Tribute to groundsman Reg Lomas

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Tribute to groundsman Reg Lomas: Reg Lomas, former head groundsman at Stratford and Cheltenham racecourses, has died at the age of 88.

Lomas was awarded an MBE in 2002 for his work within racing and had a race run at Ludlow in his honour in October 2005, the Reg Lomas Lifetime In Racing Handicap Chase.

“He was a great friend of mine and I worked with him for many years,” said Philip Arkwright, former clerk of the course at Cheltenham.

“I grabbed him when he retired from Stratford, having been there for a long time, and he came to Cheltenham until I retired in 2000. He was a remarkable groundsman.”

After leaving the racecourse, Arkwright nominated Lomas for an MBE to show his appreciation and paid tribute to his practical ability.

He said: “I put him up for an MBE shortly after I retired on account of his groundwork, and he was awarded it in 2002.

“He was very knowledgeable and that wasn’t born out of scientific knowledge, but of practical years looking at turf and dealing with different types of it.

“He was a groundsman even when I was hunter-chasing back in the mid-1960s, so he did it for a good 50 years. He was bloody good at his job.”

Lomas, who is survived by wife Elizabeth, retired in June 2001 at the age of 69, but remained an active participant in the sport alongside trainer Jonjo O’Neill.

“When Reg retired Jonjo made quite a lot of use of him,” said Arkwright. “He knew him very well and used his brain a lot. They were huge mates and lived within half a mile of each other.”

Arkwright added: “From the moment I retired in 2000 we spoke on nearly every Saturday. He was a delightful man.”

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Muthing flails much in demand

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Muthing flails much in demand: Simon Richard Ltd, UK Agents for the Muthing flail range, report an excellent start to the year for their front mounted MU-FM 140 and 160 flail mowers, from Shibaura, Kubota, Ransomes and John Deere dealers.

Simon Richard says, “Financial pressures mean local authorities are looking to maintain spaces with fewer staff and cuts per year. As a result flail mowing has become more important to maintain to the standards required and the Muthing front mounted MU-FM 160 has become a ‘go to’ product for local authorities and contractors all over the UK and Ireland, whether the requirements are for rough grass or fine cut finish.

Muthing flails much in demand

Muthing flails much in demand

The quality of cut afforded by flail mowers has increased dramatically over the years, to the point where these machines are no longer kept just for rougher areas. Smaller, lightweight versions are now finding employment on golf courses and cricket wickets.

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OxyShot to the rescue

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OxyShot to the rescue: The OxyShot from Charterhouse Turf Machinery has been hailed a saviour for FC United of Manchester, enabling a fixture to be played just 48 hours after the pitch was deemed to be unplayable.

The relentless heavy rainfall in February meant that many Grounds Managers, including Graham Byrne, were unable to conduct any decompaction work which left the club with no option but to cancel valuable fixtures. One visit from local contractors Bancroft Amenities Limited and their OxyShot air injection unit saw things swiftly back on track.

OxyShot to the rescue

OxyShot to the rescue

“I was aware of one particular area, a goal mouth, that was displaying signs of reduced drainage capacity for some time” explain Graham, who has overseen the pitch at Broadhurst Park since it opened five years ago. “In a normal season, we would call on Bancroft’s to come in and conduct some aeration work to relieve this compaction and improve drainage – but the weather has meant this isn’t a normal season! The ground has been too wet and soft to get anything onto the pitch.”

The OxyShot being small and lightweight was able to be used, with the tractor and compressor, left on the side-lines. “Bancroft’s came in shortly after Storm Ciara in February with the OxyShot, which effectively shattered the compaction to improve the drainage down through the profile. There’s no denying that if we had not brought the OxyShot in, the game would have been postponed and that would have been critical income that we as a non-league club just cannot afford to lose.”

Graham says, “Since the OxyShot work was conducted, we’ve noticed the ground in the affected area to be firmer and surface water is no longer gathering. It’s an outstanding machine, and we must say thank you again to Bancroft’s for their help in our hour of need.”

The OxyShot is ideal for ‘on-the-spot’ treatment of compaction, in a variety of situations from walkways, touchlines and arboricultural operations. It uses a single 25mm probe to inject air into the soil in four directions, at a pressure of up to 110psi and to a maximum depth of 500mm (20”). It can also be fitted with an optional 14mm probe, to reduce the working depth to 250mm.

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Spurred on to enter the industry

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Spurred on to enter the industry: Little did Spurs fan Harley Coplen know that his visit to last year’s WorldSkills UK LIVE exhibition would culminate in him winning a tour of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the club’s training ground – and spur thoughts of him and a fellow student entering industry apprenticeships.

Entering the prize draw on the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Young Board’s ‘careers in grounds management’ stand at the Birmingham NEC event in November with tutors and fellow students from the Robert Clack School of Science in Dagenham, Essex, Harley won the trip for him and a group of peers from more than 200 entries.

Spurred on to enter the industry

Spurred on to enter the industry

“I am proud to say that I am a Spurs fan,” says Harley, “and the stadium is phenomenal. I was taken aback by just how big it is and especially by how much work goes into the pitch to make it look so good for the spectators and for it to accommodate the players’ needs. I have learned a lot about becoming a groundsman and the hard work involved, and I have decided that I would like to pursue an apprenticeship in the industry.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to the IOG and everyone at the stadium and training ground for the experience, and for ensuring we got the most out of our trip.”

Jane Meaden, one of the tutors who accompanied the group, added: “A big thank you to the Spurs grounds staff who gave us an incredible tour and insight into the workings of the training ground and the stadium – where we saw how things worked pitch-side as well as ‘underground’ where the sliding pitch is stored.

“We all had a great time and we now have a couple of future groundsmen in the making.  A special thank you to Darren Baldwin, head of playing surfaces and estates at Tottenham Hotspur FC, for making the day so entertaining.”

WorldSkills UK LIVE at the NEC is one of a number of events attended by the IOG‘s Young Board to raise awareness of the industry as a career option, highlighting the sector’s inherent science and technology to also aid teachers in contextualising maths and science in the classroom. The Young Board strategy is based on developing promotional material and engaging with young people, guiding them towards a clear pathway into a rewarding career in grounds management. Young Board members give up their own time to organise and support Young IOG initiatives attending and supporting a range of career events through the year.

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Primo and Ryder get SUPERSIZED

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Primo and Ryder get SUPERSIZED: ICL has announced that Syngenta’s Primo Maxx II growth regulator and Ryder turf pigment are now available in larger sized packs. 

With immediate effect, turf managers now have the option of purchasing Primo Maxx II in 20-litre drums and Ryder in 5-litre bottles. Both are significant increases on the former sized containers and are set to provide better turf at better value.

Primo and Ryder get SUPERSIZED

Primo and Ryder get SUPERSIZED

The new pack sizes mean that Primo Maxx II is now available in 5 litre, 10 litre and 20 litre packs whilst Ryder is available in 1 litre and 5 litre bottles.

Primo Maxx II is the number one choice for industry professionals who want to create stronger, healthier turf and a better playing surface. The growth regulator works by obstructing the grass plant’s production of gibberellic acid, which is accountable for vertical growth. Where Primo Maxx II excels and other growth regulators fall short, Primo Maxx II creates the obstruction late in the growth cycle, which serves to stop cell elongation and keep shoots and stems short.

Launched just last year, Ryder has gained rave reviews from users with many praising its ability to instantly enhance the colour and visual appearance of turf. The innovative technology behind Ryder also protects leaves from the harmful effects of excessive sunlight and instead manages light more effectively. Furthermore, the intensity of colour produced by Ryder can be selected through adjustments to application rate, frequency and integrated turf management programmes.

If you are interested in the larger sized packs, please speak to your ICL area sales manager or distributor representative for more details.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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