Tag Archive for: Pitch

New doors open for Pitch and Track

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New doors open for Pitch and Track: The picturesque island of Jersey is known for many things, but perhaps lesser publicised is the fact that its climate provides the perfect growing conditions for moss!

In the battle to ensure moss and weeds doesn’t detract from many of the island’s popular public and sporting attractions are contractors Pitch and Track, who can now take on the challenge chemical-free thanks to their purchase of a Foamstream L12 system from Weedingtech.

New doors open for Pitch and Track

New doors open for Pitch and Track

Owned and operated by father and son pairing Nigel and Harrison McLinton, Pitch and Track conduct maintenance and repairs for natural and artificial playing surfaces, alongside effective weed and moss control, for a number of tennis courts, football facilities and private and public schools throughout Jersey. “Like a lot of contractors, we were previously using various chemicals to treat unwanted vegetation which meant ensuring we had the correct licenses and PPE to spray it, and also restricted us as to when and where we could treat areas – particularly in schools and areas around children, animals and waterways” explains Harrison.

“We stumbled across a demonstration video of Foamstream and were immediately intrigued by what this could offer.” Following a phone call, Weedingtech’s Tom Hamilton organised for a demonstration unit to be shipped to the pair for trial, who were seriously impressed from the off! “We had the L12 for a couple of weeks, used it on a few of our regular tennis court sites to see how easy it was to use, how we could manoeuvre it and ultimately how effective it was. The machine and the process delivered on every front which cemented our decision to purchase a unit for delivery in spring 2024.”

Foamstream provides control comparable to that of glyphosate on a broad range of weed species, together with the effective treatment of moss and algae. The plant-based foam solution insulates the hot water, to retain the temperature and quickly kill the weeds, the roots and surrounding spores – offering both immediate and longer-lasting control. Weedingtech’s L12 delivery unit is a portable, compact machine offering a ‘plug and play’ solution for use in all environments.

“Where previously we relied on the right weather and temperature to spray, we can now effectively treat surfaces anytime with Foamstream. We’ve done close to forty tennis courts to date, and are continually impressed with the speed of results and the more effective clean we get by following Foamstream with a pass of our deep clean machine. We’re also in discussions with authorities regarding treatments on some of the island’s slipways and outdoor pools.”

”We were also delighted to be approached by Jersey Zoo to treat areas in and around the aviary and some of the enclosures.” Harrison adds, “Foamstream has definitely opened new doors for us already and we’re both excited about other opportunities and the future of our business with this machine.”

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Achieve a Perfect Pitch with Mansfield Sand at SALTEX

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Achieve a Perfect Pitch with Mansfield Sand at SALTEX: Visitors to the Mansfield Sand stand (E150) at SALTEX 2024, taking place on 30 and 31 October at the NEC, Birmingham, will have the opportunity to explore a comprehensive range of sand-based products designed to enhance the health and performance of sports pitches.

With over 170 years of expertise, Mansfield Sand has been at the forefront of developing premium silica sand-based products. The company offers a wide array of innovative solutions for sports, landscaping, and equestrian applications, including stadium and training ground facilities, championship golf courses, and world-class show jumping arenas.

Achieve a Perfect Pitch with Mansfield Sand at SALTEX

Achieve a Perfect Pitch with Mansfield Sand at SALTEX

At SALTEX, Mansfield Sand’s industry experts will be available to discuss how their products can transform your sports turf projects. Key products on display will include:

Reinforced Rootzone

Mansfield Sand’s Reinforced Rootzones are engineered to maximize the use of natural turf surfaces while meeting the high standards required by today’s sports industry. The reinforcement technology used in these products provides enhanced stability and durability, ensuring that sand-dominated rootzones remain free-draining and consistent across the entire surface.

The range includes:

Fibre Reinforced Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres for added strength.

Fibrelastic Rootzone – combines polypropylene fibres with flexible Elastane fibres to enhance surface resilience.

Fibresand – ideal for maintaining surface integrity when grass cover is reduced due to heavy usage or winter wear.

Sand Soil Rootzones

Mansfield Sand is dedicated to helping turf managers achieve the ideal surface condition week after week. Their Sand Soil Rootzones are crafted from high-quality materials, ensuring exceptional results whether used for renovation or construction. The Mansil 40 Silica Sand blended with screened topsoil creates an optimal rootzone foundation.

Sand Compost Rootzones

For projects requiring a rootzone rich in organic content, Mansfield Sand offers a range of premium sand compost blends. These products are designed to retain nutrients and enhance drought resistance, promoting healthier, more resilient turf.

Top Dressing

Tailored for the fine turf market, Mansfield Sand’s Soil Top Dressing combines their superior silica sands with top-quality soils. The mixture is sterilised and screened to create a smooth, stone-free dressing that is easy to apply. Custom dressing blends and soil amendments are also available to meet specific turf management needs.

Mansil Silica Sand Sports Range

Mansfield Sand’s Mansil range of silica sands, sourced from their Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield, is essential for constructing and maintaining a variety of sports surfaces, from winter sports pitches and golf courses to bowling greens and other amenity turf areas.

For more information, visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk , follow them on Twitter at @MansfieldSand, or connect on Facebook at Mansfield Sand Sport Surfaces.

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Wembley creates recyclable pitch process

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Wembley creates recyclable pitch process: Wembley Stadium has staged some of the nation’s most memorable moments of the last century, but now the hallowed turf of the national stadium is set to create its own piece of history.

Wembley Stadium connected by EE has developed a unique new process to make its famous pitch 100% recyclable. The project is believed to be a first in the world of football.

Wembley creates recyclable pitch process

Wembley creates recyclable pitch process

It is the result of a meticulous two-year plan to find a suitable solution to recycling modern-day football pitches, which are a hybrid of grass and synthetic plastic.

A large amount of professional playing surfaces in today’s game contain plastic to make them more durable. Hybrid pitches have become popular because they offer increased reliability in variable weather and can be used more for multiple purposes.

However, the recycling of old hybrid pitches has been a challenge. The plastic contained within the hybrid pitch means they do not break down naturally, and the majority of old pitches are sent to waste landfill sites at the end of their life-cycle.

Now, the team at Wembley Stadium have come up with a process which means the plastic can be extracted from the pitch and repurposed. In the first of its kind, they have created a bench, made entirely out of plastic from a pitch that saw the likes of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Lauren James and Mary Earps all perform on.

Karl Standley is the Grounds Manager at Wembley Stadium. He said: “Extracting the plastic from a hybrid pitch is notoriously difficult, due to its compound and structure. When we first mooted the idea of recycling it, we were told it couldn’t be done. However, we were determined to find a sustainable answer to the problem.

“It’s been a long journey, testing and re-testing, but we have finally come up with a solution we are happy with.

“Creating something from a pitch that has had world class players perform on it is the ultimate memento. I am excited about what else we can possibly create in the future.”

Since the new stadium opened in 2007, Wembley has been committed to developing sustainable initiatives to ensure it is one of the greenest stadia in the world.

The team already recycled large elements of the pitch (rootzone and sand) back into grassroots pitches and wanted to take a lead in the research and development of a 100% sustainable process for the type of hybrid pitches installed at Wembley Stadium.

They worked with recycling specialists Circular 11 to find a suitable solution. Connor Winter from Circular 11 said: “The full circle pitch has been one of the most technically demanding and exciting projects that we’ve worked on to date, and we’re really proud to be a part of this pioneering project.

“It demonstrates that there are huge opportunities to increase plastic recycling when companies have unrelentingly high standards about what happens to the materials they use, as Wembley does, and shows the potential for composite technology to transform previously unrecyclable plastic into a resource.”

Wembley Stadium now hopes the process will pave the way for other stadiums across the UK and Europe to become more sustainable.

Karl added: “As more stadiums become multi-purpose venues, hosting a variety of sports, music and entertainment shows, there is a need to use more hybrid carpet surfaces throughout the year.

“By ensuring old pitches don’t go to landfill we can create a cycle that will ultimately reduce our impact on the environment and benefit community clubs up and down the country for a long time to come.”

The stadium team estimate that around 50 benches could be created from one pitch with scope to develop the recycled plastic into other uses within grassroots football.

The prototype bench will be placed within the stadium footprint in memory of a stadium employee who passed away last year.

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J Premier Pitch makes impressive debut

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J Premier Pitch makes impressive debut: Ticking the boxes for wear tolerance and fast germination, J Premier Pitch from Johnsons Sports Seed has impressed during its debut season at Dartford Football Club.

Under the supervision of Head Groundsman Jay Berkhauer and the team at Jordans Sportsground Solutions, J Premier Pitch was chosen due to a tight six-week renovation window, delivering a quality surface for the first game of season and demonstrating great resilience, despite challenging conditions, ever since.

J Premier Pitch makes impressive debut

J Premier Pitch makes impressive debut

Jay has been in the industry for 20 years, working on all manner of sports surfaces from Premier League clubs to grassroots facilities, schools, cricket clubs and everything in-between! For the last seven years he’s been an operative for contractors Jordans Sportsground Solutions and has been based at Dartford FC, of the National League South, for five seasons. “This pitch gets a lot of use!” he exclaims. “We’ve got four teams that play here so when it comes to renovating and preparing the pitch we know we need seed that can handle high levels of stress and wear, and meets the budget and resources we have available.”

“We’d heard about the quick establishment and germination of Johnsons, and with only five and a half weeks between our renovation and the first game, this was going to be critical. We sowed J Premier Pitch end of May 2023, saw the first sprouts of germination within seven days and by the first game of the season we were as good as gold!”

J Premier Pitch has delivered proven performance on some of the greatest sporting stages globally. The new 2024 formulation blends five top-rated perennial ryegrass cultivars to create a mixture with exceptional wear tolerance, disease resistance and outstanding visual merit. “After the impressive initial germination, we’ve also noticed the pitch has held up really well given the very wet winter and sustained high levels of play. There has also been a significant reduction in the amount of Red Thread we’ve seen in comparison to previous years.”

“While we may not have the luxury of a big budget or two weeks of recovery time between fixtures, we still very much aim for professionalism in the product we deliver. By hand seeding goal mouths and spot treating problematic areas we can maintain a pitch that looks good and plays well for the whole season. J Premier Pitch, for us, has been the right balance of price and quality” he concludes.

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J Premier Pitch a game-changer

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J Premier Pitch a game-changer: J Premier Pitch from Johnsons Sports Seed has been described as a ‘game-changer’ for Northampton Saints Rugby Club, delivering outstanding resilience, wear-tolerance and overall turf quality at both the stadium and new high performance training centre.

As one of just three clubs in the Premiership with an all-natural pitch, expectations and demands on the turf are high – but with the right seed, feed and maintenance programme in place, the team lead by Head Groundsman Andrew Miller are delivering on every front.

J Premier Pitch a game-changer

J Premier Pitch a game-changer

The cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens has been the stage for a strong season for Northampton Saints, leading rugby union’s top division at the time of writing. Ensuring the aforementioned stage is set is Andrew and a team of three. “Maintaining top flight rugby facilities poses a number of challenges” he explains. “Not only do we have the micro-climate stadium conditions like many other sports, but rugby demands strong, healthy rooting if the surface is going to withstand the pressures exerted by two 900kg scrum packs! Without the help of any hybrid support, Johnsons J Premier Pitch has helped us deliver on this and so much more.”

Andrew has been using the 100% perennial ryegrass mixture for the last nine years. The new 2024 formulation blends five top-rated cultivars to create the ideal winter sport mix, incorporating Monroe and Gildara for significantly improved resistance to Brown Patch and other common turf diseases. Trusted by many of Europe’s leading stadia, J Premier Pitch delivers proven play performance and outstanding visual merit.

“The turf quality and quick establishment have surpassed our expectations, vitally important with the small windows we’re given to grow the pitch back in after concert season. It gives us more than just a great density of sward with vibrant green colour which looks fantastic in a stadium – the resilience and recovery is outstanding, particularly during intense periods of play and the bad weather we endure through the winter months.”

Besides the stadium, J Premier Pitch was also used on the replica stadium pitch at the club’s High Performance Centre – upgraded during the summer of 2022 and officially unveiled in April 2023. “We achieve fantastic consistency and know and trust the quality we’re going to get from every bag.” He adds, “This seed mix has been the foundation to elevating all of our surfaces to a standard that professional athletes love to perform on!”

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