Tag Archive for: Mansfield

Mansfield Sand is fab for Forest

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Mansfield Sand is fab for Forest: Ewan Hunter, Grounds Manager at Nottingham Forest FC, has praised the products and service he receives from Mansfield Sand.

After starting his career as a greenkeeper, Ewan Hunter moved into football grounds management and has remained in the sector for over 20 years. His first job in football was at Rushden & Diamonds FC before starting at Nottingham Forest FC in 2005. Having been at the club ever since, Ewan’s work has been recognised through numerous groundsman awards, and he can now add the title ‘Premier League Groundsman’ to his CV after Forest recently achieved promotion to the top tier.

Mansfield Sand is fab for Forest

Mansfield Sand is fab for Forest

Ever the professional, Ewan remains focussed.

“Our work won’t change with us being in the Premier League,” he said. “We will continue to do our job the same way we always have. Obviously, we want to improve standards all the time, and there are future projects, which include new first-team pitches for the training ground, and eventually we will have a new stadium pitch. Yes, the technology we utilise might be better and more modern, but our work will remain the same.”

Ewan oversees a team of seven members of staff that work across the stadium pitch and the training ground. All the pitches across the two sites are of the same construction as Ewan explains.

“All of the pitches we have here are Fibresand, and we use a variety of Mansfield Sand’s products. I’ve been working with Mansfield Sand since my days at Rushden and Diamonds, so well over 20 years.”

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.

Ewan continued to offer an insight into how he uses Mansfield Sand’s products.

“Most of the products we use from Mansfield Sand are renovation products. We will strip the pitches, Koro them off and then top dress with Mansfield’s MM40. If we are adding fibre to the pitch then we will use their Fibresand, and that is mixed into the rootzone by the contractor.

“Through the season, we will use their top dressing and a little bit of rootzone, mainly to level out the goal mouths that get a lot of wear.

“Rootzone is very important and is integral to a healthy pitch.”

Furthermore, two pitches at the training ground are currently being reconstructed using 5000 tonnes of gravel, 6902 tonnes of MM40 sand and 4089 tonnes of 85/15 sand soil rootzone, all of which are sourced directly from Mansfield Sand’s Two Oaks Quarry.

The work is being carried out by Ewan’s reliable contractors MJ Abbot and Premier Pitches, who order the products directly from Mansfield Sand. Ewan may not necessarily be involved in the ordering process anymore, but he still maintains a good relationship with the company.

“The customer service from Mansfield Sand is perfect, and Sharon Morris (Sales Manager) is brilliant. She is a life-long Forest fan, and she comes to watch the games. I talk to her pretty much after every home game and she will wander down from the stands after the match to have a chat. She is always on the other end of the phone if we need her, and she always goes out of her way for us.”

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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EFL Pitch Winners Use Mansfield Sand

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EFL Pitch Winners Use Mansfield Sand: The English Football League (EFL) has named the 2021/22 Grounds Teams of the Season, and 8 out of the 10 clubs use Mansfield Sand products on their pitches.

Up and down the country, groundstaff have again worked tirelessly this campaign to maintain pitches across all 72 of the EFL’s clubs. The Grounds Teams of the Season awards recognise the staff who have produced the best quality playing surfaces in each division.

EFL Pitch Winners Use Mansfield Sand

EFL Pitch Winners Use Mansfield Sand

Throughout the season, pitch marks are provided by the referee and the away team manager for all EFL matches. The teams that receive the highest number of marks are then visited by the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), where further assessments are carried out.

Once all the club visits have taken place, the reports are submitted to the Playing Surfaces Committee, at which point the winners and the highly commended teams are determined. 8 out of the 10 successful teams use Mansfield Sand products.

Middlesbrough FC, Nottingham Forest FC, Lincoln City FC, Newport County FC, Bradford City FC, and Exeter City FC all use Mansfield Sand’s Fibresand and Ipswich Town FC relies on Mansfield Sand’s MM40 product. Furthermore, League One winners Bolton Wanderers FC use Fibresand on their training pitch.

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.

Commenting on the winners, Gary Cunningham, Football & Golf Sales Representative for Mansfield Sand, said: “We would like to say a huge congratulations to all the successful teams and we are honoured that so many of them use our products.

“Groundstaff deserve so much credit for preparing and maintaining the stage on which so many sporting men and women depend for their performance and enjoyment. It is vitally important to recognise and celebrate this highly skilled profession.”

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/

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

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10/10 for Mansfield Sand

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10/10 for Mansfield Sand: Ian Darler, Head Groundsman at Cambridge United FC, has revealed why he has been using the ‘exceptional products’ by Mansfield Sand for over a decade.

Incredibly, Ian has been working at Cambridge United FC since 1979 and is now into his 43rd season at the club. As well as keeping the pitch at the Abbey Stadium in immaculate condition, he is also the Stadium Manager and up until recently was the Match Day Safety Officer. Outside of work, Ian is dedicated to raising funds for various charities and was even awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2020.

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

He is held in the highest esteem by his peers in turf management and rightly so, but the ever-modest Ian, claims that his mentor deserves all the credit.

“I started as an apprentice greenkeeper in 1976 and I worked under the best boss anyone could ever have,” he said. “At the time I never appreciated why he was always so strict and methodical, but it has kept me in good stead for 43 years. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t appreciate the time he dedicated to showing me how to do the job properly.”

After winning just about every award the grounds industry has to offer, it is safe to say that Ian’s mentor would be beaming with pride. Recognising and praising those who go out of their way for him, comes easy to Ian and in his opinion the world needs a little more of it.

“Everybody needs to help others more these days,” he said. “Too many people are quick to moan but not enough compliment when things are good. The one thing I have done all my life is thank someone, whether it be a person or a company, when they have done something well for me.”

Once such company is Mansfield Sand: “I’ve been using their products for over ten years and they are exceptional,” he said.

“The sand we used previously was starting to cause some problems – it was bit too uniformed and was creating a marble effect. At the time I was introduced to Mansfield Sand, and they came out and took some samples. We discussed which products would be best for the pitch and I have used them ever since.”

Mansfield Sand 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 Ian’s case, he relies on a variety of products from Mansfield Sand – as he explains.

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

10/10 for Mansfield Sand

“We use three sand products –MM40; more so at the end of the season as a dressing if we are not taking the pitch up; we use the Fibresand Concentrate for renovations and then we use the 80/20 mix for divots and repairs.

“Since using the products on the pitch the drainage has been good, but more importantly the stability has been brilliant. I think the other beauty of working with Mansfield Sand is that they are always available to come and take samples to see what our Fibresand levels are like.

“For more extensive work when we are adding gravel bands or something like that in the close season, we use their 2mm-6mm gravel for primary and secondary drainage, because it is some of the cleanest and best gravel I’ve ever seen.

“I get a ten out of ten service from Mansfield Sand,” continued Ian. “Everything is always delivered on time, and I couldn’t ask for anymore from the company.”

Ian’s latest charity work will see him walking the equivalent distance from London to Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup – a staggering 3,229 nautical miles or close to 8 million steps – with the aim of raising £50,000 for Shout. Visit Ian Darler’s fundraising page for more details.

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/

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

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‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

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‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised: Good consistent products and excellent customer service are the two reasons why Jeremy Browne, Head Greenkeeper at the Herefordshire Golf Club, chooses to use Mansfield Sand.

Established in 1896, the Herefordshire could well be the oldest club in the County, but it certainly is moving with the times. The new owners have invested in a number of improvements as they attempt to boost membership and secure the future of the club.

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

Jeremy, who has been at the club for 21 years, is playing an integral role in this respect too.

“There are four of us that manage the course, one of whom is an apprentice, and it is important to look ahead,” he said. “The plan is to bring in more apprentices because the three of us senior members of staff are all in our late fifties, so whether we like it or not, we probably won’t still be working here in say ten years. It is essential that we leave the course in safe hands – we want people to come through and learn all our knowledge and benefit from our experience.”

One tip Jeremy will be sure to pass down is how a high-quality sand can be vital to the overall health and performance of a golf course. Therefore, choosing the right sand is not a decision to be taken lightly – as he explains.

“We did use another company for our sand, but we were having problems getting deliveries and the products were not consistent,” he said. “We’re a hilly, clay-based course and it gets incredibly wet in the winter, so I wanted a good consistent, coarse sand to introduce into the greens.

“I did some research and had lots of samples sent to me. We looked at the analysis of all of them, tried them all and the one we decided on was Mansfield Sand’s MM35.”

Jeremy chose Mansfield’s MM35 Golf pure silica sand for top-dressing his greens because it brings a number of benefits such as improved recovery, firmness, smoothness and an improved rootzone. MM35 Golf also makes for a great bunker sand as it has fantastic playing characteristics as well as being aesthetically attractive.

Sourced directly from the company’s Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield, the Mansil Silica products are predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces – from winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas.

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

“Once you pick a top-dressing, it is best to stick with it, providing it is good of course,” said Jeremy. “I don’t believe in using different ones all the time because you end up getting a build-up of different sands in your profile.

“The consistency on the MM35 seems to be very good, and my aim is for it to help improve drainage and keep the surface dry. We use the product on all of the greens and on our tees too. I’d like to top-dress the greens monthly and I’m hoping to be able to do that with MM35 sooner rather than later.

“The service from Mansfield Sand is also excellent – I like my deliveries to have come and gone before the golfers get in at 8am and they have never let me down.”

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/

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

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Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards

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Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards: Mansfield Sand has rounded off a hugely successful year by winning an astonishing three awards.

The first award came at the Nottinghamshire Live Business Awards 2021, where the company picked up the prestigious Company of the Year Award.

Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards

Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards

Held at the East Midlands Conference Centre in late October, the awards aim to celebrate success, recognise achievement and highlight the innovative people and companies throughout Nottinghamshire who are putting their region on the map by boosting the economy while making a positive contribution to the local community.

More recently, Mansfield Sand were delighted to win a further two awards at the 2021 MPA & British Precast Health & Safety Awards – ‘The Sir Frank Davies Trophy’ and ‘Maintenance and Housekeeping Award (Brickworks – Safe Kiln Access and inspection project)’, which recognise the industry’s drive to ‘vision zero’.

The prestigious Sir Frank Davies Trophy recognises organisations which have demonstrated an exceptional health and safety performance, while the maintenance and Housekeeping Award is a Topic Award – ‘Helping to make the industry safer for everyone.’

Commenting on the awards, Mansfield Sand Managing Director Richard Abraham said: “I wish to congratulate each and every one of our team as I realise how much hard work and effort goes into making our sites a healthier and safer environment.

“We genuinely are the best version of Mansfield Sand that we’ve ever been. Without them we aren’t who we are today.”

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/

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

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