Exclusive sessions with grounds management experts from high-profile horseracing, cricket, football and rugby venues – as well as a question and answer session involving professional cricket, football and rugby players on the highly topical debate concerning the changing nature of playing surfaces – are among the star attractions at this year’s Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) National ‘Turf Matters’ Conference.

A unique session on the importance of high-quality pitches will feature England rugby league captain Kevin Sinfield, Warwickshire CC cricketer Oliver Hannon-Dalby, former Cardiff Blues director of rugby and ex Welsh International Phil Davies, plus Simon Barker, assistant CEO of the Professional Footballers Association.


Kevin Sinfield

They will outline what players look for in a quality pitch and discuss, for example, whether different types of playing surface – natural, reinforced or synthetic – lead to changes in team selection and tactics.

This session complements a full programme of sports-related debates on issues currently being faced in the grounds management industry – both here and abroad.

Hosted by talkSPORT’s Mark Saggers at stadiummk, Milton Keynes on Thursday 4 December, other turf debates include:

• Making the most of sports turf technology in multi-use stadia – with Twickenham’s head groundsman Keith Kent and Tony Stones, head groundsman at Wembley Stadium; and
• How to increase sports participation on natural turf – featuring Stanley Park’s head groundsman, Pete Hussey and Adam Witchell, head groundsman at Beversbrook Sports Facility.

In addition to an update on turf developments at the St George’s Park National Football Centre by head groundsman Alan Ferguson, an informative session on Ryder Cup preparations by Steve Chappell, head greenkeeper at Gleneagles’ PGA Centenary Courses, plus sessions from turf evangelist Jerad Minnick (‘Think differently – turf can take more’) and Mark Camley, chair of The Parks Alliance (‘The importance of sports turf management in public parks and green spaces’), the Q & A sessions also feature:

• How to deliver a world-class racecourse – involving clerks of the course Chris Stickels from Royal Ascot and William Derby from York Racecourse;
• The pressures of modern-day cricket turf management – with head groundsmen Stuart Kerrison from Essex County Cricket Club and Edgbaston’s Gary Barwell; and
• Managing sports turf for school and community use – with Harrow School’s interim grounds manager Lee Marshallsay, Eton College’s grounds manager John Taylor and Charterhouse School’s head groundsman David Roberts.

There will also be the ‘Turf perspective – future planning’ presentation by IOG CEO Geoff Webb and Jason Booth, national manager of the Grounds & Natural Turf Improvement Programme.