Blog Elements - Turf Matters

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MJ Abbott Provide World Class Results

February 20, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Two pitch reconstructions and one full renovation were completed at the training headquarters of the Ligue 1 champions, with all three completed in conjunction with Premier Pitches. The past five years have been laden with success since the Qatar Sports Investments Group purchased the club in 2011. Whilst millions have been spent on football’s biggest […]

ECB Considers Artificial Pitches For T20

February 20, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Keen to ensure the best-possible surfaces (for batsmen, anyway) for a competition seen as vital in attracting a new audience to the game, the ECB recently held a meeting with county groundsmen where the idea was discussed. ESPNcricinfo understands that Chris Wood, the ECB’s Pitch Consultant, has been charged with researching how to introduce such […]

MJ Abbott Provide World Class Results

February 20, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

ECB Considers Artificial Pitches For T20

February 20, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

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MJ Abbott Provide World Class Results

February 20, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Two pitch reconstructions and one full renovation were completed at the training headquarters of the Ligue 1 champions, with all three completed in conjunction with Premier Pitches.

The past five years have been laden with success since the Qatar Sports Investments Group purchased the club in 2011. Whilst millions have been spent on football’s biggest names in the intervening three seasons, with three consecutive Ligue 1 titles and nine domestic cup competitions added to the trophy cabinet, the Parisian club have also invested off the pitch.

Head Grounds Manager, Jonathan Calderwood, has been with PSG since 2013 and has been a part of the club’s domination of French football as well as garnering plaudits for his Parc des Princes pitch during Euro 2016.

During this busy summer of international football that saw Portugal triumph and Jonathan’s native Northern Ireland make their return to a major tournament, MJ Abbott were undertaking two phases of work at Camp des Loges.

The first phase of work, to two academy training pitches, involved removing the vegetation by Koro, laser grading to improve the existing rootzone levels, import and spreading of a new 100mm rootzone layer, final laser trimming, cultivation and seeding.

Jonathan explains: “It was essential that the new rootzone layer offered a smooth playing surface. MJ Abbott carried out a GPS survey of the pitches prior to work starting, from which they were able to design the new levels. When work started, the design was loaded into the bulldozer laser system, ensuring the pitch regrading and new rootzone was installed to very accurate tolerances from the outset.”

MJ Abbott Contracts Manager, Nathan George, comments: “As with all projects carried out for professional football clubs, time is very much in limited supply from the end of the playing season to the start of next season’s pre-season training. It was therefore imperative to deliver the project on time to ensure Jonathan had a suitable amount of time to grow the pitches in and get them ready for use when required by the club.”

Despite torrential rainfall encountered across Paris shortly after the pitches were completed, Jonathan and his team managed to get the pitches ready in time for the new season. “We struggled initially with wash out on the surfaces which meant we had to overseed once the rains subsided. MJ Abbott’s efficiency during the construction process certainly ensured that we had maximum timescales to get the pitches grown in.” Jonathan continues: “the new pitch surfaces have been well received by the players and look fantastic.”

MJ Abbott utilised Premier Pitches Ltd to carry out the cultivating and seeding operations on the newly constructed surfaces, and for the renovation of the academy Match pitch which formed the second phase of work. Nathan explains: “The two companies have utilised each others’ services on a number of projects to date. Premier Pitches’ expertise in end of season renovations is synonymous amongst some of Europe’s biggest football clubs.”

The Match Pitch end of season renovation involved removing the vegetation by Koro, vertidraining, rootzone topdressing application, cultivation and seeding. All work had to be completed within 5 days, to ensure Jonathan had the maximum amount of pitch establishment time. “Premier Pitches did a great renovation job on our match pitch, and as with MJ Abbott, their attention to detail and care for the end product was very impressive and gave me the confidence that the work was carried out to our specifications.”

The importance of using a reliable company on a project with such tight time-frames was very important for Jonathan, and the reason why MJ Abbott were selected by PSG to complete the work. ”Thanks to MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches and their professionalism, excellent quality of work and ability to complete all work on time, we had the maximum opportunity to have the pitches ready for the new season and excellent playing surfaces ‎for the up-coming seasons at the Paris Saint-Germain Academy.”

ECB Considers Artificial Pitches For T20

February 20, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

There are significant pros and cons to the use of such pitches. While it would likely result in a certain homogenisation of conditions and provide even less opportunity for bowlers to extract anything from surfaces, it would also enable grounds to provide the centre-wicket pitches required by broadcasters multiple times without concerns about deterioration. Artificial surfaces might also be considered to provide uniformity of conditions for both teams, which a turf surface will not always offer.

Drop-in surfaces have also been considered but are not thought to be cost effective or provide quite the same uniformity of performance.

While long-term lovers of cricket may have reservations about artificial surfaces, the ECB’s mantra over the new competition is that it is not designed to appeal to those already watching the game: it is designed to appeal to the vast potential audience that is currently immune to its charms. The ECB feels that providing such good-paced surfaces will help create the high-scoring, boundary-filled cricket it believes will attract that new audience. It might also minimise delays after poor weather.

To that end, Wood is looking into the best options and cost implications of laying such pitches close to the middle of squares in all first-class grounds.

It is a move that will do nothing to address the increasing imbalance between bat and ball and might rob the game of the sort of low-scoring thrillers that made the 1983 World Cup final, the 2015 World Cup match between New Zealand and Australia and the 2003 World Cup match between Australia and England – among many others – so memorable. But subtlety appears to be one the likely victims of the T20 revolution.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

MJ Abbott Provide World Class Results

ECB Considers Artificial Pitches For T20

MJ Abbott Provide World Class Results

ECB Considers Artificial Pitches For T20

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

MJ Abbott Provide World Class Results

ECB Considers Artificial Pitches For T20

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