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Souters Sports put on a royal performance

February 6, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Souters Sports have been commended by Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate in York after the company completed a multi-million pound project which involved a total re-development of the school’s existing playing fields and transforming them into professional sports pitches. Queen Ethelburga’s, set in over 100 acres of manicured country park in the Vale of York, is ranked […]

One man’s obsession brings joy to Morton faithful

February 6, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Mark Farrell is an odd fellow. His lean physique, his weather-beaten face, his calloused hands: this is a man who works outdoors, come shine, or, this being the west of Scotland, thumping rain. But it’s his particular passion that marks him out as different from we mortals. This singular, migrant Mancunian is fixated by a […]

Souters Sports put on a royal performance

February 6, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

One man’s obsession brings joy to Morton faithful

February 6, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Souters Sports put on a royal performance

February 6, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Queen Ethelburga’s, set in over 100 acres of manicured country park in the Vale of York, is ranked as the North of England’s academically most successful, independent co-educational day and boarding school. The school caters for girls and boys from 3 months to 19 years old, offering day, weekly and full boarding places. Founded in 1912, the school boasts exceptional academic success and 2016 saw the school’s best ever year for A-level results with over 98% of Year 13 going on to the UK’s best universities.

Standards are incredibly high at Queen Ethelburga’s, which is highlighted by the school’s recent decision to invest over £80m in new resources and facilities. When the school announced that it was looking for a total re-development of the existing playing fields, it was imperative that they selected the best company to embark on the new multi-million pound project.

A project of this magnitude enticed sports turf contractors from all over the country and a rigorous tender process ensued. Souters Sports were part of the process from the very beginning and soon found themselves in the final two. However, there could only be one winner and Amy Martin, CEO of Queen Ethelburga’s based at Thorpe Underwood Estate, gave her reasons as to why Souters Sports won the contract.

“When you know that you want a project completed to the highest possible standard, you actually start looking at every detail of the tender process. Souters’ presentation was immaculate – it was well presented, well put together and covered every piece of information we were after. They were the most professional company that we met with and they were ready to grab the project with both hands and that was what we were looking for.”

The mammoth project commenced in late March 2015 – the site was set-up and earth works began to cultivate and the re-levelling of the existing areas was carried out. The works progressed quickly on the initial project which included:

1 cricket area comprising of 6 wicket squares (5 natural and 1 synthetic) and an outfield area.
1 full size football pitch.
1 full size rugby pitch.
5 smaller pitches of varying sizes for dual-use football and rugby.
Full drainage systems. Full irrigation system.
Network of footpaths.

In a matter of weeks the Souters’ team had installed the drainage and irrigation systems and preparation of the footpaths had begun. However, the team soon faced somewhat of a huge curve ball after the installation of a huge LED floodlighting scheme was added to the project.

Ground investigations identified that over 50% of the site was made up of sand which posed problems for the sizes of bases and installation as it was key to ensuring stability for wind loading of the columns once installed. The sizes of the holes that had to be excavated meant that significant impact and damage was sustained to the already completed works.

Nonetheless, the Souters’ team rose to the challenge and soon overcame the issue.

“When we decided that we would add in floodlighting we changed the goal posts massively,” says Amy. “They (Souters Sports) have a great can-do attitude – and as a team they just started looking to solve the problem instantly. In fact they actually adapted their way of working to suit us, which I don’t think you find in many contractors these days.”

Going above and beyond the call of duty, Souters’ were tasked with other additional work throughout the project which included the supply and installation of a six bay cricket practice net facility; two single multi-games areas for football basketball and netball; one larger multi-games area for netball, tennis and basketball; an upgrade of the existing hockey pitch irrigation system which included a full remote control system; the installation of perimeter fencing for the wet hockey pitch and the artificial hockey pitch; the installation of ball-stop netting systems to all the natural turf and synthetic pitches; redevelopment of a recreational pitch for general play including drainage and natural turf surface; redevelopment of the existing back field which included re-levelling, drainage installation and natural turf surface to allow a further football pitch and two rugby pitches; installation of drainage lift pumps to recycle water from the drainage system and reservoir back into the irrigation system; and additional paving and reinforced vehicle crossing points.

Within 18 months the project was completed and Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate now boasts arguably one of the finest sporting facilities in Europe.

“It truly is an amazing facility, says Amy “The kids love it, the England FA Ladies under 18’s love it, the Bath rugby team love it and even the Brownlee brothers who cut the ribbon to officially open it said it was fantastic. It’s all big names and sports teams that are saying how good the facility is and that speaks far more highly than myself saying how great it is.”
“Overall, I would highly recommend Souters Sports because I’m incredibly happy with the work they carried out. Right from the start they were very good – they are just an excellent and highly professional firm.”

One man’s obsession brings joy to Morton faithful

February 6, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Mark Farrell is an odd fellow. His lean physique, his weather-beaten face, his calloused hands: this is a man who works outdoors, come shine, or, this being the west of Scotland, thumping rain.

But it’s his particular passion that marks him out as different from we mortals. This singular, migrant Mancunian is fixated by a special rectangular plot of dear, green land, a place of worship for hundreds if not quite thousands.

Pity his wife, Tracey, as he paces the living room in Ardgowan Street, Greenock, of a Friday evening, eyes fixed on glowering skies, muttering. His girls, Scarlet, six, and Olivia, four, know well enough to leave Daddy well alone at stressful times like this.

Mark is groundsman at Cappielow Park, home to Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton, and nothing – outside family – matters more to him than his domain, 100 metres long, and 68 metres wide. And groundstaff matter.

Just ask Ken Hare. His plight secured heartless Southend United some rare column inches in the national sports pages last week. A frozen Roots Hall pitch meant the clash against Bolton Wanderers was called off – and led to his summary sacking.

This just one week after Southend had tweeted praise for making sure the pitch was perfect for Rochdale’s visit – and after Mr Hare’s unblemished 27 years of service. He is now pondering legal action and fans are petitioning for his reinstatement.

No such problems for our Morton man, though. Your correspondent may be biased, but this seems to be the finest playing surface anywhere, and light years ahead of the boggy mire of the old days when free-scoring Andy Ritchie, Bobby Thomson and John McNeil fired us to the top of the Premier League for a glorious weekend or three way back in 1979.

To ask Mark, 40, why is to unleash an excited tirade of horticultural gobbledygook: of verti-cutting; rye-grass surfacing; top-dressing; time-tabled line-painting and mowing (with the 12-year-old tractor bought for a snip from Queen of the South when they went plastic) to exactly 25mm the day before a match. Little wonder, perhaps, that Tracey’s eyes can glass over sometimes.

“I can’t stop thinking about it. I can be at the lights in traffic, or watching the kids’ nativity play, or shopping in the supermarket, and I’m worrying away about the pitch and its condition. You’ve got to be on top of what needs to be done all the time. We’ve always played football on the deck, so it’s got to be right.”

The art of the groundsman had become much more of a science since the days of treacle-like conditions at the likes of the Baseball Ground in the mid-seventies. At the top end of the game, it’s big business now.

Of the 44 pitches in the top two flights in England, 43 of them are boosted by plastic fibres. They prevent pitches cutting up. And all of them have undersoil heating and pop-up sprinklers.

None of this, though, at Cappielow. Elbow grease and expertise garnered through jobs as golf-course green-keeper are key to a playing surface which now hosts 55 matches a year. As well as providing Jim Duffy’s side with the best surface in the league, it earns the club precious income: Scotland under-20s play there, and the Celtic youngsters do too. Barcelona’s kids have graced the turf here too.

Time, then, to salute Mark Farrell, just one of tens of thousands of unsung heroes up and down the land. They make Saturday afternoons special for us all.

To read the original article, click here

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Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Souters Sports put on a royal performance

One man’s obsession brings joy to Morton faithful

Souters Sports put on a royal performance

One man’s obsession brings joy to Morton faithful

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Souters Sports put on a royal performance

One man’s obsession brings joy to Morton faithful

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