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Duncan Ross Ltd Reinvigorates Penrith Football Club

October 27, 2017/in Press Release, Sport/by CharmianRobson

Duncan Ross Ltd reinvigorates Penrith Football Club with six-week pitch re-development: Penrith Football Club’s Frenchfield Park Stadium had been virtually unplayable for nine years, until recent pitch redevelopment work by Duncan Ross Ltd gave the club and their pitch a new lease of life. The surface had been without considered maintenance before and during the current […]

SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal

October 27, 2017/in Industry News, Press Release/by External Source

SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal: The company running the KCOM Stadium has admitted unfairly sacking two long-serving groundsmen following a dramatic day at an employment tribunal. Mark Harrison and his number two, Darrell Cook, were dismissed from their roles managing the pitch at Hull City’s ground in April – a job they had held […]

Duncan Ross Ltd Reinvigorates Penrith Football Club

October 27, 2017/in Press Release, Sport/by CharmianRobson

SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal

October 27, 2017/in Industry News, Press Release/by External Source

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Duncan Ross Ltd Reinvigorates Penrith Football Club

October 27, 2017/in Press Release, Sport/by CharmianRobson

The surface had been without considered maintenance before and during the current nine-year inhabitancy of Penrith FC, and without a functioning drainage system the top layer of the surface became impenetrable.

Duncan Ross were only given a six-week window to complete the operation in time for a lucrative pre-season friendly against League Two outfit Carlisle United. Within the three days of work, the top was completely stripped off using a Koro^® FIELDTOP MAKER^®, sand banding was introduced and the pitch was seeded.

Brian ‘Billy’ Williams has had a 50-year association with the club, first as a player, owner and chairman – the role he currently holds. The importance of the pitch being prepared for the match was massive for the club, and Brian explains the before and after effects the project has had.

“The pitch wasn’t draining at all, we had drains that had been dry for the last eight-years and Duncan came down and gave us a thesis on what he thought was wrong,” Brian explained. “He presented a solution to what he thought would solve the problems and our local council along with the Football Stadium Improvement Fund got involved and funded the project.

“It’s been a pleasure for people to come along to the ground and ask what’s been going on and I tell we met a man called Duncan Ross. I’ve been in business myself for the last 50-years and I don’t think I’ve ever met a more conscientious people regarding the quality of their work.

“We played our first pre-season game against Carlisle United on 12^th July, and that really put them to the test because the decision wasn’t made to bring Duncan in until the early part of May, so there was a five to six-week window to actually start doing the work, which was quite considerable.

“The game against Carlisle meant a lot to us financially for the start of the current season, so it was great that it was ready for the game. Carlisle were absolutely thrilled with the condition of it and we’ve had nothing but positive feedback.”

As Frenchfield is owned by Eden Council and leased by the club, Doug Huggon, leisure and community service manager at the council, was involved in the process. Their involvement along with the help of the Cumberland Football Association meant half the cost of reconstructing the pitch was paid for.

“Duncan Ross can only be commended in their approach to offering a solution to the drainage issue, successfully bidding for the work, undertaking the work on time and to budget,” Doug said.

“Also, for the support and assistance that has been offered to the club since the work was carried out, advising on irrigation, grass cutting and on-going maintenance.

“The council as well as the club has been impressed with the performance of Duncan Ross and hope to develop a relationship going forward that will ensure that the day to day maintenance of the pitch, undertaken by volunteers at the club as well as the annual reinstatement of the pitch allows for less matches being postponed and use of the pitch by other teams within the club.”

Allowing other teams within the club to use the pitch is a very important point for Brian, who now aims to bond the clubs 300 junior kids and four ladies’ teams together by allowing all of them to play on the stadium pitch.

This would not only have a positive effect on the players but the club’s finances at the same time. There is also a probable knock-on effect of being able to use the surface to attract new players to the club.

with six-week pitch re-development.

Penrith Football Club’s Frenchfield Park Stadium had been virtually unplayable for nine years, until recent pitch redevelopment work by Duncan Ross Ltd gave the club and their pitch a new lease of life.

“Duncan Ross can only be commended in their approach to offering a solution to the drainage issue, successfully bidding for the work, undertaking the work on time and to budget,” Doug said.

“Also, for the support and assistance that has been offered to the club since the work was carried out, advising on irrigation, grass cutting and on-going maintenance.

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SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal

October 27, 2017/in Industry News, Press Release/by External Source

SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal: The company running the KCOM Stadium has admitted unfairly sacking two long-serving groundsmen following a dramatic day at an employment tribunal.

Mark Harrison and his number two, Darrell Cook, were dismissed from their roles managing the pitch at Hull City’s ground in April – a job they had held since 2002.

SMC said at the time they had been fired for gross misconduct amid claims the pitch had been deteriorating.

An employment tribunal in Hull was told on Thursday the SuperStadium Management Company (SMC) conceded the pair were unfairly dismissed earlier.

But the SMC is arguing it should not pay compensation to the two men and contend their actions still warranted dismissal.

Giving evidence, Mr Allam said he had relied on security system data and CCTV footage in deciding to refuse Mr Cook’s initial appeal against dismissal.

He said Mr Cook’s tracked movements around the stadium suggested had been working as a kit man for Hull FC during his normal working hours for the SMC.

Barrister Nicholas Siddal, who is representing the men after an online crowd-funding campaign, said: “You are relying on an inference that Mr Cook was doing something wrong?”

Mr Allam replied: “I am relying on my logical assumptions.”

Mr Allam said he believed Mr Cook was moonlighting with Mr Harrison’s approval.

“There was no purpose for him being where he was in the stadium. He wasn’t there doing something for me, therefore he must have been doing something for someone else.”

The tribunal heard both Mr Harrison and Mr Cook had no previous history of any disciplinary issues involving their work at the stadium. In evidence, Mr Harrison said he knew nothing about what Mr Cook did in his lieu time.

They were both sacked without being given any initial verbal or written warnings about their conduct.

Mr Siddall said neither man had been given any written reason for their dismissals in the formal decision letters from the SMC.

Mr Allam, who oversaw the internal appeal process which rejected their stance, acknowledged he had initially instigated the disciplinary investigation into the two men following concerns about the state of the pitch at the stadium.

Mr Siddal told the tribunal that letters sent to the two men by the SMC informing them of their appeal hearings stated they would be chaired by Mr Allam because he was “independent of the process with no previous knowledge” of the issues.

Mr Siddal said: “This was simply not true.”

The hearing will continue on Friday.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Duncan Ross Ltd Reinvigorates Penrith Football Club

SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal

Duncan Ross Ltd Reinvigorates Penrith Football Club

SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal

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Duncan Ross Ltd Reinvigorates Penrith Football Club

SMC Boss Questioned At KCOM Groundsmen Tribunal

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