Tag Archive for: Creates

Wembley creates recyclable pitch process

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Wembley creates recyclable pitch process: Wembley Stadium has staged some of the nation’s most memorable moments of the last century, but now the hallowed turf of the national stadium is set to create its own piece of history.

Wembley Stadium connected by EE has developed a unique new process to make its famous pitch 100% recyclable. The project is believed to be a first in the world of football.

Wembley creates recyclable pitch process

Wembley creates recyclable pitch process

It is the result of a meticulous two-year plan to find a suitable solution to recycling modern-day football pitches, which are a hybrid of grass and synthetic plastic.

A large amount of professional playing surfaces in today’s game contain plastic to make them more durable. Hybrid pitches have become popular because they offer increased reliability in variable weather and can be used more for multiple purposes.

However, the recycling of old hybrid pitches has been a challenge. The plastic contained within the hybrid pitch means they do not break down naturally, and the majority of old pitches are sent to waste landfill sites at the end of their life-cycle.

Now, the team at Wembley Stadium have come up with a process which means the plastic can be extracted from the pitch and repurposed. In the first of its kind, they have created a bench, made entirely out of plastic from a pitch that saw the likes of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Lauren James and Mary Earps all perform on.

Karl Standley is the Grounds Manager at Wembley Stadium. He said: “Extracting the plastic from a hybrid pitch is notoriously difficult, due to its compound and structure. When we first mooted the idea of recycling it, we were told it couldn’t be done. However, we were determined to find a sustainable answer to the problem.

“It’s been a long journey, testing and re-testing, but we have finally come up with a solution we are happy with.

“Creating something from a pitch that has had world class players perform on it is the ultimate memento. I am excited about what else we can possibly create in the future.”

Since the new stadium opened in 2007, Wembley has been committed to developing sustainable initiatives to ensure it is one of the greenest stadia in the world.

The team already recycled large elements of the pitch (rootzone and sand) back into grassroots pitches and wanted to take a lead in the research and development of a 100% sustainable process for the type of hybrid pitches installed at Wembley Stadium.

They worked with recycling specialists Circular 11 to find a suitable solution. Connor Winter from Circular 11 said: “The full circle pitch has been one of the most technically demanding and exciting projects that we’ve worked on to date, and we’re really proud to be a part of this pioneering project.

“It demonstrates that there are huge opportunities to increase plastic recycling when companies have unrelentingly high standards about what happens to the materials they use, as Wembley does, and shows the potential for composite technology to transform previously unrecyclable plastic into a resource.”

Wembley Stadium now hopes the process will pave the way for other stadiums across the UK and Europe to become more sustainable.

Karl added: “As more stadiums become multi-purpose venues, hosting a variety of sports, music and entertainment shows, there is a need to use more hybrid carpet surfaces throughout the year.

“By ensuring old pitches don’t go to landfill we can create a cycle that will ultimately reduce our impact on the environment and benefit community clubs up and down the country for a long time to come.”

The stadium team estimate that around 50 benches could be created from one pitch with scope to develop the recycled plastic into other uses within grassroots football.

The prototype bench will be placed within the stadium footprint in memory of a stadium employee who passed away last year.

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GKB Infiller creates a presence

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GKB Infiller creates a presence: Defined as fast, efficient and professional, Sports Surface Solutions UK are the first in the UK to have a GKB Infiller and are still impressed with the robust machine 6 months on. 

Tom Shinkins, Operations Manager at GKB, said “This is a product we have been developing over a number of years with our own contracting side and other experienced contractors in the Netherlands.” He continues, “It is great to be able to bring a product to the UK market in this way.”

GKB Infiller creates a presence

GKB Infiller creates a presence

Installing pitches for over 25 years and always pushing for the latest innovations in both turf maintenance and technologies, the GKB Infiller was the only choice to match market leaders to the most reliable synthetic turf maintenance machine.

Sports Surface Solutions UK praised the well-built machine for its versatility. Nick Wells, Managing Director, said “The GKB Infiller can be used to apply multiple different types of infill material.” Thanks to GKB’s impressive innovation, this machine has the ability to efficiently apply several types of infill material like sand, SBR rubber, TPE rubber and cork in two directions. Nick went on to add, “These features really stood out to me, It’s a natural infill machine.”

A unique feature of this machine is that the driver’s seat is rotatable. This allows you to fill the carpet full of sand before driving over it.

Every project that is completed is always on time and to specification. Sports Surface Solutions UK pride themselves on installing a performance critical surface, with the highest level of workmanship, Nick stated that the GKB Infiller will be used to infill synthetic pitches that they install.

To determine how much infill material is distributed, the precision control valve can be set from 0 to 100mm. Not only this but it is manually adjustable as well as hydraulically operated.

Thanks to the flap in the front of the bunker, which can be opened from 0 to 100mm, you have the possibility to regulate the amount of sand that is distributed. All whilst there are specially designed agitators in the bunker to break up rubber crumb infill and guarantee an even spreading pattern.

“The ease of operation and speed in which this allows pitches to be infilled with sand and other infill products is very specialised,” Tom added.

Also provided with aluminium extensions to enlarge the bunker capacity of the bunker mounted on top of the chassis. The bunker is increased by these extensions from 1.06m3 to 3m3.

Nick Wells praised GKB Machines on the customer service received. He said, “One thing I really value in the GKB brand is that they are true specialists in machinery.” Engaged with the development of innovative maintenance machines for sports pitches since 1985, GKB Machines continues to strive to develop the very best machines.

Having worked with GKB Machines predecessor the only choice for Nick was a GKB engineered machine when production started.

Every GKB Machine must satisfy the high-quality requirements that they impose. A sustainable, reliable and robust machine is the foundation for your operation.

GKB Machines place a high value on the final user of the machine and Sports Surface Solutions UK have the most comprehensive machinery in the UK. The GKB Infiller was the perfect match, encompassing sturdiness with effortless ground management.

Sports Surface Solutions UK do not sub-contract any aspect of their work to ensure a one stop contractor for all your specialist surface needs.

For more on GKB Machines and their reliable and robust range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, please visit www.gkbmachines.com or contact Tom Shinkins on 07495 883617 to enquire about booking a demo of the GKB Infiller.

To find out more about Sports Surface Solutions UK please visit www.sportssurfacesolutions.com

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Groundsman Creates ‘Starburst’ Outfield

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Groundsman Creates ‘Starburst’ Outfield: TV viewers watching the latest test match at the Darren Sammy stadium in Gros Islet may have been struck by the unusual way the outfield has been cut, mown into the shape of a “starburst” fanning out from the pitch to the boundary. This sort of topiary appears to be unique to international cricket but then the man behind it is a one-off too.

Kent Crafton has been groundsman since the stadium was completed in 2002 and for the last six years he has acted as head curator for the whole Caribbean region. He is widely credited with having transformed pitches from “roads” on which batsmen filled their boots to the livelier surfaces that have revived local pace bowling and, in this series, left England’s batsmen hopping.

Groundsman Creates 'Starburst' Outfield

That is only Crafton’s day job. Manicuring the grass at his home ground is his real passion. During the women’s World Twenty20 in November, he went to extraordinary lengths by creating a Hibiscus shape with his mower.

During this match, a member of Crafton’s groundstaff can be seen walking across the outfield each evening with a paintbrush and tin, dabbing whitewash marks along the edges of each section to help Crafton be precise with his daily cut. Under ICC regulations, the outfield is given a light cut on each day of a Test match.

The outfield for this game has been unusually slow. This is because of the thick type of conch grass on the island but it may also have something to do with Crafton needing thicker-than-normal grass to create his patterns.

Anyone who gets between him and his artwork does so at their peril. A few years ago, in the build-up to a Test match, he severed through a 200-metre TV cable that happened to be lying across part of the outfield. He was not noticeably apologetic. “He has his own kingdom,” said one source.

There is, moreover, another problem taking up any matter with him: Crafton has an identical twin called Alton, who works as a development coach at Gros Islet. It has not been uncommon for people to think they are speaking to one of them, when in fact it is the other.

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