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Uncovering the Potential

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Uncovering the Potential: Sports research laboratories, consultants and other sports specialists look at data to improve the surface, environment or player performance. Let’s look at how GrasPro can help with it.

Experience with GrasPro users shows that targeted data collection and processing make it possible to assess and improve pitch quality, better manage conditions, increase utilisation and reduce investment, operating costs and environmental impact. Using the system provides a clear overview of the pitches’ care, quality and characteristics.

Uncovering the Potential

Uncovering the Potential

Based on the data, a variety of studies and analyses can be carried out to influence the above factors and build an understanding of the pitch.

To take an example of data use:

  • Do factors such as a low grass mowing height influence the pitch resistance?
  • The interaction between weather, water use and fertiliser sources. That is, how much the fertiliser application must be changed to offset precipitation and irrigation. An aspect that can be an environmental problem.
  • How different maintenance measures affect the outcome of measuring the grass condition.
  • How can data support environmentally friendly pitch maintenance?
  • The impact of accidents on players.

Player Injuries and the Pitch Condition

For information on the importance of this data collection, many studies have been conducted on the correlation between player accidents and pitch conditions. Some of these studies have shown a connection between these two factors. For example, the grip and compression of the surface can influence the accident rate.

There is clear evidence of inadequate stability and definitions of quantitative deficiencies. This GA review (1) [Lauren A. Petrass et. AL, 2013] is also presented in a scientific study by David Rennie and others published in 2015 (2) [David J. Rennie et. al, 2016]. The performance and capability of players are primarily determined by the type of surface they play on. Simple tests show whether if a surface is wet, hard, uneven, etc., can matter. These factors can affect ball flow, speed of play, player injuries and the game itself, among other things. With improved data collection and data reliability, it is possible to investigate, for example, whether a fast surface is better suited for quick players to perform to their full potential.

 

It is of great interest to top-tier competition teams to pay close attention to on-pitch situations where large sums of money can be directly related to the performance of individual players in competing teams. Modern competition depends on whether a key player is injured or cannot play at full capacity due to pitch conditions. This can have far-reaching effects on a team’s earning potential and its long-term performance.

Achieving Sustainability Goals for Stadium Construction and Maintenance

In FIFA Stadium Guidelines 2022 (3) FIFA stress that sustainable maintenance and operation of the stadiums are essential for the future. According to the UN, the energy intensity of buildings must be reduced 30% by 2030 compared to 2015 levels to meet the Paris Agreement. In addition to it, significant climate change mitigation measures include reducing CO2 emissions from materials used in stadium construction, maintenance and using clean energy to power stadiums.  

The reduction of waste generated during stadium construction, operation and maintenance is another point to consider. For example, excavated soil generated on the construction site should be used for buildings where possible so that only material that cannot be reused is removed. This helps reduce the volume of waste generated during development, reducing the carbon footprint, air pollution and lorry traffic.

Simple measures like composting grass clippings and re-using materials produced during pitch renovations and maintenance can also contribute. In fact, measuring your grass clipping yield can help manage nitrogen and PGR inputs more precisely, improving pitch consistency and performance whilst reducing waste. Keeping a simple record of grass clippings volume can be important information.

Keeping a comprehensive record of moisture levels in the pitch using probes or underground sensors can also make a substantial difference. The desired station can be set by benchmarking moisture levels against pitch performance, and only the exact amount of water needed is used to achieve it.

The same method can be used for fertilisers and grass seeds. With optimum time for use pinpointed, it avoids product waste, budget waste and unnecessary deliveries.

Data collection with GrasPro creates opportunities for gathering knowledge from data and research. The processing and use of this data and expertise will likely lead to significant improvements in the quality and operation, as well as improved player safety and performance.

Sources:

  1. Lauren A. Petrass and Dara M. Twomey (2013), The relationship between ground conditions and injury: What level of evidence do we have? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 16 (2),. Doi: 0.1016/j.jsams.2012.07.005
  2. David J Rennie,Jos Vanrenterghem, Martin Littlewood, Barry Drust (2016), Can the natural turf pitch be viewed as a risk factor for injury within Association Football?? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19 (7), 547-552. Doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2015.07.009
  3. FIFA Football Stadiums Guidelines 2022. Available here: https://publications.fifa.com/en/football-stadiums-guidelines/

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Morpeth Golf Club looks to the future

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Morpeth Golf Club looks to the future: Morpeth Golf Club has a new approach to running its 117-year-old business; utilising every asset to broaden its appeal and be much more than just a great course. 

With new leadership and investment across the site, Morpeth is focused on drawing in customers to the clubhouse, restaurant, pro shop, simulator, events space and personal training facilities, as well as its flourishing 18-hole golf course.

Morpeth Golf Club looks to the future

Morpeth Golf Club looks to the future

A more positive and profitable future is being spearheaded by general manager Chris Liddell and course manager John Scurfield whose new strategy has included a significant investment in new course machinery from John Deere.

“If everything around the course is doing well, we have the budget to ensure our greenkeeping team gets all the tools it needs to keep the place looking great,” Chris said.

He joined the club in January to support its development through the bar and catering aspect of the business. As a former regional director for branded hospitality groups such as Pizza Express and TGI Friday’s, Chris has also been a member at Morpeth for 20 years.

“Where I feel I’ve been able to add a bit of value to the club is bringing in the big company principles such as implementing budgetary processes and more structure in how the club is run,” says Chris. “What will be pivotal in growing the club in the future is not only appealing to our current membership, but also broadening our appeal to the wider community. A part of what we have to do here is appeal to every demographic.”

Morpeth has 650 playing members, with over 20 more joining since the New Year. Chris projects the club could have about 750 members by the end of the year.

One aspect he wants to rejuvenate is the junior golf initiatives by developing an academy membership for young golfers to progress.

“In recent years I’ve seen that golf clubs have taken a hit in the number of junior memberships and that is something that I want to change,” says Chris. “I want to start getting more juniors into golf because I remember having such great days here when I was a junior member myself.”

To maintain the club’s growth, the stunning parkland course must be maintained to the highest standard, which is helped by Morpeth’s long-standing relationship with John Deere dealer Thomas Sheriff & Co.

Course manager John has been working at the club since he left school and has always used John Deere machinery. It’s a course he knows better than most ¬– holding the record with a six-under-par 65.

“We’ve had this partnership with John Deere for about 30 years, and the investment in the machinery has been necessary,” says John. “As the number of golf clubs in the area increases it dilutes the market, so we have to provide the best possible standard of our course to keep our current members and attract future ones.”

Morpeth’s latest investment includes an 8000A E-Cut Hybrid Fairway Mower, a HPX 815E Work Utility Gator, a 2550 E-Cut Riding Greens Mower, a HD 200 Precision Sprayer, and a 2030A Gator. All the machines are on a five-year finance lease with John Deere.

With only a five-person greenkeeping team, a busy playing membership and the course driven to staying open all year round, there are challenges. But John has taken to visiting other clubs to see how other teams manage.

“On volunteering at various clubs including Royal Cinque Ports and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, I went to see what I could bring back to Morpeth, even though we’re worlds apart from those bigger clubs,” says John. “One thing I brought back was that staff morale is so important. Despite these guys starting at 4am and working all day, they never stop laughing and joking around with each other and they keep a real team spirit.

“When handpicking new people to work with us, I’ve learned to base them more on their character than their skillset because team morale is so important.”

John’s team are all now experienced in using the John Deere machinery, and are proud to do so, being particularly impressed by the reliability and efficiency of the mowers that they use.

“Before they came here to Morpeth these guys hadn’t really had much experience with John Deere machines at the previous clubs they worked at,” John says. “So when they came here and started using the John Deere mowers, they straight away said that it’s top notch. It’s always a good sign when your team are proud of what they’re working with.”

In developing and maintaining the course for the future, John is interested in looking into John Deere’s GPS technology for future investments, looking at how implementing it could further increase efficiency in maintaining the grounds and also help in keeping costs down.

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Trilo transforms the task of cut and collect

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Trilo transforms the task of cut and collect: Following BCP Council’s declaration of a climate and ecology emergency in 2019, the decision was made to review the management of some green spaces across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas.

With a subsequent reduction in the cutting of some verges and open land, a Trilo S20 with its large 20m3 hopper capacity was brought in to increase productivity as the cut and collect operation expanded – taking not just large quantities of meadow grass in its stride but also assisting with leaf clearance during the winter months.

Trilo transforms the task of cut and collect

Trilo transforms the task of cut and collect

The versatile Trilo S20 was purchased in May 2022 by Simon Woodall, Team Operations Manager for BCP Council and spearhead of a 30-strong team responsible for looking after all aspects of parks and housing grounds maintenance and landscape construction. “Our ecology programme included creating more grass meadows by leaving areas uncut to improve carbon sequestration and increase our biodiversity to support pollinators. We also reduced cutting on other green spaces such as verges to give plants a chance to flower, providing a valuable source of nectar and adding interest and colour to amenity areas” he explains.

“With this change to our cutting operation, we needed a machine that could handle large-scale cut and collect and found the Trilo was a perfect addition to our existing fleet of mountable cut and collect machines.” The S20 is the largest capacity model in Trilo’s multi-purpose S-Line range which, when fitted with a flail shaft, offers a cutting width of 2.1m and powerful vacuum collection of the clippings to leave a clean finish after every pass.

Following the delivery by Hunt Forest Group, the S20 was put straight into operation between August and October. “The size of this unit has transformed the task of maintaining our meadow areas” Simon explains. “Not only does it cut and collect in its own right, but we can use it to support the smaller tractor mounted and ride on machines which can cut in tighter areas then tip their arisings on the ground to be sucked up by the hose on the S20 – all done using the intuitive control box from the comfort of the cab. This in itself has increased productivity and reduced vehicle journeys to dispose of waste.”

“Through December and January we then used the S20 to assist with leaf collection within the larger parks in our area, and will certainly be using it more for this function in future.” He concludes, “With Trilo you’re also assured of excellent build quality and excellent service from specification right through to installation. It’s the full package and has already proven itself to be a fantastic investment.”

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Mansfield Sand gets the game on

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Mansfield Sand gets the game on: Paul Loader, Site Co-ordinator for Worcestershire FA, believes that MM40 from Mansfield Sand has helped to prevent several games from being cancelled due to bad weather.

An ambitious site move recently signalled Worcestershire FA’s commitment to providing a space for football to develop in the county. The new state of the art site, situated at Claines Lane, Worcester, now plays host to several local football teams including Worcester City FC.

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

With the new facility up and running, the games quickly came thick and fast, and the turf naturally received a lot of wear and tear. There was, however, a key ingredient missing from the pitch according to Paul.

“This pitch is clay based so when it is wet it takes a long time to dry out. Also, the pitch doesn’t have any drainage and therefore an application of sand was recommended by a company I work quite closely with.

“It was something we had never properly used before, so we decided to go ahead with it.”

It was at this point that Paul turned to Mansfield Sand.

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.

Paul applied 90 tonnes of MM40 which is sourced directly from the Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield where the company produces its renowned Mansil range of Silica Sands. MM40 is a medium sand which is predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces.

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

This product was applied in May last year, and Paul has seen the benefits.

“The sand has made a huge difference,” he said. “Since applying it I have been able to get the majority of games on, even throughout the winter and that is what it is all about. Without the sand I would have lost possibly 8 or 9 games based on previous years.

“I have noticed that the ground is a lot firmer, and more stable and flatter with a lot less bobbles. Ultimately, we are always looking at how we can make the site better and this sand has certainly signalled a big improvement.”

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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John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

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John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow: John Deere will hold an open day at its Apprentice Training Centre this May in a bid to recruit the next generation of technicians to work across its agriculture, turf and parts business.

The company’s revered and respected apprenticeship programme has been running for more than 30 years, helping more than 1,200 apprentices qualify through on-the-job practical learning alongside classroom studies.

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

The John Deere Training Centre at Upper Saxondale, near Nottingham, opened last year, providing state-of-the-art facilities where apprentices complete their two or three-year course while simultaneously working within the John Deere dealership network.

“It’s a really exciting time to be part of the agricultural and turfcare industries,” says Allan Cochran, John Deere Branch Training Manager.

“It’s a highly technical and innovative sector, which means our apprentices get to work with some of the most advanced pieces of kit in the world.

“It’s not just servicing and fixing tractors. If you want to earn while you learn and be part of a huge, global brand with a reputation for ground-breaking innovations, then a John Deere apprenticeship could be the perfect start to your career.”

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

John Deere and the scheme’s training provider, ProVQ, will provide a tour of the training centre on Wednesday 3 May and Thursday 4 May, offering those interested in becoming apprentices the chance to meet the instructors, see the facilities, learn about the John Deere brand, and hear how their careers can grow with the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural and groundscare equipment.

Sessions will last up to two hours and will outline what John Deere can offer a prospective apprentice, the journey through the Ag Tech, Turf Tech or Parts Tech programmes, plus the John Deere career path once certified.

“This is a unique opportunity to view the learning facilities on offer and talk to those who know all about the programmes,” says Mr Cochran.

The three John Deere apprenticeship programmes include Ag Tech – focusing on agricultural machinery, Turf Tech – focusing on professional turf equipment, and Parts Tech – focusing on parts service and support.

The events are free to attend but you must pre-book a session as places are limited.

To book visit: jdapprenticeships.eventbrite.co.uk

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