Tag Archive for: Pitch

Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

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Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit: Two volunteer groundskeepers were given the experience of a lifetime by helping prepare the world-famous Wembley pitch ahead of the Lionesses’ game against the Netherlands.

The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation ran a competition as part of the Get Your Pitch Match Fit campaign that celebrates the importance of grass pitches and the groundskeepers who maintain them for the grassroots game.

Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

Trevor Chenery and Tony Hesketh are volunteer groundskeepers at Halesworth Town Juniors FC in Suffolk and Acton Ealing Whistlers AFC in West London respectively. Between them, the Clubs have received over £129k in grant funding from the Foundation to get their pitches looking and playing their best.

Wembley Stadium’s Grounds Manager, Karl Standley, was on hand to offer expert advice, show them what’s involved in getting the hallowed turf match ready and help them put the finishing touches on England’s most prestigious pitch.

Trevor said: “Every football fan dreams of stepping out onto the Wembley pitch, so to be able to do that has been a dream come true.

“Groundskeeping is a real labour of love and today I’ve seen that it’s exactly the same for the top groundskeepers in the country. There’s so much I’ve learnt that’ll help me take my own pitch to the next level.

“I’d like to thank the Football Foundation for all the advice and funding I have received so far by using PitchPower and of course for the incredible opportunity today.”

The pair were selected at random from users of PitchPower – the Football Foundation’s free web app for inspecting and improving grass pitches.

Through PitchPower, anyone responsible for a grass pitch can inspect their pitches and receive bespoke advice from experts at the Grounds Management Association on how to improve them. After receiving these recommendations, PitchPower users have the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £12,800 per pitch through the Foundation to put them into action.

Tony said: “Before using PitchPower, we regularly had to call off games because our pitches just couldn’t handle any form of bad weather.

“Now, not only are our fixtures able to go ahead as planned, but our players actually enjoy the games more because they get to play on quality playing surfaces. That transformation wouldn’t have been possible without PitchPower and the funding we received from the Football Foundation.

“Today has been great and I hope to take some of Karl’s advice back to our pitches at Acton Ealing Whistlers AFC to ensure all our players can enjoy their football!”

Karl Standley, Wembley Grounds Manager and Football Foundation Supporter, said: “Having a quality playing surface is vital, whether you’re playing in the World Cup final or Sunday League with your friends.

“The grassroots game couldn’t function without volunteer groundskeepers giving up their time for clubs across the country and I’m proud to help the Football Foundation shine a spotlight on the vital role they play.

“Thanks to the support of the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Foundation will be investing £21 million a year to get grass pitches across the country looking and playing their best.

“I’d encourage anyone responsible for a grass pitch to keep an eye out on the Foundation’s social channels for tips and tricks on how to maintain their grass pitches and sign up to PitchPower to start their grass pitch transformation journey.”

To help more people enjoy all the benefits of grassroots sport, the Foundation has set the target of reaching 20,000 ‘good’ quality grass pitches across the country by 2030.

For more information, head over to the Foundation’s website:

https://footballfoundation.org.uk/get-your-pitch-match-fit

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Pitch Perfect at Morecambe FC

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Pitch Perfect at Morecambe FC: EFL League Two Club, Morecambe is celebrating the condition of their pitches after adopting the Grow-In Programme from Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS).

Head of Grounds Rob Davidson comments, “I am over the moon with this year’s pitches. I am incredibly proud of the results.”

Pitch Perfect at Morecambe FC

Pitch Perfect at Morecambe FC

Rob joined the club in 2021 following the renovation period and during the first year he struggled to keep coverage on the shaded area of the pitch.

During a visit to Origin Turf, Science and Technology Centre, Rob had the opportunity to review the research data comparing tetraploid and diploid grass seed mixes.

For his first renovation Rob selected R140 grass seed mix from the R range because of the tetraploid content. He remarks, “Since using R140 at the stadium we have seen improvements in coverage, density, colour and over all turf health, especially in the shaded areas of the pitch. The germination and establishment could not have been better this year.”

“Visiting the OAS Turf, Science and Technology Centre has given me additional confidence in the products and the technical support offered by the Origin team has been excellent. With support from Origin, we have tailored the OAS Grow-In plan to suit the pitch requirements. Having a structured Grow-In programme has allowed us to get the best out of the products with a limited budget.”

It’s not just about the products through. Rob adds, “Working with OAS has allowed me to enhance my education and understanding of the products I use and how to get the best from everything I apply. Their events also provide networking opportunities and a chance to meet with peers and form relationships, which I believe is an important part of our industry.”

Rob has used the OAS Grow-In Programme for his second year at the club. The Grow-In programme is borne from extensive R&D at the OAS Turf, Science and Technology Centre. It is a two-step approach which comprises a mix of products to be applied at renovation and at emergence.

The mix for application at renovation stage includes an organic soil amendment – a composted cow manure and Humic Acid soil conditioner, Tricure AD™ Granular – a residual wetting agent, and Mycorrhizal Inoculant – a microbial inoculant.

At emergence, the programme uses an organo-mineral fertiliser and biostimulants that feature nitrate nitrogen and molasses providing early carbohydrates and instantly available nitrogen to promote growth and enhanced plant health.

Rob reports, “The addition of the liquid mix applied at emergence alongside the C-Complex 14.2.5 has given us a quick grow response. Cutting schedules have commenced earlier and cutting frequency has meant third leaf stage has been reached quickly to allow for Primo Maxx applications. The biostimulant applications and organo-mineral fertilisers, supported by Verti-drain aeration has promoted a healthy root system.”

Andy Merry, Key Account Manager from OAS said ‘it has been great working with Rob over the last few years. His professionalism and communication with the club has established a trusting relationship, enabling the renovation work required to produce a surface that performs. Rob is enthusiastic and committed to providing pitches of the highest quality using modern techniques and technology. He has improved the standards across all pitches and produced surfaces that play well and look impeccable. It has been a joy to see the results.”

For further information or to discuss a future Grow-In programme for your club contact the OAS team on 0800 138 7222 or email sales@originamenity.com

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Communication key to Duncan Ross pitch refurbishment

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Communication key to Duncan Ross pitch refurbishment: Cheshire West and Chester Council has cited communication as one of the key factors behind Duncan Ross Ltd.’ successful pitch refurbishment, which has seen an out-of-use football pitch turned into a ‘billiard table for rugby.’

For John Seiler CMLI, Landscape Architect at Cheshire West and Cheshire Council, this is the best quality pitch that he has worked on over his 19-year period with the council. The transformation was much needed, with the 40-year-old surface left unused for many years due to drainage problems.

Communication key to Duncan Ross pitch refurbishment

Communication key to Duncan Ross pitch refurbishment

Thriving local rugby club, Northwich RUFC, who play on the Moss Farm Leisure Complex, wanted to use the pitch for their first 15, and after a competitive tender process, John began working with Duncan Ross Ltd for the first time.

“This was my first time working with Duncan Ross Ltd, and I’ve been very impressed,” John said.

“Communication was vital to the success of this project because of the challenges we faced. One of the drainage issues was the outlet, which was blocked. We had to collaborate with the other landowners to gain access to the blockage, and what could have been potentially very challenging felt easy because Duncan Ross Ltd handled it so well.

“Duncan and Joe Ross ran the site, and their expertise and attention to detail were extremely good. They were both very approachable, professional and easy to get on with, which made an enormous difference.

“When running landscape contracts, we need to know what’s going on, and we can’t be on the site 24 hours a day. So, we need to have that level of trust, openness and transparency with regard to each work stage.

“They were also taking pictures of every stage of the process. So, from the grading, drains, and slitting works, they also had drone footage, which was fantastic for us and PR on the site.

“As a landscape architect having worked on many landscape and sports pitch contracts, I really value that close working relationship with a contractor.”

Investigation work revealed that the pitch’s drainage outlet was severed and blocked. Working with the landowner opposite, Duncan Ross addressed the issue and began installing the new outlet and carrier drains before constructing the pitch.

In mid-September 2023, a month after seeding, John describes the pitch as looking “absolutely beautiful.” Whilst he has been impressed by the communication and finished product, he also thinks Duncan Ross Ltd.’s high-quality machinery has heavily contributed to an outstanding product.

“The level on the pitch is absolutely incredible. It really is the best pitch I’ve worked on,” John said. “The rugby club are extremely grateful and have been blown away with the result, but so much of that is down to the professionalism of Duncan Ross Ltd and the machinery they use.

“It’s all absolutely first-class. For every single aspect of the various stages of the works, they have the equipment from laser-levels to trenchers to get the best results. What it also meant was they got the job done quickly. Because of the nature of the weather and having such a wet summer, it made it difficult, and potentially could have been very difficult, but because of the machines they had it enabled them to get the job done and to a high standard.”

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A perfect pitch with Mansfield Sand

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A perfect pitch with Mansfield Sand: Visitors to the Mansfield Sand stand (E150) at SALTEX can expect to see a wide range of sand-based products that are vital to the overall health and performance of a sports pitch.

Mansfield Sand has pioneered the development and production of premium silica sand-based products for over 170 years. The company provides a wide range of innovative products for sports, landscaping, and equestrian uses. These include stadium and training ground facilities; championship golf courses and world class show jumping arenas.

A perfect pitch with Mansfield Sand

A perfect pitch with Mansfield Sand

The company’s leading experts will be on hand at SALTEX to explain how some of the following products could make a difference to your sports turf projects.

Reinforced Rootzone

A range of Reinforced Rootzones developed to obtain greater use from natural turf surfaces whilst maintaining the high standards demanded by today’s sports industry and meeting the expectations of ground staff at all levels. Mansfield Sand’s reinforcement technology provides stability and durability to all sand dominated Rootzones allowing the pitch to remain free draining and consistent over the whole surface.

Products include Fibre Reinforced Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres; Fibrelastic Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres and flexible Elastane fibres and Fibresand – particularly advantageous when grass cover has been reduced due to heavy usage and wear during the winter period.

Sand Soil Rootzones

Mansfield Sand understands exactly what is needed to achieve the surface that turf managers require week-in-week-out and that is why their rootzones contain only the best quality materials to meet that demand. For renovation or construction, the company’s superior rootzone blend Mansil 40 Silica Sand with a quality screened topsoil, guarantees the perfect start.

Sand Compost Rootzones

A range of premium quality sand organic material blends which are perfect for creating a rootzone where an organic rich material is required within the profile, aiding in the retention of nutrients whilst providing increased drought resistance.

Top Dressing

Produced for the fine turf market, Mansfield Sand’s Soil Top Dressing is a manufactured homogenous product made from their own premium silica sands combined with top quality soils. All passed through a sterilising unit, over a 3mm screen to produce an easy to spread, stone and pebble free dressing. Mansfield Sand can also produce bespoke dressing blends and combine soil amendments into any product.

Mansil Silica Sand Sports Range

Sourced from the company’s Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield where the Mansil range of Silica Sands is produced. These 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.

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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Wembley brings in new pitch

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Wembley brings in new pitch: Wembley Stadium, connected by EE, will have a new state-of-the-art pitch in place for this week’s FA Community Shield between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC.

The FA Community Shield is the traditional curtain-raiser to a new football season. Last year’s contest was moved to the King Power Stadium in Leicester while Wembley Stadium hosted the UEFA Women’s Euro ‘22 Final.

Wembley brings in new pitch

Wembley brings in new pitch

The fixture returns to its usual home this week, with the Wembley grounds-team adding the final touches to a playing surface, which over the summer played host to sell-out concerts attended by over half a million people.

The fact Wembley Stadium is ready to host such a prestigious football match, so soon after concert season, is down to the latest advancement in pitch technology. The hybrid carpet ‘Lay and Play’ grass pitch was grown off site, on a turf farm hundreds of miles away from the stadium. Link to timelapse video here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HEHX2zIwjzPx_wLp7qjQ6YzdbSNhD1HS?usp=sharing

Once it was ready, more than 720 rolls of the hallowed turf were put on a number of lorries and transported to the stadium, before it was laid out last week. At 10 metres long by 1.2 metres (which if end to end would be 7km in length), the whole install took 60 hours to complete.

Wembley Stadium’s Grounds Manager Karl Standley said: “Lay and Play is a game-changer for a multi-purpose venue like Wembley Stadium. Previously, it might have taken up to five weeks after a concert to get a pitch ready for a football fixture. Now this can be done in just five days.

“Growing it offsite means we can ultimately cut down the time required between concerts and football to let the pitch recover, so that Wembley can continue to keep up with global demand to stage world-class events.”

It took more than three years of research and development to get to a stage where the meticulous Wembley team was happy that lay and play technology could meet their high standards.

“The Wembley pitch is unique and has very certain requirements. It involves a specific blend of sun, water, nutrients and takes 14 weeks to get into perfect shape. Even the fertiliser plan is bespoke to our requirements,” adds Karl.

“It is like one big chemistry experiment. We had to test every stage of the process including the grow time, any potential damage during transport and how it reacts when it comes into the stadium. It is a very precise procedure, and we monitor every stage closely.

“The pitch for this week’s FA Community Shield fixture came into the stadium on July 25 and has settled in nicely. After that it will be used for the Rugby League Challenge Final before concerts and events including AEW Elite Wrestling at the stadium.

“The next step is to make the whole process sustainable with the old pitch going back into grassroots football.

“At present the old pitch goes off to a production site where the grass, sand and plastic is separated. The grass decomposes naturally, and the sand is sent back to us so it can be re-used or sent out for use on grassroot pitches.

“We are close to now finding a use for the plastic, whereby it can be melted down and used to produce equipment for sports teams. Eventually the whole process will be 100% sustainable.”

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