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Groundsman’s sense of normality

March 30, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Groundsman’s sense of normality: Amid all the uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, it is reassuring to know that some routines have hardly changed. “The grass doesn’t stop for coronavirus,” Scott Humphries, groundsman at Oxford United’s training ground says. This is the start of the third week without players working on the pitches at the club’s headquarters near […]

JCB joins national call to action

March 30, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Nigel Chell

JCB joins national call to action: JCB is poised to re-start production at a factory closed as a result of the Coronavirus crisis in order to join the national effort to manufacture ventilators, the company announced today. JCB received a direct appeal from Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this month to help plug the national […]

Groundsman’s sense of normality

March 30, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

JCB joins national call to action

March 30, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Nigel Chell

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Groundsman’s sense of normality

March 30, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Groundsman’s sense of normality: Amid all the uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, it is reassuring to know that some routines have hardly changed.

“The grass doesn’t stop for coronavirus,” Scott Humphries, groundsman at Oxford United’s training ground says.

This is the start of the third week without players working on the pitches at the club’s headquarters near Horspath.

But while the squad are cooped up, Humphries cannot work from home.

Instead, he is isolated in his tractor, trundling up and down the vast expanse of green, keeping it in shape for when the season can restart.

He said: “It’s just about giving the pitches some tender loving care.

“Grass is like a human, it requires food, drink and oxygen.

“People don’t see it like that, but to me it’s my second baby.”

Other than not marking out the pitches, his job has barely changed in the last fortnight.

The lack of wear and tear, coupled with the sudden burst of sunshine, has helped restore the pitches to pristine condition.

But there is a snag to this unscheduled break, which is centred around just how long life will be on hold.

Groundstaff count on the long summer break to give them enough time to undertake essential major pitch renovation works.

But with the current campaign set to be extended, it is likely the gap between seasons will be shorter.

Humphries said: “We all need a holiday now and again because otherwise we burn out – and pitches are no different.

“You would normally rip the surface off and then it’s about six weeks to grow.

“The training pitch is vital, especially with the way our boys want to play.

“The community use the facilities as well and you want them to have a good surface when they’re allowed to come out.

“It’s so frustrating because we can’t plan anything – and it needs to be ready for Championship players next season.”

A lifelong United fan, Humphries has lived the dream since arriving in August 2017.

And although he is working separately to the rest of the club at the moment, the connection is still there.

“Derek Fazackerley (first team coach) rang me up the other night, just to see how things were,” he said.

“That’s brilliant and it just makes you feel part of it.

“Faz is a football legend and he’s taken ten minutes out to give me a ring.

“It’s the club I love and you are always going to go the extra mile in that situation.

“It’s brilliant to see it on the Saturday. At 5pm you can say ‘I’ve played a little part in that’.”

In that context, the current situation – surrounded by pitches, but without any football – is torture.

“I can’t wait for football to be back,” he said.

“I just keep thinking about that first game and how much we’ll all be looking forward to it.

“We took a Tuesday night in Rochdale for granted, but everyone will be buzzing to go now.”

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JCB joins national call to action

March 30, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Nigel Chell

JCB joins national call to action: JCB is poised to re-start production at a factory closed as a result of the Coronavirus crisis in order to join the national effort to manufacture ventilators, the company announced today.

JCB received a direct appeal from Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this month to help plug the national ventilator shortage and to help save lives of Coronavirus patients. Following the approach, JCB Chairman Lord Bamford promised to help in any way the company could and immediately mobilised a research and engineering team to examine potential ways to assist.

JCB joins national call to action

Now JCB is ready to restart production at a factory which has been closed for nearly two weeks as a result of the Coronavirus crisis. But instead of making cabs for JCB diggers, the plant is being mobilised to make special steel housings for a brand new design of ventilator from Dyson. A minimum of 10,000 of the JCB housings are earmarked for manufacture once Dyson receives regulatory approval for its design.

The first prototypes of the housings have been delivered to Dyson after rolling off the production line at JCB’s £50 million Cab Systems factory in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, which Boris Johnson visited during the election campaign. The factory fell silent on March 18^th along with eight other JCB UK manufacturing plants after a fall in demand caused by the Coronavirus crisis. Mass production of the housings could start in a matter of days.

Today JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “When we were approached by the Prime Minister we were determined, as a British company, to help in any way we could. This project has gone from design to production in just a matter of days and I am delighted that we have been able to deploy the skills of our talented engineering, design and fabrication teams so quickly at a time of national crisis. This is also a global crisis, of course, and we will naturally help with the production of more housings if these ventilators are eventually required by other countries.”

JCB’s response to the national call to action would see the return to work for around 50 employees affected by an extended company shutdown announced last week. JCB suspended production at its nine UK production plants until at least the end of April as a result of the Coronavirus crisis and furloughed the vast majority of its 6,500 workforce. The company is paying them 80% of their basic pay for the next month, regardless of what they earn.

Employees returning to work to help manufacture the ventilator housings will be paid 100% of their normal pay.

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)

Groundsman’s sense of normality

JCB joins national call to action

Groundsman’s sense of normality

JCB joins national call to action

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Groundsman’s sense of normality

Groundsman’s sense of normality: Amid all the uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, it is reassuring to know that some routines have hardly changed.

JCB joins national call to action

JCB joins national call to action: JCB is poised to re-start production at a factory closed as a result of the Coronavirus crisis in order to join the national effort to manufacture ventilators, the company announced today.

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