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Saints are marching in

Saints are marching in: Susan Lindsay paid a visit to St Andrews to see the work first hand of the grounds team at the oldest university in Scotland.

The University of St Andrews, Scotland’s oldest and highest-ranking, is home to Saints Sports. Stretching over 40 acres, the grounds were gifted to the University in 1904 by Andrew Carnegie.

Saints are marching in

Saints are marching in

The sports grounds combine 13 grass pitches, eight football pitches, two rugby pitches, one lacrosse, one shinty, one ultimate frisbee and two cricket fields. The pitches are overseeded using BAR 7 RPR grass seed mixture and 500 tonnes of dune washed sand is applied annually. Soil is also tested regularly to assess the quality.

There really is a sport for everyone. You might be wondering what ultimate frisbee is – simply known as “Ultimate”, it is a non-contact sport that involves “hucking”/throwing the frisbee long distances and trying to “Sky”, that is grab the disc in the air over the opponent. There are seven players on each team.

I met up with the Estates team and was greeted with smiles and cups of tea all round. With drinks in hand, we settled down to chat about the sports grounds and all that come along with them.

Dressed crisply in well-ironed trousers and Saints Sports polo shirts, the team looked every inch the personification of attention to detail that their jobs require and demand.

This has been my experience of the greenkeeping industry, throughout my travels around Scotland. Along with this comes the ubiquitous and somewhat compulsory working greenkeeper’s/apprentice’s shorts.

Even on a cold, frosty day like today in November, when the thermometer doesn’t reach much further than one degree and there is a yellow snow warning dominating the country, the shorts are out!

Present today is John Reid – Grounds and Facilities Manager, Fraser Wright – Head Groundsman and Gary Brankin – Assistant Director of sports operations and facilities. I will also get to meet the current apprentice, Gary, and the assistant groundsman, Ross, along with Fraser’s Deputy, another Gary.

Saints are marching in

Saints are marching in

The team meet on a Monday morning to discuss the week’s schedule and Fraser encourages each member of the group to participate in discussions and rotate tasks. In the 2018 industry awards, the team were finalists. It was the first time they took part and rate it as a very good experience and something that John Reid plans to do again.

2018 industry awards, the team were finalists. It was the first time they took part and rate it as a very good experience and something that John Reid plans to do again.

Being interested in sport as well as keeping the grounds in pristine condition is pretty much a prerequisite here and all the lads are interested in and have played football, along with
golf. Nowadays, Fraser prefers to cycle to raise money for charity and the boys are kept active maintaining the grounds.

Gary (Brankin) was keen to emphasise that all the work done to the grounds is for the student and the student’s experience, first and foremost. They prioritise reinvesting
back into the grounds and facilities for the students. Once an energetic sportsman himself, Gary now puts his energy into family life and is proud to tell me his daughter plays in the under-tens.

Students and young people starting out in their careers and developing their education is at the heart of all they do at Saints Sports. This is evident in the grounds at the University and the time and investment they put into apprentice greenkeepers coming in through SRUC.

At St Andrews and at SRUC the apprentices learn good turf management and aeration techniques, two skills that the team at the Saints Sports grounds put into practice to keep the grounds from suffering over-watering and keeping them disease free.

I asked the football team for some of the club’s thoughts on the sports grounds:

“The quality of both grass and 3G pitches allows us to train and play at a very high standard, similar to professional players. Playing on the same quality of pitches as the professionals is a great privilege and it’s special for us to be able to gives our players the opportunity of developing as much as possible. The high standard of our pitches has been proven as teams such as Manchester United, West Ham and Brighton have used them for training camps.”

Saints are marching in

Saints are marching in

The pitches have contributed to the success of the club and its development to where it stands today. Currently the men’s section of the football club has seven competitive afternoon in the Scottish University Leagues throughout the full academic year and a membership of around 180 players from all over the world.

The men’s first team have just won tier two of the Scottish University leagues to be promoted to tier one next season. They have also won the Conference Cup for the third time in the last four seasons. In 2018 the team won the prestigious Queen’s Park Shield for the first time in 75 years.

“We currently have around 80 members to the women’s part of the football club which currently makes up three competitive teams. The women’s section is one that has grown a lot in the last ten years from initially one team to now having three who all represent the University in the BUCS competitions throughout the full academic year,” said the team.

“Our first team previously competed in the top Scottish university league and for the previous three seasons won the top Scottish league (1A), winning all games in the process. Following promotion at the end of last season, we now play in the British North League, the highest league we can play at in the university level and recently won that league for the first time in the club’s history. Our second team and third team are both top of their respective leagues and will hope to be promoted at the end of the season.”

Further information on the football club can be found on their website: football.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk

To the question of what the future holds and John doesn’t hesitate to tell me that they plan to further improve the pitches and upgrade the irrigation systems. They also aim to invest more in equipment and continue work organically and manage water usage.

Currently they are completely chemical free with no use of fungicides or pesticides and they utilise fertiliser in the form of a seaweed formula from Orkney.

Another item of equipment that the team currently possess is a beam rider for laser line marking. This takes the place of apprentices past use of string lines.

The 3G synthetic pitch features 100 per cent recycled fibre playing surface with a biodegradable non-toxic cork in-fill and was the first pitch of this kind, provided by FieldTurf, in the UK.

Saints are marching in

Saints are marching in

The third-generation synthetic surface is made using cutting edge methods to reduce the waste and pollution being created each year and contributes to a healthier environment in sport.

The 3G pitch at St Andrews offers a top level playing surface and is suitable for hosting international level matches and has achieved both FIFE Quality and world rugby regulations 22 certifications.

As to what the rest of this frosty day brings, the boys will be cleaning out and tidying up the shed. Even at the most prestigious University in the country, the shed takes priority sometimes! It’s always a satisfying job on cold days like these anyway and some of the best ideas are borne out of time spent in the shed.

There are some beech hedges to be cut back but I think, with the excitement of getting those knees out today, they might be better suited to a calm afternoon in the shed to recover.

They are all keen to tell me that working at the University of St Andrews sports grounds is a pleasure and a privilege and that they are a strong team who work well together to provide each skill needed in a profession where teamwork is critical.

They also enjoy the setting of St Andrews itself, with cafés, restaurants and beaches set in a picturesque location. With a quiet beauty, a calming atmosphere and an air of respect for your privacy, St Andrews continues to attract and gain enquiries from far afield.

Today might be overcast and cold, but the future looks bright for the Estates department here at St Andrews – and the guys are ready to continue to provide excellent facilities for many students to come.

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves: Scott MacCallum caught up with three of the women who made history when they became the first all-women team to prepare a pitch for a professional football match in the UK.

Sunday, March 3, was a momentous day. For a start, basketball superstar LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points but, on this side of the pond, a crowd of over 60,000 filled the Emirates Stadium for a Women’s Super League match – a record for a women’s domestic match in the UK – with the home team, Arsenal, facing their bitter rivals Tottenham.

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

A tense encounter saw England striker Alessia Russo, score the only goal of the game from close range in the 49th minute, to send the home fans away happy and leave the Spurs fans wondering of what might have been.

That, however, is not the reason that the occasion was up there with LeBron’s achievement because, for the first time ever, the pitch was prepared by an all-female grounds team of 13 specially selected women, from sporting venues all over the country.

It goes without saying that the match went without a hitch.

It is a shocking statistic that women – aged 21 not 18 mind you – were given the vote in 1928, yet in 2024 only 2% of those working in the grounds maintenance industry, a job eminently suitable to both sexes, are female.

So the opportunity to showcase the skills of the Emirates 13 was seen as a wonderful chance to display that the industry is very much a place for women and that it is a career option from which many more would take great pleasure.

Turf Matters spoke with three of the women involved, Beth Gibbs, before the big match, and Liddy Ford and Meg Lay afterwards.

“I got the invitation to join the team in the middle of January and it didn’t take me too long to accept,” recalled Beth, who is a Groundsperson at Wellington College, in Somerset, and one of the recently appointed GMA NextGen Board Members.

Beth was so keen to be one of the ground-breaking team because of the message it sent out to other young women considering their futures.

“I think it’s definitely a massive milestone because at the moment there are only 2% of women in the industry and with us getting together it shows what we can do and that we are no different to the men. It shows that this is a job for younger women, that they can definitely do it and that it is a good career for them.”

On that appalling 2% participation rate Beth has thoughts on why the number is so low.

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

“Some people believe that they can’t do it from a strength perspective – that they are not going to be strong enough to push a mower. It is a physical job, but there are a many young women who would be more than capable.

The more we talk about it the more women will appreciate that they are able to do the job,” said Beth, who showed her own credentials by becoming the GMA Young Groundsperson of the Year in 2023.

The fact that the industry is so male dominated at the moment also doesn’t help the cause.

“Because it is so male dominated many women don’t see it a job for them, so they don’t push themselves to have a go at it. Also the industry as a whole isn’t promoted in schools so not a lot of people know about it.

“My friends don’t really understand what I do. They think I just cut grass, but I was talking to them about being on the team at the Emirates and they were very jealous,” revealed Beth.

Liddy, who is on the grounds team at St George’s Park, and Meg, who has recently joined the grounds team at Lords, are both also on the GMA’s NextGen Board and, speaking after the match, were both still buzzing from the experience.

“The cool thing for me was being with a group of women for a change. That was something I really appreciated. I really enjoyed getting to meet some really lovely people and it was great to be a part of it.

I just felt really lucky,” said Liddy. For New Zealander, Meg, being so close to the action was the real buzz.

“I was sitting right beside the pitch and I remember looking over to my left and the England Captain, Leah Williamson, was about five metres away and thinking how have we got here. That was a cool moment,” said Meg.

“It showed just how close we were to the action and how key a part we play in it. Every game of professional sport which is played on grass has happened because of ground staff. It’s a billion dollar industry and wouldn’t exist without us.”

The 13 who were led by Tara Sandford, a well-respected member of the groundstaff at the Emirates, had met up the day before and had a run through at the Emirates.

“We went through everything we needed to know including practising with the portable goals and cutting the pitch, before we went back to the hotel for a meal together before the big day,” said Liddy, who knew her fellow NextGen Board members and a few of the other team members who had visited St George’s Park for a day.

That practice really paid off as, under pressure to turn the pitch around for play after the warm-up in 15 minutes, the team completed the task in just six.

“We were a well-oiled machine,” laughed Meg. What is common to Beth, Liddy and Meg is that none of them had planned on a career in grounds care, they just fell into it, based on a love of the outdoors, sport and a desire not to be stuck in an office behind a desk.

In fact Liddy has just been joined by another young woman at St George’s Park while since joining Lords earlier this year Meg has now has another woman to keep her company.

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves

“Lords has gone from zero for 220 years to two in the space of a couple of months,” said Meg.

All three, as NextGen Board members, are keen to work towards making the career better known about and better appreciated both for young women and young men.

“The NextGen stuff is really exciting at the moment. We’ve got a whole new bunch of fresh faces and we are really excited about what the group can achieve
going forward,” said Meg.

The success of the Emirates’ team was lauded by the GMA, the hosts of the match, Arsenal and the Barclay’s Women’s Super League.

“To see a team of 13 experienced and talented women prepare the iconic Emirates Stadium pitch in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators and viewers across the UK, was a highly significant moment in the GMA and the grounds management industry’s history,” said Jennifer Carter, the GMA’s Director of Communications.

“The lack of visibility of women in this field remains a significant barrier, but we are confident that moments like these, and more in the future, will be pivotal in convincing more young people especially females, to explore this promising career path,” added Jennifer.

The work of the team was also praised by Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal’s CEO.

“This is a celebration of what’s been achieved by women in sport, but also serves as a reminder of the work we need to do together to ensure more young girls are encouraged to break into the game.

“It’s important we continue to build on these moments to inspire the next generation and accelerate the sustainable growth of the game,” said Vinai.

“There are so many incredible women working not only throughout football, but across many other industries too, and it is amazing that we have been able to bring 13 of the country’s most highly-rated female ground staff together to play such a crucial role for this tentpole fixture in our calendar,” said Nikki Doucet, CEO of the Barclay’s Women’s Super League.

The whole event can be signed off as a total success and should act as a wonderful advert for the industry. It will certainly be interesting to know how big an improvement on that 2% women participation there is when LeBron James scores his 50,000th NBA point!

Dennis ES-34R’s are perfect for FAW

Dennis ES-34R’s are perfect for FAW: Head Groundsperson James Mathewson has praised his fleet of Dennis ES-34R battery powered rotary mowers for making a difference at Colliers Park National Football Development Centre.

The centre, situated on the historic site of Gresford Colliery in Wrexham, stands as a testament to the Football Association of Wales’ (FAW) commitment to fostering football talent. The facilities boast state-of-the-art training grounds making it a pivotal hub for football development.

Dennis ES-34R’s are perfect for FAW

Dennis ES-34R’s are perfect for FAW

At the helm of the grounds team is James Mathewson. His journey in the industry began at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, followed by stints at West Ham United FC and Arsenal FC’s training ground in London Colney. Post-Covid, James served as the Deputy Head Groundsperson at Northampton Saints before seizing the opportunity at Colliers Park.

In his first Head Groundsperson position, James is thriving and overseeing recent acquisitions of pitch maintenance equipment with a significant shift from petrol to battery-powered machinery. James praises the Dennis ES-34R electric rotary mowers for their role in this transition.

“The FAW has a drive towards sustainability and is very passionate about it. From a practical point of view, the ability to use the Dennis ES-34R’s on one pitch while the other pitch is in use just makes our day so much easier,” says James.

This is because the rural setting of Colliers Park presents unique challenges, including noise restrictions due to the close proximity of a hotel. James emphasises, “Having silent electric machinery, means we can cut pitches before early training sessions – it opens up our days a lot.

“There has probably been a bit of resistance over electric equipment, and I was quite sceptical when they first came out,” continues James. “Until you use it, it is very easy to think like that because everyone is so used to using petrol mowers – but the Dennis E-Series mowers are incredible machines.”

The ES-34R is a 34” (860mm) battery powered twin blade rotary mower using the latest lithium-ion battery technology. It is ideal for fine turf mowing and cleaning up operations in stadia and training facilities. Utilising the contra rotating hardened steel blades and low chute ensures maximum collection performance.

While allowing ground staff to achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface, the E-Series range will also help meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, minimise carbon footprint, emissions, running costs, HAV’s and noise without any range anxiety.

“We purchased three Dennis ES-34R electric rotary mowers. I didn’t really look at other rotary mowers on the market,” explains James. “Predominantly they are used to clean the pitches after training sessions. We also use them for the first few cuts after renovation before we put the cylinder mowers on.

“They put a nice stripe in the pitch which coaches and players like to see and they hoover up all the debris because they have fantastic suction.

“The best feature on these mowers is the option to increase the speed of the blade in wet weather to suck the debris up – which they do just as well as when it is dry. The size of the machine is another big plus because you can get a pitch completed with three of us in about 45 minutes on average. This would have taken three of us three hours with our previous rotary mowers.”

James also dispels concerns about battery life, stating confidently, “We can do a whole pitch on one battery. They do this with ease and that takes any anxiety out of doing the job.”

In summary, James and his team at Colliers Park National Football Development Centre have embraced the Dennis ES-34R electric rotary mowers. The shift to sustainability, coupled with the machines’ efficiency and adaptability, reflects a forward-thinking approach in sports turf management.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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

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GreenBest Ltd to Showcase Innovative Fertiliser Solutions

GreenBest Ltd to Showcase Innovative Fertiliser Solutions: GreenBest Ltd, a leading provider of cutting-edge fertiliser products, is thrilled to announce its participation in SALTEX 2023. You can find us at Stand C100, where we will be unveiling our latest advancements in the world of turf care and fertiliser solutions.

One of our company goals is to further expand our organic and biostiumlant range and move to more sustainable sources. That’s why this year we’ve expanded our Velvit range to include four new organic/organo-mineral products: Shea Spring/Summer, Shea Autumn, Fulvic Acid and Humic Acid.

GreenBest are proud to be back at SALTEX

GreenBest are proud to be back at SALTEX

Shea Spring/Summer & Shea Autumn are meticulously crafted from the byproducts of shea seed processing, often discarded as waste, to create a valuable and eco-friendly resource. Our Shea products demonstrate excellent levels of organic matter, promoting a healthy carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Available in 1-2 mm and 2-3mm for use on fine turf or larger areas, ask our team for more details.

We have also been working hard to produce content, courses, and webinars for the GreenBest Academy; an educational provision brought to you by our FACTS-qualified team of experts. The GreenBest Academy will grow your knowledge in all areas of fertilisers, turf management, lawn nutrition and ornamental horticulture. Find out more about our latest courses in ‘Designing fertiliser treatment plans for football/rugby pitches and bowling greens/croquet lawns’.

“We are thrilled to be part of SALTEX 2023 and look forward to engaging with the turf management community,” said James Whittick, Sales & Marketing Director of GreenBest Ltd. “Our commitment to sustainability, product quality, and custom solutions has made GreenBest a trusted partner for turf professionals. We invite everyone to visit our stand and discover how our offerings can enhance turf health and performance.”

Visit the GreenBest team on stand C100 to pick up our latest Velvit brochure and for guidance on how to find or become a Velvit distributor. You can also take away a FREE trial pack of our Purity Soil Conditioner, a sample tower of our Velvit Fertilisers and a FREE gift.

Contact details:

sales@greenbest.co.uk

www.greenbest.co.uk

+44(0)1963 364788

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

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Reliable G860’s are excellent for Hartpury

Reliable G860’s are excellent for Hartpury: Matthew Newman, Grounds and Sports Turf Manager at Hartpury University and Hartpury College in Gloucester, claims that his fleet of Dennis G860 mowers are reliable, robust, and ergonomically excellent.

Matthew was once a student at Hartpury University and College completing a National Diploma in Horticulture before being offered a position on the grounds team in 2002. He now oversees three divisions which consists of a grounds team, a sports turf team, and a construction team.

Reliable G860’s are excellent for Hartpury

Reliable G860’s are excellent for Hartpury

The eight sports pitches, which are split equally between rugby and football, require a lot of attention as Matthew explained.

“They are arguably the most demanding surfaces because of the amount they are used,” he said. “During the week we find ourselves preparing the pitches for university and college teams, which still must be high spec because they are in the top divisions, but then it gets to the weekend, and we have premiership fixtures for the women’s teams or championship rugby games for men. In these situations, we are very much aware that we are preparing pitches for the paying public and that the games will be streamed online around the world for all to see. It is a lot of work, and we need reliable machinery.”

It is for this reason that Matthew decided to upgrade his previous cylinder mowers to four Dennis G860’s.

Relied upon at world class stadia and major tournaments, the Dennis G860 is one of the most renowned cylinder mowers in the grounds management industry. Lightweight at just 166kg it is incredibly easy to manoeuvre and comfortable to operate. The handlebar console houses the controls for the throttle, parking brake, roller drive and cutting cylinder drive.

The mower features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish on every occasion. The Dennis G860 also features an interchangeable cassette system to assist with a wide range of tasks such as including scarifying, verticutting, brushing, spiking, and slitting.

“Once we trialled the Dennis G860’s, we just had to have them,” continued Matthew. “They are lot more robust, more sturdy, easier to use and more manageable. For me the usability is one of its best features – they are ergonomically excellent, and everything is in the right place in terms of controls. It does a brilliant job every time and it isn’t complicated. I think there are quite a few machines out there that are perhaps over engineered. Dennis keeps it simple and straight to the point.

“The G860’s present the pitch brilliantly and they provide a more defined stripe than other mowers we have used.”

Matthew and his team use the Dennis G860’s on both the rugby and football pitches approximately three times a week. With such a busy schedule, time is of the essence and Matthew has noticed that the Dennis G860’s have helped in this respect.

“We seem to cover the same area more quickly with the Dennis G860’s. Previously we were only able to single cut and would never have enough time in the day to double cut, whereas we can do that now.

“We’ve had the Dennis G860’s for a couple of years now and nothing ever goes wrong with them. They are incredibly reliable.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK.You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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

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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.