SIS sets the stage for Riyadh’s Season Cup

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SIS sets the stage for Riyadh’s Season Cup: Season Cup, Riyadh’s showpiece football tournament featuring Messi and Ronaldo, was made possible thanks to the world’s first fully indoor hybrid pitch built in 21 days by global sports surfaces specialist, SIS Pitches.

The competition forms part of the Riyadh Season, a festival featuring both live sport and entertainment in the capital, funded by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund. All Season Cup games take place at the Kingdom Arena in front of 24,000 fans. During the competition, the stadium received two Guinness World Records. The first for being the largest covered football stadium; the second for having the largest seating capacity for an indoor covered stadium.

SIS sets the stage for Riyadh's Season Cup

SIS sets the stage for Riyadh’s Season Cup

Setting the stage for the cup’s major fixtures, including Al Nassr vs. Inter Miami, was a major challenge for SIS Pitches. Construction and development of the elite indoor sports venue started in late 2023, giving the business a much shorter window to install and prepare a playing surface fit for top-level competition.

However, this short window was only one part of the challenge. SIS also had to ensure the natural turf grew strong enough to properly secure the small percentage of synthetic fibres stitched into the arena’s surface, as is standard for hybrid pitches of this type. This process was made harder by the arena’s fully indoor design, which has no windows or roof for sunlight to enter. The SIS team worked around this by using ultraviolet growing lights to prepare the pitch in time.

Sela, the developer responsible for the arena, requested a game-ready playing surface in just three weeks, much shorter than the typical window for a major development of this type. This aligned with the pace of construction for the wider stadium, which was completed in just 60 days.

Speed and resilience were key. SISGrass, the solution specified by SIS, merges natural turf with a small percentage of polymer yarn. Already used by many of the most recognisable names in sports, this mixture is injected by the company’s patented electric stitching machine, providing a more consistent and resilient playing surface. SIS’s machine is capable of covering 1300m2 metres per day with a 90mm shallow stitch, making it ideal for quick installs like that requested by Sela.

SISGrass is much harder-wearing than an all-natural pitch, and is proven to accommodate more playing hours while also being less susceptible to wear or damage. This was particularly important for the Kingdom Arena, given the small window groundspeople have to prepare between entertainment and sports events.

The stadium is home to Saudi Professional League team Al Hilal. It will also host several other major sporting events in the coming months, including two heavyweight championship boxing fights. The Kingdom Arena is similar to New Zealand’s Forsyth Barr Stadium, which is also indoors, though the latter is fitted with a transparent roof allowing sunlight to enter. Riyadh’s stadium is therefore the first fully indoor facility to be completed.

David Ball, Managing Director at SIS Saudi said “This project had an incredibly challenging timeline but our team was able to mobilise quickly, delivering a high-quality playing surface fit for what arguably football’s two greatest ever players. We knew the arena was going to be used for other sports and entertainment, so the pitch had to be capable of accommodating short turnarounds between events. SISGrass was a natural choice in this respect, having already proven itself the best option for groundspeople across the world.”

Based in Riadyh’s Boulevard City development, the Kingdom Arena boasts all the facilities expected from a modern stadium, fitted with a state-of-the-art air monitoring system and 20 skyboxes.

For more information on SISGrass, visit: https://www.sispitches.com/pitches/hybrid-pitch-sisgrass/

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FSI announce new UK partner network

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FSI announce new UK partner network: Following the formation of FSI Stump Cutters UK Ltd at the end of 2023, the stump grinder manufacturer has now released further details about their newly established network of FSI partners.

With nationwide coverage, customers past, present and future can be assured of quality sales and service matched with consistent and localised support throughout the United Kingdom.

FSI announce new UK partner network

FSI announce new UK partner network

In what has been a busy few months for Lee Hatton, Sales Director for FSI Stump Cutters UK Ltd, and FSI Managing Director Kim Schmidt visiting dealerships across the country, twelve FSI partners have been officially signed up – some having worked with the brand previously, and others new to the franchise. All, however, have been carefully selected for their alignment with the FSI values and vision to deliver industry-leading service and support.

Confirmed partners at time of publishing are Davies Implements, DJB Machinery, Eastern Garden Machinery, Elmstar Machinery, FH & J Alviti Ltd, GA Groundcare Ltd, GGM, Global Plant Sales, ILH Groundcare, Landpower Machinery, Pro Arb and Stag Machinery. Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Guernsey, Alderney and Sark in the Channel Islands will be managed directly by FSI UK.

The move to a more regionalised approach ensures that an FSI expert is never far away, meaning that advice and support is available in an efficient and timely manner. Commenting on the network, Lee adds, “The strength we have as a manufacturer-owned UK business is now paired with the support of our partners to the benefit of our customers. I am passionate about providing an industry-leading package based on three pillars – products, parts and service and I am pleased to be hearing reports from happy customers about their own positive experiences of working with FSI and our partners in our new era in the UK.”

More details on the FSI partner network are available on the new FSI UK website, where product information, technical specifications and in-field videos can also be found, alongside the ability to request a demonstration. Please visit www.fsi-stumpcutters.co.uk for further information.

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Redexim announce return of free seed promotion

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Redexim announce return of free seed promotion: Redexim UK are pleased to announce the return of their ‘Free Seed’ promotion for 2024. Following the popularity of the initiative last year, more facilities can now benefit from free seed up to the value of £500 from the world’s largest grass seed breeders, DLF, when they purchase a qualifying disc or dimple seeder from any Redexim Regional Partner.

Recognising the ongoing and ever-tightening economic pressures facing sports facilities across the country, Redexim’s promotion re-launched at BTME in January with the news that, for 2024, the selected seed supplier is DLF. This announcement gives customers access to mixtures from the market-leading Johnsons Sports Seed, MM and Masterline sports and landscape ranges, together with ProFlora and ColourBoost wildflower collections.

Redexim announce return of free seed promotion

Redexim announce return of free seed promotion

The voucher will be generated following the purchase of an Overseeder 3D disc seeder, or SpeedSeed or Multi-Seeder from the Redexim dimple seeder range, from their nationwide network of Regional Partners.

Paul Langford, Commercial Director for Redexim commented, “We know that cost increases across the board are having a real impact on maintenance programmes, that’s why we’re delighted to have teamed up with the industry’s biggest seed distributor to support venues with materials that they so desperately need. The flexibility of having hundreds of seed mixtures to choose from means that clubs can tailor the deal to suit their individual requirements and come away with a package that delivers real value.”

Derek Smith, DLF’s Amenity Sales and Marketing Manager added, “We’re pleased to be working with Redexim in supplying seed solutions that can improve turf quality and performance, while also being kinder to budgets and the environment. DLF’s global research programme has contributed to our strongest, most sustainable seed line-up to date, and we look forward to sharing this with existing and new customers via this exciting partnership.”

For further information, please speak to your local Redexim Regional Partner – the details of which can be found on the Redexim UK website.

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Osca 3 elevates synthetic maintenance at Colliers Park

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Osca 3 elevates synthetic maintenance at Colliers Park: James Mathewson, Head Groundsperson at Colliers Park National Football Development Centre in Wrexham, has found a game-changer in the Syn-Pro by SISIS Osca 3 for the upkeep of their synthetic pitch.

James brings a wealth of knowledge from his diverse career path, including stints at renowned clubs like Arsenal FC and West Ham United FC as well as the Honourable Artillery Company. For the past 18 months he has been at Colliers Park, which boasts state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to football development. Among its features is a full-sized synthetic pitch, a crucial asset for training and matches. Before James’ tenure, the deep cleaning maintenance of the 3G pitch was outsourced, incurring significant monthly costs.

Osca 3 elevates synthetic maintenance at Colliers Park

Osca 3 elevates synthetic maintenance at Colliers Park

James explains, “Before I came here, we were contracting out the maintenance of the 3G pitch, which was a big cost every month.”

The introduction of the Osca 3 marked a turning point in their synthetic maintenance strategy. James elaborates, “We identified the Osca as a power brush that could reduce the de-compaction for us, keep the rubber crumb distributed, and keep the pitch in a good overall condition.”

The Syn-Pro by SISIS Osca 3 is a tractor mounted powered oscillating brush with a 1.9 meter working width and is equally effective when used on synthetic turf with sand or rubber infill. The two oscillating brushes stand the carpet fibres up and redistributes the infill evenly, minimising compaction on the surface and improving its performance – giving consistent playing characteristics while preventing pile damage caused by reduced infill levels.

One of the significant advantages James highlights is the flexibility the Osca 3 provides. “We no longer have the monthly expenditure of bringing the contractor in. We invested in the machine, but it is already starting to pay itself back now, and we are getting a better pitch for it. With the Osca, we can now fit in the maintenance work around bookings and weather conditions, whereas before, when we used a contractor, we would need to take the pitch out of action for a whole day.”

James further explains how the Osca’s oscillating brush, a unique feature setting it apart from other models, plays a crucial role. “The oscillating brush gives us the decompaction and redistribution, but the stiff brush keeps it nice and clean and smooth, and re-levels everything off.”

In addition to the machine’s performance, James praises the customer service from Syn-Pro by SISIS. “The service from SISIS is excellent. Ben Lloyd (Field Support & Sales) comes in and is always on the phone if I need him throughout the year.”

With the Syn-Pro Osca 3, James and Colliers Park have not only achieved significant cost savings but have also elevated the quality of their synthetic pitch maintenance. The machine’s innovative design and the dedicated support from Syn-Pro by SISIS have made it an indispensable tool for ensuring optimal playing conditions.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Syn-Pro by SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.synprobysisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Syn-Pro on Twitter or Instagram @synprobysisis and like the company’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/SynPro-by-SISIS.

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Jacobsen® unveils fully electric mowing solution

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Jacobsen® unveils fully electric mowing solution: In 2024, Jacobsen will become one of the first manufacturers to offer a fully electric golf course mowing service solution. With the Eclipse 2 ELiTE™ walking greens mower, ELiTE lithium outfront and AR1 ELiTE articulated rotary mower joining the already successful Eclipse 360 ELiTE and SLF1 ELiTE models.

Jacobsen has scaled up the power requirements for fairway and rough machines using tried and tested Samsung® Lithium SDI technology. By partnering this technology with Jacobsen mowers, turf professionals can cut all day on greens, tees, fairways, or roughs, while always maintaining Jacobsen’s famous quality of cut.

Jacobsen® unveils fully electric mowing solution

Jacobsen® unveils fully electric mowing solution

Extending the benefits of lithium to the entire course enables golf organizations to reduce their carbon emissions further, but there are also significant user benefits. With noise and vibration greatly decreased, a day of cutting fairways or rough will have less stress on the operator, bringing increased comfort and productivity.

To enhance the efficiency and productivity of these machines, Jacobsen has added PACE Technology™, an equipment management and geofencing system that is a screenless web-based solution. PACE can be accessed from any device and features real-time tracking and task management to maximize the effectiveness of your operation. Users can track and measure the power output per hole of the machines to maximize their performance and develop a bespoke picture of how they work on the course.

Testing these innovations and their capabilities has been a big consideration. Jacobsen, Cushman®, and PACE have collaborated with 26 courses across three continents in 2023, including Sage Valley Golf Club, South Carolina, Loch Lomond Golf Club, Scotland, and Peninsula Kingswood in Australia.

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