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INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

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INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two: A recent upgrade to the mower fleet at Plymouth Argyle Football Club has seen the delivery of two INFINICUT® 34” FX cylinders and two SM34 rotary mowers to the club’s stadium pitch at Home Park.

Together with outstanding quality of cut and first-class presentation, Head Groundsman Chris Ralph also cites the improvements in consistency achieved with their mowing operations thanks to the industry-leading INFINIApp™.

INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

The investment has been on the cards for the last 18 months, which gave Chris and his team of five ample time to compare and contrast the options available. “We’d been using two INFINICUT® fixed head cylinders and were always happy with those – they’re reliable and comfortable to use, with minimal noise and vibrations. We found nothing that could better those” he explains. “On the rotary front, we demonstrated various models and were impressed with the performance and finish of the SM34’s, the ease of height adjustment compared to competitor machines and the side placement of the grass bucket which means it’s not hitting your legs all the time!”

With the decision made, the fleet was delivered by Andy White and Paul Curgenven of Shinners Bridge Garden Machinery and INFINICUT’s Mark Clifford-Kennedy in February 2024. “Andy, Paul and Mark left no stone unturned when they dropped the machines off. They went through every detail of the machines, guided us through set-up and demonstrated the full functionality of the INFINIApp™.” Chris continues, “The Bluetooth control is a great feature. We can quickly and easily set reel speed, clip rates and more, and share settings between machines to give us greater consistency than we’ve ever achieved before.”

In addition to the cylinder and rotary mowers, the club also purchased a pair of ThatchMasterTM cassettes from the TMSystem™. “I’ve been looking at these for a while! Our ProPitch reports were identifying an increase in thatch levels over the last 12 months and our only way of trying to combat that previously was with a tractor and rake. We equipped our 34” machines with the ThatchMasterTM cassettes for a first pass in mid-March and the results were outstanding! We each removed three or four boxes of unwanted organic matter, and the pitch looked healthier immediately.”

“The whole team have been really impressed, with not just the INFINICUT® machines themselves but the support and service we’ve had from Shinners Bridge along the way. We’re now well placed to further drive up the standards of our stadium pitch, along with our neighbouring first-team training surfaces too.”

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Spurred on to enter the industry

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Spurred on to enter the industry: Little did Spurs fan Harley Coplen know that his visit to last year’s WorldSkills UK LIVE exhibition would culminate in him winning a tour of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the club’s training ground – and spur thoughts of him and a fellow student entering industry apprenticeships.

Entering the prize draw on the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Young Board’s ‘careers in grounds management’ stand at the Birmingham NEC event in November with tutors and fellow students from the Robert Clack School of Science in Dagenham, Essex, Harley won the trip for him and a group of peers from more than 200 entries.

Spurred on to enter the industry

Spurred on to enter the industry

“I am proud to say that I am a Spurs fan,” says Harley, “and the stadium is phenomenal. I was taken aback by just how big it is and especially by how much work goes into the pitch to make it look so good for the spectators and for it to accommodate the players’ needs. I have learned a lot about becoming a groundsman and the hard work involved, and I have decided that I would like to pursue an apprenticeship in the industry.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to the IOG and everyone at the stadium and training ground for the experience, and for ensuring we got the most out of our trip.”

Jane Meaden, one of the tutors who accompanied the group, added: “A big thank you to the Spurs grounds staff who gave us an incredible tour and insight into the workings of the training ground and the stadium – where we saw how things worked pitch-side as well as ‘underground’ where the sliding pitch is stored.

“We all had a great time and we now have a couple of future groundsmen in the making.  A special thank you to Darren Baldwin, head of playing surfaces and estates at Tottenham Hotspur FC, for making the day so entertaining.”

WorldSkills UK LIVE at the NEC is one of a number of events attended by the IOG‘s Young Board to raise awareness of the industry as a career option, highlighting the sector’s inherent science and technology to also aid teachers in contextualising maths and science in the classroom. The Young Board strategy is based on developing promotional material and engaging with young people, guiding them towards a clear pathway into a rewarding career in grounds management. Young Board members give up their own time to organise and support Young IOG initiatives attending and supporting a range of career events through the year.

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