Limagrain UK Appoint Sam Horner

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Limagrain UK Appoint Sam Horner: Sam Horner has been appointed as Limagrain UK’s new amenity seed specialist covering the south of England, the company has announced.

Sam has been involved in the sports turf industry for over twenty years and brings with him a wealth of experience.

Limagrain UK Appoint Sam Horner

It all started at his beloved Gloucester Rugby where he first became familiar with sports turf maintenance. He then went onto study sports turf at college and after graduating he landed a job at Tewkesbury Park Golf Club. Sam quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to deputy course manager before accepting the position of golf course manager at Gloucester Golf Club.

Five years ago he moved into a sales and marketing role within the amenity industry but continues to ‘work on the tools’ by offering match-day support for the grounds staff at Gloucester Rugby.

Commenting on his new position at Limagrain UK, Sam said that the opportunity was just too good to turn down.

“It was a very easy decision – all the way through the process I knew that if I was offered the job then I was absolutely going to take it. Limagrain is an outstanding company, in terms of its product portfolio and its reputation – the way it conducts itself is very professional. Limagrain has always been a leading company in the industry working at the very high end of sports turf and opportunities like this do not come along very often – I was always going to take it.”

With immediate effect Sam will now be offering technical advice and full support on products such as Limagrain’s leading brands of MM and Designer grass seeds and Colour Splash amenity flower mixtures.

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm.

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Tribunal Rules Unfair Dismissal

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Tribunal Rules Unfair Dismissal: A greenkeeper was unfairly dismissed by bosses at a posh golf club, a tribunal has ruled.

Clive Poole, 47, began work at Prestbury Golf Club in 1996 but was sacked from his role – and lost the rented home that came with it – in June 2017.

In a lengthy judgement following the tribunal it was said Mr Poole had also carried out mechanical maintenance chores even though he was not contractually obliged, saving the club thousands of pounds.

But after new head greenkeeper Mark Crossley began in 2015 he was expected to do increasing amounts of mechanical work.

It was found that dismissing Mr Poole for not doing this was unfair as he did not have the time, training or contractual requirement.

The tribunal also heard claims that he was ‘bullied and intimidated’ by Mr Crossley and the latter had likened staff to monkeys, and used ‘unprofessional and abusive language’ in messages.

Mr Poole, from Macclesfield, said after the findings: “I was put under a lot of pressure.

“You try and do your best but it was never good enough, it makes you feel incompetent, I felt run down all the time and my morale was low.”

Employment Judge Pauline Feeney’s report described Mr Crossley as an ‘unreliable witness’ and agreed that apparent notes from a meeting to discuss criticisms of Mr Poole were done ‘at least partly retrospectively’.

She also said Mr Crossley ‘clearly had an animus against the complainant’.

And that Arthur Dicken, the then chairman of the club, who heard Mr Poole’s appeal against dismissal, was ‘clearly biased’.

Her judgement said two other long-serving greenkeepers had also left their positions and raised complaints against Mr Crossley.

Golf club member Tom Moore was so incensed by the treatment of Mr Poole he funded a barrister to argue at the tribunal for him.

Afterwards Mr Moore said: “The board of management will be embarrassed about this coming out but it’s their own fault.”

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STRI Open Hong Kong Business

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STRI Open Hong Kong Business: STRI Group has continued its rapid global expansion with the opening of its latest design and consultancy office in Hong Kong.

STRI Hong Kong Ltd has already secured major contracts including providing the turf solution to the new multi-purpose Kai Tak Sports Park and as design partners to upgrade the famous Yuen Long Stadium, plus other significant local projects.

STRI Open Hong Kong Business

Experienced turf industry professional, Peter Rasmussen, has joined STRI Hong Kong as lead consultant and will be assisting the local industry utilising the full support of STRI’s global expertise.

STRI Hong Kong joins a global network of STRI Group companies based outside of Europe, including China, Qatar and two facilities in Australia, and is planning on further expansion in the near future. STRI HK will work closely with Tizan Turf Science, in Shanghai, who are the leading turf construction and renovation business in the region.

STRI Group director, Lee Penrose, said: “STRI continues to expand our global offering as the demand for cutting edge and sustainable sports surface solutions increases. We are always looking for talented people and new businesses to work within the Group.”

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Two New Campey Launches

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Two New Campey Launches: Campey Turf Care Systems is set to introduce the Fleischmann Electric Five Deck Mower and Uni-Scratch to the American market at the Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) 2019 Summer Convention and Field Day.

The three-day convention is being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and attendees will have the chance to visit some of the states’ best facilities including the National Sports Centre (NSC) in Blaine, Minnesota, which has the largest outdoor soccer complex in the world with natural grass facilities that include a 50 multi-use athletic field and an 18-hole PGA-Tour designed golf course.

Two New Campey Launches

Campey will be introducing the Fleishmann mower during the exhibition, with the ma-chines performance and environmentally friendly features designed specifically for turf growers and sod farmers.

The mower has five 2.20 metre cutting decks with six spindles per deck, giving a 10-metre overall cutting width. The mower features a braked steering rear axle, and the two-point pivoting front mount hitch provides high manoeuvrability, enabling cutting speeds up to 20kph.

Each blade on the five cutting decks is powered by a low maintenance electric motor, leaving behind traditional gearboxes and PTO shafts and eliminating the risk of oil leaks. The six high tip speed blades in each deck give more cuts per metre and offer excellent clipping dispersal.

An efficient modern generator is used to power the mower and lower all the factors you’d want less of. That’s low PTO requirements, low engine revs and lower noise output for quiet operation, resulting in less fuel used

The mechanics of the operation are enhanced further by the five low ground pressure castor wheels. Each deck has five wheels which are expertly designed to follow contours and iron out bumps in the surface without leaving any marks. The wheels are also used to easily set the height of cut with all other operations controlled from the in-cab control box.

The second new product being launched is the Uni-Scratch. This machine is the ideal solution for professional and effective maintenance of natural grass and can also be used for the final organic matter removal on natural grass hybrid carpet pitches when carrying out annual renovations.

For maintenance during the season, Campey offers the UNIRAKE. Users can adjust the severity of grooming to remove organic matter or simply stand the sward up to encourage growth, with altering the intensity taking no less than 30 seconds.

The Campey sales team, joined by chairman Richard Campey, will be at the convention to answer any questions on the new machines and the existing Campey product range.

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Brighton Staff Vow To Clear Names

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Brighton Staff Vow To Clear Names: Three groundsmen sacked by Brighton and Hove Albion (BHAFC) over the leaking of team sheets have said they are fighting to clear their name.

Dean Massey, Ashley Smith and Jordan Woodsford were dismissed by the Premier League side last month.

Brighton Staff Vow To Clear Names

In a letter seen by the BBC, the trio was told the club had “lost all trust and confidence” in them.

A spokesperson for BHAFC previously said they would not comment on matters which it regards as confidential.

Mr Massey, Mr Smith and Mr Woodsford all claim they were not given the chance to appeal the decision to sack them following an investigation into the leak, which the club said began in October 2018.

All three men have said they are determined to prove their innocence through a court or tribunal.

Speaking to BBC South East, Mr Massey said: “The way they have gone about the situation is not what you expect from a Premier League club.

“I was distraught. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I just want the truth to come out.”

Ex-deputy head groundsman Mr Smith said he was told the club was going through a restructure and a change of culture, adding there were also suggestions he was removed due to being a fan of the club.

The 34-year-old said: “I feel like I have been treated terribly. You feel like a number or a piece of meat and not like a human being.

“I have been a fan since I was five. That’s not a real reason to sack someone.”

Mr Woodsford, 25, added: “It makes you feel like you are a criminal. It has been really stressful.”

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