Tag Archive for: United

Sutton United invests in Reesink

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Sutton United invests in Reesink: Securing Football League status is an historic achievement and for Sutton United Football Club in south London, it led to a £550,000 pitchworks investment in the club’s home ground, including a new hybrid pitch and irrigation solution from Reesink Turfcare comprising a SRC Ranger control system and Toro sprinklers.

FA regulations stipulate that 3G artificial pitches are not fit for purpose in Division Two and above, which is why Sutton United made an urgent review of its existing 3G pitch and lined up leading sports pitch specialist, Agripower, to make preparations for a full install in the downtime between the 2019/20 and 2021/22 seasons.

Sutton United invests in Reesink

Sutton United invests in Reesink

Jerry Anderson, director at Agripower, comments: “We were given a conditional order in May 2021 as the club edged towards promotion and remained on stand-by with a view to removing the existing 3G pitch and replacing it with a hybrid alternative in the narrow window between seasons.

“Once the club had confirmation of its promotion to the Football League we started immediately, deploying a five strong-team working full-time between the end of May until early August. It was a quick turnaround!”

Agripower installed a hybrid pitch system which comprised of high-grade natural grass. Once the old system had been removed, the pitch was rebuilt with a hybrid carpet over a base rootzone, with the carpet infilled with a similar rootzone before seeding.

Supporting the hybrid pitch was a comprehensive Toro irrigation system, which comprised of a network of 350m of ring main pipework, 200m of lateral pipe, 16 value in head Infinity sprinklers and eight B series in-pitch sprinklers in the field.

Jerry continues: “We used the new SRC Ranger control system, which has scheduling capacity for up to 100 stations and web-control, along with Toro Infinity sprinklers on the outside of the pitch and Toro B-Series sprinklers on the infill.

“As well as a new pumphouse and pumps, a match pitch of this kind also requires a higher water flow rate which is why we installed wider diameter pipes and manual watering points for localised watering. It’s particularly useful for high-impact areas such as the goalmouth or when clubs like to slick-up the playing surface at half time.

“The Toro irrigation system is very good and we particularly like the fact that the Infinity sprinklers are top-serviceable, minimising disruption to the hybrid carpet. We have also been impressed with the on-site support from Toro distributor, Reesink Turfcare, who were on-hand throughout the entire project.”

The new pitch not only validates Sutton United FC’s place within the Football League, but it enables the team to maximise playing time. A grass pitch can generally withstand three to six hours of playing time, whilst its hybrid equivalent can deliver up to 18 hours of play.

Adrian Barry, vice chairman at Sutton United Football Club, comments: “The team at Agripower did a tremendous job replacing our previous 3G surface with a grass pitch in a tight time frame such that we were able to host Football League matches in August. Having an excellent irrigation system is, of course, pivotal to the continued provision of an excellent playing surface and feedback from all users has been terrific in this regard. We thank everyone involved for their support and hard work as Sutton United embarks on this exciting new journey in its history. “

To find out more about the SRC Ranger control system and Toro irrigation range of sprinklers, call Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Leeds United to re-turf Elland Road

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Leeds United to re-turf Elland Road: Work on brand-new state of the art drainage system to commence in May.

Read the full article from Leeds United FC here

Leeds United to re-turf Elland Road

Leeds United to re-turf Elland Road

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Ransomes Jacobsen at Newcastle United

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Ransomes Jacobsen at Newcastle United: Since 2002 the pitches at Newcastle United’s Darsley Park training ground have been cut with Ransomes and Jacobsen mowers.

Currently, three LF570s and five Mastiffs are used to cut the 13 pitches that are maintained by head groundsman, Mick Curran, and his staff with two of the original Mastiffs from 2002 still in use.

Ransomes Jacobsen at Newcastle United

Through the years Newcastle’s ride-on fleet has graduated through the LF range, and it is the new features and excellent service from Ransomes Jacobsen dealer, Rickerby, that has kept Mick cutting with orange and green for almost three decades.

“I started off with the LF’s in 2002, and they’ve got better as the years have gone on,” Mick said. “On the newer model you can set the reel speed and forward speed, so if I think the lads are cutting too fast, I can peg them back, and that’s a big point. It helps with the consistency of cutting across the site, and the cut we get from the mowers is first-class.

“Reliability, quality of cut and being able to get spare parts easily has kept me using them for 17-years along with the service and back-up we’ve received from Rickerby which has been excellent.

“It’s very important for us if we get a break down in the summer when we’re cutting 24/7 that we can get a part or have it fixed as soon as possible. Nine times out of ten they’ll be out the same day sorting the problem, and that really is important for us.”

While the LF570’s are in action for the summer, once winter rolls around the Mastiffs take over. Like most training grounds, Mick is under pressure to keep the pitches cut and ready for use, and the warmer wet weather in September and October 2019 has highlighted the importance of having reliable pedestrian machines.

“The little club I started at had Mastiffs, so I’ve been brought up on them. It’s in wet conditions like we’ve had over September and October this year that the Mastiff’s really work well for us. The quality of cut is second to none, the finish has always been good, the blade setting and height of cut is dead easy to set, and the maintenance of them is easy as well.

“We need the reliability from the mowers because if you get behind it can be really difficult to catch up. We’ve had horrendous weather in these last two weeks, and the grass is still ticking away where you need to cut it twice a week. So, when you get that sort of weather this time of year, and you can’t cut for two or three days you start falling behind.

“In the winter, we put the LF’s away, they get cleaned down and serviced, and we get the Mastiff’s out. We use them in the winter when the grass isn’t growing as much, and you’re looking to avoid stressing the turf and using the pedestrian machines rather than the ride-ons is perfect for that.”

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United Groundsman Sent To China

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United Groundsman Sent To China: Manchester United are sending their groundsman to Shanghai to make sure there is no repeat of the pitch farce that marred their last visit to China.

The first derby on foreign soil against Manchester City was scrapped three years ago after torrential downpours left the surface at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing unplayable.

United Groundsman Sent To China

United’s first game of that tour against Borussia Dortmund at the Shanghai Stadium was also played on a poor pitch.

It was by no means the first time English clubs have encountered problems staging pre-season friendlies in the Far East during rainy season, and thunderstorms are forecast for next week when United are due to meet Tottenham at the Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai on Thursday.

United, who had to rely on the efforts of City’s groundsman to try and salvage the game in Beijing in 2016, have left nothing to chance this time by sending groundsman Dave Lindop ahead to Shanghai while the rest of the party are in Singapore for the International Champions Cup clash with Inter Milan on Saturday.

Club staff have travelled to China a total of four times since November to make sure the pitch is up to scratch, and United have also insisted on weekly updates from ICC organisers Relevent which so far have been positive.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players flew into Singapore on Thursday following a comfortable 4-0 win over Leeds in Perth.

Although video footage has emerged of an ugly incident involving two supporters at the Optus Stadium, only 15 fans out of a crowd of 55,274 were ejected from the ground for anti-social behaviour and none were charged.

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Foley United To Exhibit At BTME

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Foley United To Exhibit At BTME: Foley United, represented by UK distributor ProSport UK Ltd, will be in Harrogate for BTME 2019, and will be demonstrating the ideal grinding combination for a fully automated workshop in Red Hall, Stand 248B, with the AccuPro 633 with AccuTouch 3 Control and 673 bedknife grinders.

This professional grinding duo provides top quality cylinder and bedknife grinding, featuring built-in grinding programmes for a quick and accurate OEM grind. The fully automatic grinding process on both machines allows users to do other tasks while the Foley grinders are activated, saving time, money and man-hours.

Foley United To Exhibit At BTME

The latest company to utilise this combination is GGM Groundscare. The Lancashire based company needed to add grinders to their operation to match a growing franchise and Managing Director, Chris Gibson, looked to the automation and accuracy of Foley United as the solution.

“We are Baroness dealers and our sales area has recently been extended to cover North and West Yorkshire,” Chris explains. “In line with the growth of this franchise we wanted to invest in the right grinders to make sure we had the best support available for customers and that’s why we got the Foley AccuPro 633 cylinder and 673 bedknife grinders.

“The automation was an important factor because we want to provide our customers with consistent and reliable results. We can do that with the pre-set programmes and give them a very accurate idea of how long grinding will take, and that’s something that benefits us from a planning perspective as much as the customer.”

The two grinders used by GGM are only two of the Foley range of Relief, Spin and Bedknife machines that have been specifically designed to meet any budget.

For more information please contact Ian Robson: 07779 270501 or go to the ProSport UK website: www.prosportukltd.com

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Foley United Become FEGGA Patron

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Foley United Become FEGGA Patron: Foley United is proud to join the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations (FEGGA) as a new Patron Member.

FEGGA and Foley United place a high value on achieving the highest standards of performance within the greenkeeping industry and it is a privilege to be able to operate within the FEGGA framework and work towards upping the game with grinding best practice.

Foley United Become FEGGA Patron

As a technology leader in grinding, Foley takes a responsibility for demonstrating the difference maintaining mowing equipment to optimal OEM specifications can make, and aim to communicate this through seminars, articles, e-newsletters and practical demonstrations.

Outlining the various grinding options to suit any budget is also an important aspect of the FEGGA partnership. Educating greenkeepers on their grinding options enables them to choose what is best for their needs, be it relief grinding or spin grinding or a combination of both, Foley United can offer a tailored cost-effective grinding solution.

FEGGA Executive Officer Dean Cleaver said: “FEGGA are delighted to have Foley United join as one of our Patron Members. Foley is a long-established and well-respected company that offers a premium choice of products tailoring the needs of all golf clubs. They are committed to serving the needs of greenkeepers through product support and education, something that is very much part of the mission of FEGGA. We very much look forward to working together in sharing valuable knowledge through education and serving the needs of our Member Associations throughout Europe.”

The CEO of Foley Grinders, said: “As an acknowledged technology leader in grinding best practices designed to maintain mowing equipment to optimal OEM specification, Foley United is excited to become a FEGGA Patron Member and share global best practices to improve results for FEGGA members. We strongly believe education and keeping abreast of the latest developments, whether safety, performance or productivity tips, will raise knowledge levels while reducing costs for course operators.”

Making in-house grinding a financially sound investment for FEGGA members is achievable through Foley United’s range of products that can be upgraded over time while always delivering a top-quality grinding experience.

The European Sales Manager for Foley United in Europe, Middle East and Russia is Arjen Spek. Please contact by email arjenspek@foleyunited.com or mobile number +31627383013.

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Wendron United Receive Grant

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Wendron United Receive Grant: Football and cricket clubs at Wendron United have been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund to provide new ground maintenance equipment.

With funds also raised by the youth section, money totalling £30,000 has enabled the club to buy a new tractor and grass cutting attachment, as well as other associated pitch maintenance equipment.

Wendron United Receive Grant

Wendron United chairman Peter Thorne, who this year won the Cornwall FA Groundsman of the Year award, said: “This funding together with those made available by the Pennon Environmental Fund (£13,866), local business Membly Hall Hotel and internal club funds, especially from our vibrant youth football section, has allowed the club to significantly enhance our ground maintenance equipment.

“This gives our small band of dedicated volunteers the ability to keep the grass pitches in good order and thereby allow more football to be played throughout the season and on better surfaces, so players can improve their skill levels.”

The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund aims to improve the experience for regular players as well as attracting new players to the game.

It is delivered by the Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity. Founded in 2000, it is the largest sports charity in the UK funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government, via Sport England.

It develops new and refurbished grassroots sports facilities in order to improve the quality and experience of playing sport at the grassroots level.

Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 15,000 grants worth more than £580m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £800m – £1.4bn of investment into the grassroots game.

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Congratulations should go to Wendron United FC for working with the Cornwall FA to secure this Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund grant.”

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Oxford United Groundsman On A Career In Grass

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Pitch perfect: Oxford United’s groundsman on a career in grass: There is a sign stuck to the whiteboard behind Paul Currier’s desk which reads ‘Every day is a holiday for a man who loves his job’.

Five minutes with the head groundsman at Oxford United is enough to know it is not a hollow statement.

Oxford United Groundsman On A Career In Grass

Currier, 58, is in the 40th year of a career which has taken him from school pitches to a host of Football League clubs – including tomorrow’s opponents Northampton Town – via a spell tending the lawns at Northamptonshire Police’s headquarters.

For someone who is quick to admit he was not the most academic at school, it has been quite a journey.

“I’ve always had this philosophy that if you get up in the morning and can’t wait to get to work then you’re enjoying your job,” Currier says, leaning back on a desk chair in his office, tucked under the East Stand.

“You’ve got to be dedicated. It can be seven days a week, it can be 12 hours a day and it’s not one of the best paid jobs in the world.

“But I’m passionate about my football and I’m passionate about my grass.”

Those who look after pitches tend to have a gruff demeanour, forever barking at people to ‘keep off the pitch’.

 But then they have plenty to worry about.

Currier, who reckons he walks 15 miles on a matchday to prepare the pitch, said: “All groundsman are the same, we’re all classed as grumpy sods.

“You have to police it because otherwise everybody will go on.

“They’ll think ‘it looks all right, I’ll go on it’, but you don’t see the damage until Christmas, so you’ve got to keep the traffic to the minimum.

“I have a checklist that I do pre-match, everything’s done, but you’ve still got that worry at the back of your mind.

“You wince when players go into the back of the net and they pull themselves up with it. It just pings everything off.

“The worst nightmare for any groundsman is to be called on while the game is going on.”

Then there are pests and diseases to lose sleep over, but his main obsession is the weather.

Pitch technology has improved markedly in the last 20 years, with the Kassam Stadium among the increasing number of surfaces in the Football League to mix the grass with artificial fibres.

Currier, brought in when the pitch was completely relaid by GreenFields in 2015, checks the forecast every four hours in the winter months.

And here, the Kassam Stadium’s open western end can be either a benefit or a hindrance.

He said: “I’m pretty confident you won’t get a game called off here for waterlogging.

“Because the pitch is so wide open to wind, it can dry twice as quickly as anywhere else.

“You can get a downpour while you’re playing and it won’t affect it, barring the odd splash.

“Temperatures drop and there’s constant shade down one side – because of the South Stand – which is two degrees colder than the other side.”

While he is a West Bromwich Albion supporter, spending so much time at a club tends to create a bond.

But United have had a stronger pull than most, as the first club where he is invited into the manager’s office after games.

He said: “I’m lucky here at Oxford because they treat me as one of the team, there’s a good rapport with the managers.”

Given the expertise built up over four decades, you might presume Currier has a perfectly-tended lawn at home in Northamptonshire.

“No, mine’s artificial,” he grins.

“When I’m at work I’m constantly thinking about grass, so when I’m at home I just like to chill out and relax and go ‘I shan’t be cutting that today’.”

Even for a man who is always on holiday, there are limits.

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