Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

September 7, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam: Mark Walker, owner of Grasstek, has been widely praised for improving the pitch at Oxford United FC’s Kassam Stadium – with the club’s manager, Karl Robinson, even claiming that it has played a huge part in helping to improve the team’s style of play. Mark took on […]

Amenity Management – important and essential

September 4, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Kate Hopkins

Amenity Management – important and essential: 2020 is certainly a year not to be forgotten. It has impacted on us all in so many ways and it is clear that returning to what we thought as of normal will not be easy and may indeed never return in full. We have all had to acquire […]

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

September 7, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Amenity Management – important and essential

September 4, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Kate Hopkins

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

September 7, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam: Mark Walker, owner of Grasstek, has been widely praised for improving the pitch at Oxford United FC’s Kassam Stadium – with the club’s manager, Karl Robinson, even claiming that it has played a huge part in helping to improve the team’s style of play.

Mark took on the maintenance of the pitch at the Kassam Stadium in December 2018 and immediately knew that it was a project which would require his undivided attention.

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

“I think it is fair to say that the pitch needed a lot of work when we took it over,” he said. “Upon closer inspection, the hybrid pitch had clearly been over top-dressed so none of the artificial fibres were showing and these fibres were also laid flat creating a barrier against healthy rooting.”

Rather than shy away at the thought of the colossal project, Mark was determined to embark on the challenge.

“My background is predominantly in greenkeeping, so I got the best groundsman I know involved. His encyclopaedic knowledge, experience and connections have been invaluable. We’ve now got a great team and we are growing and starting to expand into other areas.”

With an expert team in place, Grasstek got straight to work. The previous summer’s renovations had not been highly successful so Mark knew that they would have to delve deeper.

“We had no other option but to re-expose it all,” he said. “Unfortunately, we could not use traditional pitch renovation machinery due to complications with the carpet. After much experimentation, Bury Turfcare came up with the idea of using a mini digger to remove all of the upper rootzone which had very high percentages of organic material in it. They delicately carried out the necessary repairs and then overseeded with Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed.

“I had used Limagrain seed previously in which I overseeded driving range outdoor teeing areas and target greens with MM50 so I already knew that it would be a good seed. MM60 was recommended to me by an agronomist friend and I’m pleased I took his advice.”

MM60 is a 100% ryegrass formula which is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface – particularly on winter pitches. It is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, fantastic aesthetic qualities and offers extremely fast germination – which is boosted by the inclusion of Headstart GOLD®.

“We saw fantastic results straight away – the germination was very quick and even and I think we carried out our first cut after just ten days,” he said.

As the season progressed, Mark still had concerns over a problematic area on the pitch, but he quickly found that MM60 had combatted the issues.

“The stadium has a huge south stand and there are no translucent panels in the roof, so from September through to May no sunlight gets on the south side of the pitch. Prior to using MM60, the grass was basically non-existent on that south side – it was like a beach.

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

“However, since we overseeded with MM60, we now have so much more coverage on that side. I think this shows that the seed has great shade tolerance and we now have a very dense sward with no disease.”

Mark’s refurbishment work on the pitch has certainly not gone un-noticed. The club’s manager Karl Robinson recently went out of his way to claim that the pitch has helped the club to play the fast-flowing, attacking football he desires.

“The pitch at the Kassam is one of the best I’ve seen for a long time,” he said publicly. “You have to give credit where it’s due and the pitch is magnificent. It’s little things that can add to us being a better club moving forward.”

While the Oxford United team will continue to play their attractive football on the pitch and push for promotion, Mark and the Grasstek team are committed to playing their part too.

“We’ve used MM60 ever since that first application and we are going to continue to do so,” said Mark. “We’re not even going to look at any other seed because we are so happy with what we’ve got.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Amenity Management – important and essential

September 4, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Kate Hopkins

Amenity Management – important and essential: 2020 is certainly a year not to be forgotten. It has impacted on us all in so many ways and it is clear that returning to what we thought as of normal will not be easy and may indeed never return in full.

We have all had to acquire new skills and new approaches to daily life and undoubtedly there have been significant challenges for us all, individuals and organisations. Yet it has also provided opportunity. The months of lockdown demonstrated just how much what happens in amenity management impacts on everyone who lives and works in the UK. It highlighted the essential elements involved in keeping transport networks running, our parks safe and our streets and pavements and so much more. It highlighted how important sport is in our lives and the incredible work of those who, despite the challenges, kept our golf courses and sports facilities maintained and fit for purpose.

Amenity Management – important and essential

2020 is also a year in which a major review of approaches to weed, pest and disease management is being undertaken by the UK and National Governments. This will lead to the publication of a new National Action Plan in 2021. The amenity sector and those who work in it have never been afraid to embrace change and innovation and this will remain so as long as what emerges is based upon proper evidence and science. The Amenity Forum is seeking to represent the views of the sector on all such matters and throughout highlights just how important what is done is to everyone.

We are asking governments to adopt the Amenity Standard as a requirement going forward for any professional work in amenity management. For those who fully support best practice and standards, this poses no problems but adoption in this way will further raise the profile and public confidence in what is done.

The Forum is holding its annual conference as an on line event on October 15^th 2020 where the theme will be ‘’Planning for the Future’’ We are pleased to confirm that an address will be included from a senior government representative and there will be speakers drawn from across our sector. Building on new skills and new ways, our 2020 conference may have a new method of delivery but is set to provide the same high quality of speaker and opportunity to catch up on the many developments in our sector and issues impacting on us. Over the years, the conference has become a must attend event for all involved in or with an interest in amenity management and this is even more important in 2020.

Aside from important discussion on the National Action Plan and its implications, our focus will be very much upon innovation and new ways forward given the events of recent months. Of course, it is recognised that the opportunity for face to face networking will be lost but the team are working hard to provide the very best experience using professional software and it will be hosted from a central venue. There will be facility to ask questions and share views. The delegate rate is £50 and or further information on how to book or for more detail, contact Admin@amenityforum.net

Professor John Moverley OBE, Independent Chairman of the Amenity Forum, says ‘’The amenity sector is a vitally important one creating employment, contributing substantially to our UK economy and above all seeking to provide safe, healthy and sustainable amenity and sports surfaces fit for purpose. All who work in it need to be proud of what they do, truly important and essential’’

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

Amenity Management – important and essential

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

Amenity Management – important and essential

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam

MM60 turns on the style at the Kassam: Mark Walker, owner of Grasstek, has been widely praised for improving the pitch at Oxford United FC’s Kassam Stadium – with the club’s manager, Karl Robinson, even claiming that it has played a huge part in helping to improve the team’s style of play.

Amenity Management – important and essential

Amenity Management – important and essential: 2020 is certainly a year not to be forgotten. It has impacted on us all in so many ways and it is clear that returning to what we thought as of normal will not be easy and may indeed never return in full.

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT