Tag Archive for: Sports

Abbots Bromley Sports Association keep progress going

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Abbots Bromley Sports Association keep progress going: Abbots Bromley Sports Association (ABSA) has continued progress on their £1.2million multi-sport facility with the addition of a New Holland tractor, Trimax Striker and quality training from Campey Turf Care Systems.

Plans for the ambitious project began many years ago when Abbots Bromley Cricket Club started looking for a new home, but when in 2013, after finding a 14-and-a-half-acre site, ABSA was created and the vision expanded to encompass multiple sports.

Abbots Bromley Sports Association keep progress going

Abbots Bromley Sports Association keep progress going

When completed the site will be home to the villages cricket, football, netball and tennis enthusiasts as well as being a community hub for other sports. The completion of the second phase of work means senior, and junior football pitches are now ready for play along with the cricket pitch, which is in its third year. Due to Covid-19, both sports are currently on hold at an amateur level, but it is hoped the pitches will be used at some point during 2021.

To continue the progress already made on the project, ABSA needed new equipment to maintain the ground, which led the trustees, chaired by Chris Wood, to Campey.

Chris explains: “We’re very grateful to be able to partner with such a clearly well established and very professional organisation as Campey. We can’t speak highly enough about their input all the way through this process.

“Our Trustee who looks after the ground, Andrew Kirkland, found out about the offer from Staffordshire FA and Campey and brought it back to the trustees and fortunately we were able to take that forwards. It’s true to say we work very well with Staffordshire FA, and their contribution and the funding from The Football Foundation have been significant. Their introduction to Campey has been nothing short of fantastic.

“Prior to the equipment arriving, Andrew and two volunteers were trained on the new equipment. It is important that we have that level of interaction and support so we are able to get the best results for our facility, and from an insurance point of view, it is absolutely fundamental.

“We’re very fortunate that we have a lot of volunteers in our project and we rely on them, alongside a groundsman to provide the best pitches we can create, and it is imperative that we have the equipment that can deliver that outcome as well. And once we’re fully open and have fixtures at the weekend, we can make sure they are all on by having the pitches in good condition.”

Bringing multiple sports under one roof has made this a truly community led project with people in the local area raising over £110,000. ABSA has also utilised funding from Staffordshire Borough Council, their own Parish Council, Sport England, the ECB, the Premier League and The Football Foundation as well as the help and advice of Staffordshire FA.

The next phase of the project will see an all-weather court for tennis, netball and five-a-side football put down, and the development of car parking and the new clubhouse.

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Johnsons Sports Seed announce new cultivars

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Johnsons Sports Seed announce new cultivars: DLF Seeds undeniably set the bar when it comes to seed research and development, giving turf professionals the mixtures they need and trust to achieve first-class results.

As they launch the Johnsons Sports Seeds mixture guide for 2021, the introduction of new cultivars and 11 updated formulations promise further improvements to disease resistance, wear tolerance and visual performance across a number of key mixtures in their golf and sports portfolio.

Johnsons Sports Seed announce new cultivars

Johnsons Sports Seed announce new cultivars

With sustainability an increasingly key consideration for turf managers, many are discovering the benefits associated with DLF’s 4turf® Tetraploid Ryegrass technology. New in the 4turf® stable for 2021 is Tetragame, a cultivar which significantly improves disease resistance and sward recovery, as well as demonstrating strong germination and establishment even at temperatures as low as 4oc. Tetragame features in the new formulation of J Outfield, together with updated J 4Turf and J 4Turf 100 mixtures to deliver the strength and durability demanded for winter sport and equestrian use.

With a trusted track record for high performance, Johnsons J Premier Wicket and J Premier Pitch mixtures will continue to set the standard for cricket and football respectively – with ProNitro® coated options available for even faster establishment and reduced input costs. DLF’s ProNitro® 5G seed coating contains a targeted combination of controlled release nitrogen, together with hydroactive water management technology, which leads to stronger germination and improved nutrient utilisation during the early stages of plant growth.

Also new for 2021 is Absolom. This highly-rated Slender Creeping Red Fescue cultivar delivers exceptional disease resistance and tolerance for close mown management making it a great addition to a number of Johnsons golf mixtures including J Fescue, J Premier Fairway and J Green. In addition, all mixtures across the Johnsons putting surface range are now ‘DLF Select’ purity as standard, meaning Course Managers can be assured that only seed from the purest crops and meeting the stringent cleanliness grade makes it into the bag.

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Quality sand = healthy sports pitches

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Quality sand = healthy sports pitches: A high-quality sand is vital to the overall health and performance of a sports pitch and Gary Cunningham, Football & Golf Sales Representative for Mansfield Sand, explains why.

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.

Quality sand = healthy sports pitches

Quality sand = healthy sports pitches

With a wide range of sand-based products available, it can sometimes be difficult to know which one will be most suitable. So, what should we be looking for in a good sports pitch dressing?

“Ideally a good quality silica sand dressing, aerated into the surface is all winter sports pitches require,” said Gary. “However, it is important to select the right industry grade of sand which is suitable for sports dressing application.

“A quality washed sports grade silica sand will be graded between 30 and 45 and each grade will be proceeded by two letters which designate the quarry they are supplied from. The lower the number, the coarser the sand is and vice versa – the higher the number, the finer the sand.

“There are also some sands that are unsuitable for winter sports pitches,” continued Gary. “Generally, you need to stay away from fine and coarse/grit sands. Finer/building sand will in effect seal up the surface while coarser products can destabilise the surface over time. Any reputable supplier of sports sand products will be able to provide you with a product grading and technical sheet.

“At Mansfield Sand, we predominately provide two grades of silica sand to the sports market, MM35 and MM40 – which are sourced directly from the company’s Two Oaks quarry in Mansfield.”

Gary spends most of his days travelling up and down the country visiting a variety of sports clubs from world class stadia through to grass roots. The most popular choices are 29 tone and 20 tonne loose tipped deliveries for full pitch dressings and 1 tonne bulk bags for when a little is required for touch up’s and divots.

Gary further explained best practice when it comes to divoting and touch up’s – particularly in goal mouth areas.

“Post-match divoting is best done with a fork by teasing the surface back together with a light dusting of sand to aid surface levels. For bigger deeper scars, a small amount of sandy rootzone mixed with a little seed can be used to add a little body to prevent it being kicked out. As only a small amount/hand full of rootzone are being used, it is possible to ensure it is stone free.

“Goal mouth areas are one such area needing extra attention – no amount of aeration and dressing will stop the grass thinning out on a sand soil surface. In severe situations if wanting to level the surface you can dig out the compacted rootzone and replace with a depth of fresh rootzone or even a reinforced product. If the area is just experiencing general wear, then a normal renovation sand dressing can be OK with an overseed.”

Gary also claimed that there can sometimes be some confusion between a rootzone and a pitch dressing.

“I quite often get asked for a sand soil dressing or a rootzone product to be spread over a pitch, but this always sets off alarm bells as this is not what rootzones are designed for,” he said.

“Rootzones are manufactured products of differing sand soil blends to be used in pitch construction as the growing medium for the grass. Rootzones all contain small stones which when spread over the surface can damage mowing machinery or cause player injury.

Mansfield Sand sieve down to 6mm for rootzone products.”

Gary recommends somewhere between 60-90 tonnes of sand for an end of season renovation on a full-sized playing area but stressed the importance of applying it properly.

“It will be important not to spread to much sand so as not to smother the grass plant or have a lot of sand laying over bare areas. It is good practice is to aerate during the sand dressing process, working the material into the upper rootzone profile.”

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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Sports surface solutions from Flexgrass

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Sports surface solutions from Flexgrass: The perfect surface for athletic achievement, providing the best customer experience ever.

10 years experience working with some of the biggest names in sport, our mission at FLexGrass always been to provide the perfect surface for the customer’s needs.

Sports surface solutions from Flexgrass

Sports surface solutions from Flexgrass

FLexGrass owners begun in 2010 as a pioneering task in the area of hybrid grass solutions has to the present day remained a passion that constantly pushes us forward to new levels of performance.

FLexGrass and its owners Fabio and Lorenzo Travaini, in collaboration with SIS Pitches, is now one of the world’s leading hybrid grass supplier: we offer the full product range from a single source including, project, installation, maintenance and follow up service.

Sport surfaces projected and followed directly by Fabio and Lorenzo Travaini and SIS Pitches were used in top international competitions such as the last 4 Champions League finals, Uefa Europa League, African Cup, 2018 World Cup, 2019 Women’s World Cup and many others top sport events.

Sports surface solutions from Flexgrass

Sports surface solutions from Flexgrass

For more information visit https://www.flexgrass.ch/

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New Sports and Grounds Exhibition

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New Sports and Grounds Exhibition: The Sports and Grounds Exhibition (SAGE) is the all new summer grounds maintenance exhibition opening 21st – 23rd July 2020.

SAGE has been introduced for the sports and grounds maintenance industry to showcase their market leading products as well as release new innovations in an outdoor environment, which will provide more opportunities to both the visitor and exhibitor. The exhibition falls well in the sports and grounds maintenance calendar, placing it nicely between BTME and SALTEX.

New Sports and Grounds Exhibition

New Sports and Grounds Exhibition

The target of SAGE is to bring together grounds personnel from a broad range of sectors and provide an engaging and well-resourced environment in which they have the opportunity to test out and see in action the latest products and ideas on the market. SAGE has huge potential to grow and develop year on year.

SAGE is a three-day event and has been formed out of the heightening demand by visitors and exhibitors to get “hands-on”. The Three Counties Showground provides the ideal situation for both the exhibitor and visitor alike. It is beautifully set at the foot of the famous Malvern Hills and within easy reach of Malvern and Worcester which both have ample amounts of accommodation. The Three Counties Showground already plays host to the RHS Spring & Autumn shows as well as the famous Three Counties Show.

The sectors who will be exhibiting so far include turf maintenance, machinery, line marking, fertilizers, seed weed control and play grounds, we expect to gain many more over the coming weeks. Keep up to date with all the exhibitor releases by following us on Twitter. For your chance to win a 2 night stay at the renowned Abbey Hotel in Great Malvern for the exhibition dates like our facebook page @exposage2020 and follow us on twitter @EXPOSAGE*.

SAGE is currently working with Lantra to develop onsite training during the exhibition, there will also be the opportunity to attend seminars on a range of key topics; from the sustainability to machine maintenance.

Hospitality will be provided by many of our exhibitors onsite. There are no entrance fees and onsite parking is free of charge. There are plans currently underway to run a shuttle bus between the train station, the centre of Malvern and The Three Counties Showground. The Three Counties is in a central location with good transport links easily providing a national and international reach. We look forward to seeing you in July.

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