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GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff

March 23, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) has launched this year’s #GroundsWeek campaign with a striking new video created in partnership with Brighton & Hove Albion and the World Snooker Tour (WST). The film brings together two expert teams whose work is essential yet often overlooked, showcasing the specialist […]

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches

March 23, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches: With fixture schedules intensifying and sporting venues hosting more events than ever, SIS Pitches has launched two new hybrid pitch systems designed to help grounds teams and stadium operators tackle mid‑season deterioration and tight installation windows without compromising performance. SIS Pitches’ GAMEREADY Hybrid range offers two new […]

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff

March 23, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches

March 23, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff

March 23, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) has launched this year’s #GroundsWeek campaign with a striking new video created in partnership with Brighton & Hove Albion and the World Snooker Tour (WST).

The film brings together two expert teams whose work is essential yet often overlooked, showcasing the specialist skills required to prepare both elite football pitches and professional snooker tables.

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff

For years, people have often compared high-quality sports surfaces to “snooker tables”. This video brings that comparison vividly to life by following the Brighton & Hove Albion grounds team and a WST table fitter, to reveal the precision and care that is essential in both roles.

But behind this celebration, lies a challenge for the grounds management industry.

New findings from the GMA’s latest Workforce Insight Report show that many grounds professionals feel their work is less recognised than it was five years ago. This is a concern for a highly skilled industry that underpins sport and supports communities across the country.

And this is exactly why #GroundsWeek exists.

Across the UK, grounds staff work in all weather and often behind the scenes, to keep pitches and public spaces safe and playable. Their work supports sport at every level of sport and improves the health and wellbeing of millions. #GroundsWeek gives these dedicated professionals and volunteers the recognition they deserve and shines a light on their knowhow.

The campaign celebrates the people who look after sports surfaces, school grounds, community fields, public spaces and more – places that host everything from elite fixtures to grassroots matches, school sport and everyday recreation.

This new video aims to raise awareness of this essential work and highlight the consistently high standards that both grounds staff and WST table fitters achieve every single day.

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA said: “#GroundsWeek is our chance to celebrate the fantastic people who make sport happen. Their expertise ensures pitches, parks and community spaces are in great condition all year round. This new video shows the pride and professionalism in our industry, and we’re delighted to work with the World Snooker Tour and Brighton & Hove Albion to highlight the brilliant work grounds staff do every day.”

Phil Fifield, Head of Sports Turf at Brighton and Hove Albion said: “#GroundsWeek is a brilliant initiative by the GMA to give welcomed acknowledgement to those who bring sport to life. To celebrate the staff up and down the country for their tireless commitment and professionalism to the sports turf industry. It’s been a tremendous honour to work with the GMA and World Snooker Tour to showcase the care and dedication that goes into producing elite surfaces. I thank my staff also for their expertise and support but also their dedicated to their craft and endeavours away from the spotlight.”

Chris Barnes, Head Table Fitter at World Snooker Tour said: “When people watch sport either live in the arena or on television, they don’t always realise the huge amount of work that goes into preparing the playing surfaces. In snooker I work with a team of incredibly skilled and dedicated table fitters, and we spent countless hours striving to provide the best possible conditions for the players. #GroundsWeek is a great opportunity for fans in every sport to reflect on the work that happens behind the scenes.”

The GMA hopes the partnership with the World Snooker Tour will help #GroundsWeek reach new audiences and inspire greater appreciation for the people who shape and protect the spaces we all rely on.

#GroundsWeek is proudly supported by GMA Platinum Corporate Supporters Kubota, Howardson Group, ICL, MJ Abbott, Premier Pitches, GKB Machines, ISEKI, Cramer and GMA Gold Corporate Supporters Rada Controls, Aquatrols, Redexim, RT Machinery, SGL, Husqvarna and Jenkins Garden Machinery.

Get involved in #GroundsWeek

Download the #GroundsWeek Engagement Pack, access free resources and find out how you can take part: thegma.org.uk/groundsweek

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches

March 23, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches: With fixture schedules intensifying and sporting venues hosting more events than ever, SIS Pitches has launched two new hybrid pitch systems designed to help grounds teams and stadium operators tackle mid‑season deterioration and tight installation windows without compromising performance.

SIS Pitches’ GAMEREADY Hybrid range offers two new hybrid grass pitch solutions, both of which significantly reduce the typical lead time associated with new pitch installations. Thanks to the new range, grounds teams benefit from a solution that is faster and more cost-effective to install than traditional hybrid carpet systems, requiring less forward planning.

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches

The first of the two innovative systems is GAMEREADY Pre-stitched turf, a premium-grade sports turf, which is grown and stitched at an off-site turf farm before being harvested and installed within just two days as a reinforced, high-quality match-ready hybrid playing surface.

Ideal for grounds teams and stadium operators faced with a struggling pitch mid-season or a short installation window due to a busy events calendar, the turf is grown either by SIS Pitches or one of its trusted turf farm providers before being stitched at a 45mm depth using the state-of-the-art machinery from SISGrass. In as little as eight weeks post-stitching, the turf is harvested with the hybrid fibres in place, before being transported to the stadium. The pre-stitched hybrid turf is then installed by specialist teams within a two-day window, providing immediate game-ready reinforcement.

In independent testing by the University of Tennessee, GAMEREADY Hybrid was found to provide the most natural feel as well as greater consistency, safety, stability and traction than both conventional hybrids and natural grass playing surfaces. These benefits were successfully demonstrated at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the USA, highlighting the system’s proven performance at elite standard.

The pre-stitched surface assures stadium operators of reduced upfront investment by eliminating the need to commit to a conventional hybrid carpet around a year in advance. SIS Pitches’ pioneering system allows turf from any farm to be selected and stitched a minimum of eight weeks before being harvested.

The second GAMEREADY Hybrid system is SIS Pitches’ Rapid-stitch Turf, which sees premium natural turf installed and stitched simultaneously. The result gives grounds staff the opportunity to plan for an installation window of as little as three days – a timeframe never previously thought possible for a machine-stitched hybrid surface.

GAMEREADY Hybrid Rapid-stitch Turf redefines expectations for time-pressed grounds teams and stadium operators, enabling ultra-fast, high-quality stitched hybrid pitch installations during the tightest windows. Offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional hybrid carpets, it combines rapid installation with deeper hybrid stitching—at least 85mm—for a more durable, maintenance-friendly playing surface with an extended lifespan.

Crucially, the Rapid-stitch system allows grounds staff to source turf from their preferred farm at short notice while still benefiting from gold-standard stitched hybrid reinforcement. This approach eliminates the high costs, limited availability, and long preparation times typically associated with traditional hybrid carpets kept in reserve.

Each Rapid-stitch Turf pitch is installed using the manufacturer’s next-generation SISGrass Hybrid machines, which feature the world’s fastest hybrid stitching technology. Their unmatched speed reduces full-pitch installation times by up to 78%, while a design that’s up to 70% lighter than competing models minimises turf stress and surface compaction. With fully customisable stitching depths ranging from 45mm to 180mm, these machines were instrumental in developing the GAMEREADY Hybrid range.

The stronger reinforcement created between the fibre and the rootzone extends the lifespan of the Rapid-stitch Turf to a minimum of two years – a standout advantage for clubs struggling throughout winter. Like the Pre-stitched equivalent, GAMEREADY Hybrid Rapid-stitch Turf has also been tested by the University of Tennessee and proven to provide a faster, more responsive and more stable surface than traditional hybrid carpets.

SIS Pitches’ Rapid-stitch Turf set a new record in elite stadium turf delivery at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, where a ready-to-play Rapid-stitch surface was successfully installed at the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium in just 56 hours.

Ivo Lamot, CEO at SIS Pitches said: “The launch of our GAMEREADY Hybrid rapid turf solutions marks the start of another exciting chapter for grounds teams and stadium operators worldwide, by setting the bar even higher for what can be achieved with hybrid pitch installations. Our Pre-stitched and Rapid-stitch hybrid pitch systems are a direct response to the increasingly tight turnaround windows stadium operators are faced with when accommodating busy fixture schedules and demanding events calendars.

“The launch of our next-generation hybrid stitching machines in 2025 paved the way for us to completely revolutionise how new hybrid surfaces are supplied and installed, and we’re proud to be able to make such a significant breakthrough in capability while simultaneously enhancing performance. We’re hugely committed to powering more play and this new range will enable grounds staff and operators at some of the most iconic, multi-use stadiums in the world to achieve just that.”

For more information on SIS Pitches’ GAMEREADY Hybrid range, visit www.sispitches.com/surface/rapid-hybrid-turf

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)

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff

GMA shines a spotlight on skilled grounds staff: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) has launched this year’s #GroundsWeek campaign with a striking new video created in partnership with Brighton & Hove Albion and the World Snooker Tour (WST).

Get involved in #GroundsWeek

New Rapid Hybrid Turf Solutions from SIS Pitches

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