 9.10am and all are welcome to the club after the service.

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Inquiry Into Japanese Knotweed Impact

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Inquiry Into Japanese Knotweed Impact: The Science and Technology Committee are holding an oral evidence session in early 2019, specifically to explore the science behind the effects of Japanese Knotweed on the built environment. To inform that session, written submissions were invited and the Amenity Forum has made a response.

The Amenity Forum welcomed the inquiry. Whilst there has been research and studies on the topic, it is felt more is needed if we are to fully understand the impact and implications. There has been a number of studies observing specific sites where structural damage has been caused but it is felt that more scientific studies are very much required. The Forum also feels that more economic analysis is needed and indeed is vital to establish the financial implications now and in the future. This would assist Government greatly in establishing both its strategy and future plans to combat the issue. It is undoubtedly the case that the presence of Japanese knotweed rhizome within a construction, if left unchecked, can produce significant damage especially within masonry and hard surfaces.Inquiry Into Japanese Knotweed Impact

The Forum also states that what has already emerged, in looking at the range of controls, is the importance of chemical products including those with the active ingredient, glyphosate. Whatever approach has been trialled, chemical treatment remains extremely important and provides the most effective approach in any integrated plan for knotweed management. They go on to say knotweed management is a long term plan and cannot be seen as a quick fix. Clearly it can be controlled by treatments but the point at which such a treatment plan is complete remains uncertain. There would appear to be a need for more research and examination of the rhizome that remains following professional treatment. Establishing the facts relating to the viability of that material when disturbed is key to establishing protocols for sites that have been subjected to a treatment programme.

Professor John Moverley, Chairman of the Amenity Forum, very much welcomed the focus on this topic and emphasised the need to use professionally trained operatives in managing the problem. He said ‘’What is vital is that knotweed control needs to be undertaken properly and by professionally qualified operators and organisations who fully subscribe to the standards and best practice laid down. The Amenity Forum is currently developing an overarching assurance standard for the sector and we would urge all employing any operators to ensure that they can deliver to such a standard and, in so doing, fully support the work and objectives of the Amenity Forum. Bad practice and unqualified operators can make the situation far worse and sadly there is evidence of such practices existing. The need for assured practice and the need for users such as local authorities to adopt these is vital’’

The Amenity Forum is holding a series of half day Updating Events across the UK over the coming months. These are free to attend and will update those attending on current issues and concerns. There will be time for questions and essential networking. For more information on the location and timings of these events, please contact admin@amenityforum.net. Whilst free to attend, it is important that you register in advance.

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Barenbrug At BTME 2019

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Barenbrug At BTME 2019: Barenbrug, the UK’s biggest and most innovative grass seed producer, will be showcasing its range of industry-leading products and cultivars at BTME 2019. Barenbrug’s new stand will be located in the Green Hall; Stand 330.
 
The Barenbrug Sport range will feature #1 varieties Barolympic perennial ryegrass, Barlineus Chewings fescue and Charles browntop bentgrass in popular products such as ULTRAFINE, MEDAL, FESCUE and ALL BENT.

Barenbrug At BTME 2019

Two brand new cultivars make their debut in the Sport Range. Barrisse strong creeping red fescue is introduced into FAIRWAY and Baromario is a component of a new ground-breaking perennial ryegrass blend MULTI SPORT.

MULTI SPORT is a four-way mix of 100% UK seed production, supporting British farmers and offering a more sustainable product choice for the UK turf industry. Baromario (and the other cultivars in MULTI SPORT) are highly-ranked in BSPB/STRI Turfgrass Seed as both winter sports and lawn ryegrasses, allowing this blend to be adopted in areas with high traffic and variable heights of cut.

Visitors to the stand will also get the chance to learn about Yellow Jacket Water Manager, a game-changing seed enhancement product that improves germination and seedling survival in tough environments. The patented surfactant technology is the result of extensive research by Barenbrug and Aquatrols and has been independently tested by the STRI.

In addition to Sport, the Essential Range of landscape products has been improved following a hugely successful market introduction in 2018. Products within the range have been enhanced further by Barenbrug-bred innovations such as RPR and Mowsaver technology.

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Jenkins GM And ISEKI Join Forces

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Jenkins GM And ISEKI Join Forces: Jenkins Garden Machinery, located near Llanelli have become the latest Garden Machinery dealer to recognize the tremendous opportunity that the ISEKI franchise presents for themselves and their customers and have joined the growing number of ISEKI dealers in the UK.

Dealer Principal Howell Jenkins commented “Our business has changed dramatically in the last few years with customers seeking more commercial machinery, this partnership with ISEKI will help us serve those customers better.”

Jenkins GM And ISEKI Join Forces

Emyr Jenkins Managing Director added “ISEKI have a long-standing reputation for quality of product and service in the UK which is exactly what we strive to deliver to our customers on a daily basis, additionally the amazing performance of the cut and collect machines is really a big deal for us in South Wales where the grass grows so strongly”

David Withers, Managing Director of ISEKI UK was pleased to add Jenkins Garden Machinery to the ISEKI family and commented “We enjoy working with companies that have the same focus we have on customer service and long-term relationships, as such we are excited to add Emz (as Emyr is usually know) and the team to the ISEKI family”

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

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Syngenta To Exhibit At BTME

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Syngenta To Exhibit At BTME: Syngenta will be giving turf managers the opportunity to win a professional PAR light meter every day at BTME 2019 – to scientifically measure useable light reaching their surfaces, and to manage turf more effectively.

To enter, turf managers simply need to register on the Syngenta stand – Purple Hall, 428 – pick up a Ryder brochure and follow @syngentaturfuk on Twitter to find out the lucky winner on each day of the event.

Syngenta To Exhibit At BTME

Furthermore, all turf managers can now benefit from a new GreenCast weather service showing forecast light intensity levels for the coming five days, displayed as light intensity in µmol per m² per second, for their specific site.

Syngenta Technical Manager, Glenn Kirby, advocated that understanding the levels of light are hitting the surface, where and when during the day, is extremely important in making decisions to make light work more efficiently using Ryder applications.

“Only a relatively small spectrum of sunlight can be physiologically absorbed and utilised by turf plants – the PAR light,” he pointed out. “Light waves at either end of the spectrum can be potentially damaging to plant tissue.

“Furthermore, the amount of PAR light reaching open turf surfaces can be far in excess of the plants’ ability to photosynthesise and turn it into energy,” he advised.

“This over saturation of light can induce stress within the plant, particularly when it occurs in combination with other stress factors, such as moisture, nutrient deficiency or temperature extremes, for example.”

Glenn warned that the short leaves of tight mown turf surfaces offer limited buffer for stress effects and makes plants more susceptible to other issues, including Anthracnose outbreaks that have been increasingly prevalent in recent seasons.

“Managing light levels impacting on plants is now recognised as a crucial part of an Integrated Turf Management programme,” he advocated. “Ryder turf pigment has shown to enhance the naturalistic green colour of turf surfaces throughout the season, and also offers the chance to manage and mitigate against harmful levels of light affecting plants.”

The sun radiates a broad spectrum of light, typically measured from 300-1100 nanometers (nm). But it is only the Photosynthetically Active Radiation – from 400 to 700 nm – that is of real benefit for plants, according to Glenn.

“Now we can start measuring the amount of PAR light getting to the plant we can begin to gauge what’s happening in the plant and monitor it’s impact, The light intensity measured by the Field Scout shows how intense the PAR light can be.

“Turf plants’ ability to photosynthesise plateaus at around 400 µmol per m² per second; but light levels during the summer in the UK can easily hit 2000 µmol per m² per second. Once you begin to understand good levels of light and excessive light, you will begin to understand and adjust your maintenance programs to cope with this little understood stress,” he advised.

To help turf managers get a more accurate picture of light levels on their turf, Syngenta will be giving away a Field Scout Quantum Meter, worth over £200, on each day of the BTME event, organised by BIGGA and held in Harrogate from 22 – 24 January 2019.

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