Tag Archive for: Pilgrims

MM60 helps The Pilgrims

MM60 helps The Pilgrims: MM60 grass seed has been the ideal mixture to help get Boston United FC’s new pitch off to the best possible start – according to Head Groundsman Jim Portas.

At the end of the 2019/20 season Boston United, nicknamed The Pilgrims, left their York Street home to move to a new stadium – the Jakemans Community Stadium. It was an investment with the aim of providing Boston United and its community foundation a secure future.

MM60 helps The Pilgrims

MM60 helps The Pilgrims

Anticipation was high but unfortunately the pandemic meant that the first season in the new stadium was somewhat quiet, much to the regret of Jim.

“The fans were not allowed in, and it was a shame, especially as it was a new era for the club,” he said. “From the players point of view, it was also unfortunate because they had started really well up until the season became null and void. It was a fantastic new pitch, with MM60 seed at its foundation.”

MM60 is the UK’s leading winter sports renovation mixture and can be attributed with playing a key role in many of the finest sporting venues you see today. The 100% Ryegrass formula, which is perfect for divot repair, is renowned for its extremely fast germination and its high wear tolerance. It produces fantastic aesthetic qualities, and its high disease resistance provides ultimate protection.

MM60 is also treated with HEADSTART® GOLD, which is a further development of the well-recognised Headstart treatment and has been developed using the latest scientific findings and field experience. It is a natural revolutionary grass seed treatment that ensures rapid germination. It is perfect for enhancing performance sports fields, golf courses, lawns and amenity turf.

Jim admitted that he can’t take credit for the initial decision to use MM60, but he will certainly be continuing to use it for a long time to come.

“The seed was selected by Fine Turf (the chosen sports turf contractor), but from what I have seen, they absolutely made the right choice. In that first year the seed germinated after just six days, and it gave us fantastic coverage.

“It was so good that I made the decision to overseed with it in May in preparation for the new season. This time around it took slightly longer to germinate because of the weather conditions but as soon as it came through, it really took off.

“It was put to the test pretty quickly,” continued Jim. “Because the fans had been away for so long, the club arranged for four pre-season friendlies to take place all at home – we just wanted the fans back.

MM60 helps The Pilgrims

MM60 helps The Pilgrims

“We allowed 8 weeks for the pitch to establish and then the games came thick and fast. It stood up incredibly well with no problems at all.

“The seed was brilliant in the first year and has been even better in the second year – the colour of it, the strength of it, and the consistency have all been faultless.

“I will continue to use MM60 for renovations, and in the meantime, I’ll put some down in the areas that need it – in the high usage areas throughout the season.

“Overall, the fans love the stadium, and the players love the pitch. It’s a good time for Boston United FC.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s new website www.mm-seeds.co.uk. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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PRO 34R perfect for the Pilgrims

PRO 34R perfect for the Pilgrims: The head groundsman at Boston United FC, claims that the Dennis PRO 34R provides a quality of cut that he has never seen before in a rotary pedestrian mower.

For 12 years Jim Portas worked as a volunteer groundsman for his beloved Boston United FC, aka the Pilgrims. In 2020, he was offered the position of head groundsman and it could not have come at a more exciting time.

PRO 34R perfect for the Pilgrims

PRO 34R perfect for the Pilgrims

A new 5,000 capacity stadium has now finished completion and signals new fortunes for the club that will give them a stadium that they can finally call home.

Since being constructed and seeded in the summer of 2020, Jim has been keeping a close eye on the pitch and the Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower has certainly helped him.

“We looked at a lot of rotary mowers and I heard nothing but good reports about the Dennis PRO 34R,” said Jim.

The Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface. It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements.

Unique features of the Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower include:

  • 5 forward and 1 reverse selection for speed of operation
  • 90 litre capacity grass box
  • Fully adjustable angle of deck for changing conditions
  • 2 section cast aluminium rear roller
  • Easy to use height of cut gauge
  • Single point height of cut adjustment for ease of operation
  • Optional front wheel or smooth/weile roller options
  • Front brush for standing grasses upright
  • Adjustable handlebars for operator comfort

“The main use for the PRO 34R is to clean the pitch after a game – the brush at the front will help to stand the grass up and it is fantastic at removing all the debris from the pitch.

“I have never seen a rotary mower that can cut like this – that is for sure. Furthermore, the grass box keeps the cuttings really compact which is beneficial.

“Being on my own, I need equipment that is going to be reliable and help me get the job done quickly and efficiently – the PRO 34R ticks all he boxes. I use it at a speed setting of 3-4 which is perfect for me. It is a sturdy well-built machine from a respectable and trustworthy manufacturer.”

The Dennis PRO 34R was purchased by Burdens Group for Boston United as part of a sponsorship agreement with the club at the new stadium.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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

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

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