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OxyShot to the rescue

March 19, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

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 […]

Spurred on to enter the industry

March 19, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Colin Hoskins

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 […]

OxyShot to the rescue

March 19, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Spurred on to enter the industry

March 19, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Colin Hoskins

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OxyShot to the rescue

March 19, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

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

“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

March 19, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Colin Hoskins

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

“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.

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)

OxyShot to the rescue

Spurred on to enter the industry

OxyShot to the rescue

Spurred on to enter the industry

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

OxyShot to the rescue

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.

Spurred on to enter the industry

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