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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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SAGE is on for summer 2021

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SAGE is on for summer 2021: With the government’s announcement outlining the road map for this summer, SAGE is officially ON!

Join us from 27 – 29 July 2021, for the UK’s largest outdoor Sports and Grounds Expo .

SAGE is on for summer 2021

SAGE is on for summer 2021

Set in the stunning surroundings of the Three Counties Showground at the foot of the Malvern Hills, the show will feature hands-on demonstrations and experiences, offering visitors the chance to see and test out the latest products.

Visitors can also observe leading exhibitors showcasing their products, without any limitations on space, while also hearing the latest ideas from within the industry.

SAGE brings together grounds personnel from a broad range of sectors, providing an engaging and well-resourced environment. The expo will advise companies on how to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness, exploring and showcasing the products that can help.

The government’s announcement out of lockdown has really opened up the summer; SAGE now sits perfectly in the calendar, and provides a fantastic opportunity to get outdoors and to see what is on offer across the industry. Our motivation is to give visitors a hands-on experience, without compromising on safety, and at The Three Counties Show Ground this is easily achieved.” Says Event Manager Vicky Panniers

“Our aim is to provide an environment that will benefit everyone from grass roots to senior management; we are very excited about what is on offer and we look forward to seeing you all.” She continues.

The Sports & Grounds Expo will be the highlight of the industry calendar this summer, offering a safe and proactive environment for those operating across all sectors of the sports and grounds maintenance industry. SAGE is a free event open to all, who are interested in the sports and grounds industry.

For more information, contact the team today by email: team@sportsandgrounds.co.uk, by phone: +44 (0)1684 580101 or visit the website: www.sportsandgrounds.co.uk.

Visitor registration is now open – Go to www.sportsandgrounds.co.uk to register and to be kept up to date with what’s to come! Follow SAGE news on Twitter & Facebook for updates.

The safety of visitors and exhibitors is a priority, the latest health & safety advice will be implemented, security measures including social distancing have already been put into action, hand sanitiser will be readily available and free pre-registered bookings for all visitors to reduce queues are heavily encouraged.

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Stronger sward for Gloucester Rugby

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Stronger sward for Gloucester Rugby: Gloucester Rugby Head Groundsman, Stuart Lambert, believes that the use of Attraxor® plant growth regulator (PGR), has helped him to achieve a stronger sward while simultaneously reducing the amount of Poa annua.

Stuart started at Gloucester Rugby in August 2018 and admits to learning and adapting to the way the pitch plays every single day. This means that he must be flexible in his maintenance strategy and be open to new products which could make a difference to the pitch at the Kingsholm Stadium.

Stronger sward for Gloucester Rugby

Stronger sward for Gloucester Rugby

He came across such a product at BTME 2020 in the form of Attraxor® plant growth regulator (PGR). In further researching the product, he found that it came highly recommended by Mark Allen from Agrovista Amenity and Adam King, Head Groundsman at Oxford United Football Club.

“Attraxor® appealed to me because PGR’s are a significant part of my overall maintenance strategy to improve the turf and control Poa annua,” said Stuart. “2020 was a particularly challenging year for Poa so I was keen to see what the product could offer. Speaking to Mark and Adam gave me the confidence to try it and the results have been far better than expected.”

Stuart claims that a lack of sunlight to the pitch led to an increase in Poa: “In the winter months almost the whole pitch is in shade because the stand is so high,” he said. “This has been a big factor for the care programme I have chosen to adopt. Maintaining grass coverage is a constant concern in the lower light months and the thinning grass often gives way to Poa annua in the spring which takes hold. It’s a tricky combination to contend with.

The lack of light, winter thinning and then the Poa means the turf is high maintenance. Couple this with the winter months being in heavy use and it means we are regularly out with pitch lights to encourage growth in match torn areas.”

After carrying out a mini renovation in June last year, Stuart applied 1.1 kg/ha of Attraxor® with 20kg of 46-0-0 nitrogen fertiliser. Attraxor® contains prohexadione-calcium, a new active ingredient that regulates growth and also limits the spread of Poa annua by reducing seed-head production.

“It visibly weakened the Poa,” said Stuart. “It looked stressed but the rye around it looked good. It turned the seed heads brown.”

Following the first application Stuart is now confident that Attraxor® will form an important part of his overall maintenance plan. “It is good to have a product that strengthens the sward and improves density whilst weakening the Poa. I definitely intend on applying it again,” he concluded.

For more information about Agrovista Amenity, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Combination ticks all the boxes for Eastleigh

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Combination ticks all the boxes for Eastleigh: Managing a high wear pitch, on a relatively tight budget is probably a story with which most non and lower league club grounds managers can relate.

For Eastleigh FC Head Groundsman Dan Barnes, the task is made slightly easier by getting the right seed in the ground first and foremost – and for this, he turns to Johnsons J Premier Pitch. Along with delivering superior wear tolerance, its resistance to disease has meant Dan has only applied fungicide once in the last four years.

Combination ticks all the boxes for Eastleigh

Combination ticks all the boxes for Eastleigh

Eastleigh FC moved to their home at the Silverlake Stadium in the 1950’s and limited investment since then has resulted in a pitch that struggles with drainage and requires thoughtful management – a challenge Dan picked up four years ago, despite having no previous Groundsmanship experience! “In those first few months I spent a lot of time undertaking qualifications and networking with other groundsmen as I sought to build a bank of suppliers” explains Dan, who is assisted only by a team of volunteers. “When it came to seed, after I tried Johnsons J Premier Pitch mixture, I’ve never wanted to use anything else.”

“Despite our challenging ground conditions, this mixture delivers on all of the key performance characteristics – it’s hard-wearing, gives us fantastic visual merit and has demonstrated fantastic tolerance to disease. In four years, we’ve had just one Fusarium outbreak which we could attribute to the use of pitch covers.” Due to budget constraints, Dan has to be creative when it comes to seeding, usually applying 50g per m2 during summer renovations and then overseeding at 25-30g per m2 in the autumn and again in the spring to see them through to the end of the season.

Last winter, Dan supplemented Premier Pitch with Johnsons J 4Turf to benefit from the lower temperature germination of DLF’s tetraploid ryegrass. “This gave the pitch a real boost through the winter and undoubtedly helped us get through a fixture pile-up we had in February 2021 where we hosted five games in a 19-day period. The increased root length we get with the J 4Turf mixture provides great additional strength and, along with J Premier Pitch, recovers brilliantly.”

“There is nothing more satisfying than being proud of the surface you present” Dan concludes. “This combination of Johnsons mixtures gives us a pitch that is always fit and ready for play which, in turn, satisfies the following of fans we are really fortunate to have here at the club.”

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‘Fantastic’ Ventrac for Essendon

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‘Fantastic’ Ventrac for Essendon: Essendon Country Club, located deep in the heart of the Hertfordshire countryside, has purchased a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and a trencher attachment to help maintain its two 18-hole parkland courses.

Course Manager Craig Gibson, an industry veteran of 31 years, is delighted with the new addition to his fleet and says,

'Fantastic' Ventrac for Essendon

‘Fantastic’ Ventrac for Essendon

“It’s fantastic; I’m hugely impressed. It’s not often a piece of kit excites us, but this is very different as we can use it all year round. The lads love it, it’s easy to use as you can just jump on and go. It’s really popular with the team.

“I first saw it at another club and was impressed with its tidy finish, then by chance Rupert Price cold-called me to see if we wanted a demo, so I invited him along. We have a clay-based courses and can be very wet in winter, but this machine is brilliant in the wet. Following the demo, it was like a ‘light bulb’ moment, so I made the made the business case to the club management and we agreed the purchase.

“At the moment we have the Trencher attachment as we’re putting in additional drainage, but Rupert kindly loaned me a Tough Cut deck as well, which is an awesome attachment and makes light work of brush and scrub in the woodland margins.

“My next purchase will definitely be the Contour deck attachment. This is an articulating deck which we will use for our bunkers and green surrounds. That’s the unique selling point of Ventrac; it’s so versatile and it can get to areas on the course that other machines simply can’t access.”

After leaving school in 1990, Craig Gibson completed a Level 2 NVQ in Sports Turf Management before taking up his first job at Welwyn Garden City Golf Club. From here he moved to the Forest of Dean, then onto Forest Hills as deputy course manager, where he spent 10 years. He then returned to Hertfordshire as head groundsman at St Christopher’s School in Letchworth before joining Essendon as course manager in 2007.

Essendon Country Club (formerly Hatfield London Country Club) consists of two 18-hole parkland courses, known as The Old course and The New course. The Old course is an undulating 6,800-yard mature parkland course designed by Fred Hawtree and opened in 1976. The New course, opened in 1992, is somewhat flatter but at 7,100 yard offers a challenge to any golfer. The club has a modern approach to golf welcoming all levels of golfer and the clubhouse, built around a 16th century barn, offers excellent facilities.

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