Tag Archive for: FC

Aberdeen FC purchase INFINICUT® mowers

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Aberdeen FC purchase INFINICUT® mowers: Aberdeen Football Club have made a major step forward in their aim of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 with the purchase of a brace of battery-powered mowers from INFINICUT®.

The combination of an INFINICUT® SM34 rotary and 34” floating head mower form part of a wider sustainability strategy for The Dons – reducing not just their carbon footprint but noise pollution too.

Aberdeen FC purchase INFINICUT® mowers

Aberdeen FC purchase INFINICUT® mowers

The Club have recently added their signature to the UN Sports for Climate Change framework – underlining its intent to become carbon neutral, and are implementing a plan across all areas of operation to meet this commitment. In charge of this for the fibre-sand stadium pitch is Head Groundsperson David Nicholson, who alongside his team of four are now discovering the many benefits of battery-power.

“From our very first conversation with Bobby McDougall at INFINICUT®, we could see how the purchase of these mowers would be a fantastic step forward in reducing our fuel usage and improving our green credentials” explains David. “Once we’d decided battery was the way to go, it didn’t take us long to settle on the INFINICUT’s® – we had a demonstration of both the rotary machine and floating head cylinder mower and were so impressed that we didn’t look at anything else!”

“We thought the cut quality of our previous petrol-driven machine would be hard to beat but the cut we get from the INFINICUT® SM34, together with the powerful suction, is superb.” Used for the post-match clean-up cut, another thing that has impressed David and the team is the noise – or lack of it – emitted from the mower, equipped with a UXR lithium battery. “Sometimes it would be half an hour or more before we could resume work after a fixture because of media interviews happening around the ground but with the SM34 we can be out and cutting straight away.”

“It’s comfortable to operate and simple to control. We can manually adjust the height of cut really easily and settings such as the walking speed can all be set via the INFINIApp® which means that in the winter, when the ground is softer and the plant is more vulnerable, we can simply slow it right down and achieve a better result.”

Also delivered in July 2022 was an INFINICUT® FL34. “This has been another fantastic purchase and the floating head has without doubt improved the quality of cut and, in turn, had a really positive impact on plant health even in this relatively short period of time.” David concludes, “These machines tick a lot of boxes but ultimately do the job of cutting and presenting a first-class surface better than any other machine we’ve used.”

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Only Mansfield Sand for Motherwell FC

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Only Mansfield Sand for Motherwell FC: Paul Matthew, Head Groundsman at Motherwell FC, believes that Mansfield Sand is the only company to work with if you have a Fibresand pitch.

It is well documented how the experienced and highly skilled Paul Matthew has transformed the previously infamous pitch at Fir Park into one of the best playing surfaces in the country. Hard work, dedication, and an eye for selecting the correct products have been key in Paul’s six-year journey at Motherwell.

Only Mansfield Sand for Motherwell FC

Only Mansfield Sand for Motherwell FC

After entering the grounds management industry as a greenkeeper, he moved into football and Motherwell is the third club he has worked for. In that time, he has always been familiar with Mansfield Sand.

“I’ve used products from Mansfield Sand between the three football clubs I’ve worked at – Rangers FC, Wolves FC and now here at Motherwell FC so that’s a period of about 19 years,” he said.

“If you have a Fibresand pitch – then you have to go to Mansfield – it’s as simple as that. They deliver a very solid product and service, and they are a good British company.”

As Paul says, Mansfield Sand is a company with history and pedigree – in fact, its origins can be traced as far back to 1840. It has been a long-standing pioneer in the development and production of premium sand-based products and boasts the most up-to-date and advanced equipment currently in the industry.

From winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas – Mansfield Sand has a solution for all. In Paul’s case, he sees Mansfield Sand as a key component in his end of season renovations.

“I am predominately a Fibresand user and I will apply this at the end of the season at the renovation stage,” he said. “So, after we have taken the top off the pitch, we will then incorporate approximately 120 tonnes of Fibresand into the surface – but it all depends on how much organic matter the pitch has produced. Throughout the year, soil samples will be taken by Mansfield Sand to determine exactly how much Fibresand is required.”

Paul uses a pure sand and polypropylene fibre reinforcement product that is particularly advantageous when grass cover has been reduced due to heavy usage and wear during the winter period. It is incorporated into an upper sand soil rootzone and consolidated to provide a stable divot-free environment.

“What I would say, is that the quality and the consistency of the material, and the clean nature of the product is why we purchase it,” continued Paul. “Then there is the service you get from them as well. I predominately deal with Gary Cunningham (Football & Golf Sales Representative for Mansfield Sand) and if he tells me the order will be there on a certain day then it absolutely will be. They are never late, and I never find myself sitting there with the contractor waiting for the sand to be delivered – that just does not happen with Mansfield Sand.

“They are just a very professional company and absolutely reliable with solid advice at all times – that is how most would describe them.”

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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FC Lorient groundsman dies

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FC Lorient groundsman dies: A man working as a groundsman for Ligue 1 side FC Lorient has reportedly died after a floodlight bar on the stadium fell on him in a freak accident.

Read the full article from The Daily Mail here

FC Lorient groundsman dies

FC Lorient groundsman dies

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Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

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Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC: After a new synthetic pitch quickly turned fortunes around for Worksop Town Football Club, the club’s attentions soon turned to the maintenance of their new pitch. Life president and groundsman Keith Ilett explains why they chose the SISIS Brush-Pro.

It is safe to say that over recent years, Worksop Town FC had fallen on hard times. In fact, the club was close to liquidation and arguably, no-one was more saddened than life-long fan, Keith.

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

“It was a very difficult period,” said Keith. “I’ve been supporting the club since 1954 and I was four years old when my dad and my grandad started to bring me along to watch the games. I then got more involved with the club in the 70’s and actually celebrated my 50th year at the club just a couple of months ago.

“Fortunately, Pete Whitehead (new owner), came in and he has completely turned the club around.”

One of the first actions under Pete’s new ownership was to remove the natural grass pitch and install a new synthetic pitch in a bid to make the club more self-sufficient.

“The revenue that the club receive from hiring the pitch out to the local community will hopefully keep the club surviving,” said Keith.

With a tremendous amount of usage building on the pitch, Keith required a machine to keep the surface at the highest possible standard, and this led him to the SISIS Brush-Pro.

It is a very common misconception that synthetic surfaces require very little attention but just like natural turf, they require maintenance as soon as they are constructed if they are to perform to the standard expected of them. Regular and periodic upkeep is required because it ensures a safe playing environment, retains the performance characteristics as well as prolonging the longevity of the surface.

The SISIS Brush-Pro is a ride-on brushing system comprising a pair of mid mounted oscillating units and three rear mounted brush units that that have been specifically designed for maintaining synthetic surfaces.

Brushing synthetic surfaces is essential to keep infill mobile, lift the pile and prevent algae accumulation, surface compaction and loss of porosity. The Brush-Pro has been designed for maximum manoeuvrability and operator comfort with features such as an electric start, hydrostatic drive for forward/reverse and its brush combinations – oscillating for thorough periodic work and rear mounted brushes for routine frequent work which cause less compaction than conventional drag brushes.

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

Brush-Pro keeps it clean at Worksop Town FC

“I’m so happy with the Brush-Pro,” said Keith. “It really does leave you with an immaculate pitch once you’ve used the machine and we tend to give it a good brush after every ten hours of usage.

“I like to take it nice and slow when I’m using the Brush-Pro and I tend to brush in different directions in order to get the best results – it is fantastic breaking up any compaction which could potentially cause problems.

“It’s so comfortable to use as well – it is highly manoeuvrable and just a joy to use.”

Keith is now looking forward to a brighter future ahead.

“This is the start of new beginnings. We’ve got a great new pitch, brilliant equipment and a new owner who knows his football and knows his business – we couldn’t be in a better place.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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

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Trio of INFINICUT’s at Reading FC

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Trio of INFINICUT’s at Reading FC: Reading Football Club are delighted with their trio of 34” INFINICUT® Fixed Head mowers – reducing noise, hand-arm vibration and lowering the club’s fuel costs.

For Grounds Manager Adam Grantham, as well as ticking a number of environmental boxes, the mowers have also achieved a significantly improved quality of cut.

Trio of INFINICUT’s at Reading FC

Trio of INFINICUT’s at Reading FC

Adam has been with the club for 16 years and is supported by a team of four at the club’s Madejski Stadium, with a further team of eight looking after Hogwood Park training ground, and their new state-of-the-art Bearwood Park facility. “There’s no denying that the industry is moving towards the electric route. We have to be mindful, in a stadium environment, of the decibel levels and the way this pollutes and echoes. Not only that but we should all be looking at methods and machines that are greener and safer for our teams to use on a daily basis.”

“We’d been in discussions with Vinny Tarbox for quite a while and trialled a couple of different INFINICUT® models before deciding that the Fixed Head machines were going to be the best fit. They have delivered a superior cut and finish and handle well, dealing with the camber and ‘shelf’ that surrounds the pitch” he explains. Its lithium battery power means quiet operation comes as standard, with the club’s shed now rigged up with easy ‘in and out’ charging points.

They also purchased a set of TurfClean™ cassettes for post-match debris removal and surface clearance, as well as ThatchMaster™ cassettes from the renowned TMSystem™. “Compared to other similar cassettes I’ve used, the blades on the ThatchMaster™ are so fine and intricate that they do a fantastic job of pulling everything out that shouldn’t be there. These were in use between the end of July and October, weather dependant, cleaning up the canopy and removing any thatch. This meant we went into the new rugby season, and winter months, in peak condition.”

Adam concludes, “The support we’ve had from Vinny and service technician Jonty Norton has been excellent throughout, providing help and advice to my team and I since we took delivery of the units in June 2019. With the combination of cassettes we have at our disposal, and the superior cut quality we’re achieving with the INFINICUT®, we’re in great shape as we, as an industry, continue to look for greener, cleaner ways to optimise plant health.”

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