I would imagine that one of the genuine bugbears of a turf professional's life is a lack of recognition of one's work.

Not that anyone gets into the industry for fortune and glory or some form of celebrity! Far from it.

It is however natural that anyone who takes pride in their work, will once in a while appreciate some positive feedback. Be it from players, managers, officials or the general public. Having someone who benefits from your hard graft, recognise that their world has been improved by your toils, and these environments don't just occur by themselves, is its own achievement.

For them to then take the next step to actually praise those responsible . . . well let's not get too far ahead of ourselves!

A recent event which attempted to address this poor recognition by the wider public of what our green space custodians achieve was the Amenity Forum's Conference. Taking place at the Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent a couple of weeks ago, the core message which the event concerned itself with was ‘Making a difference for everyone’.

The event reminded delegates that without professional maintenance of amenity areas, every UK citizen would be affected. Those involved in amenity keep the roads and trains running, the streets and pavements clean, our sports surfaces in top condition and our parks fun and enjoyable places.

A key message which the Forum was very keen to express was that weed, pest and disease control is not just a nice thing to have, but essential and important.

In his address, John Moverley OBE, Independent Chairman of the Amenity Forum, urged everyone involved to have real pride in what they do and to help communicate to the wider public the important work undertaken - vital for health, safety, our environment and ensuring green spaces are fit for purpose.

Continuing the theme of having pride in what the amenity sector delivers for public benefit was John Ledwidge, Head Groundsman responsible for maintenance and improvement of pitches used by Leicester City FC.

Maintaining top quality pitches is a high pressure job and John spoke about how it demands a very high degree of professionalism and dedication.

He was followed by thought provoking presentations from Mark De Ath (Headland Amenity) and Peter Corbett (Rigby Taylor) who looked to the future and what weed, pest and disease management might look like.

John Moverley concluded the day, urging everyone to get behind the current communication campaign seeking to increase general understanding of the importance of amenity management.

As John said, "It really does keep Britain moving."

The IOG has announced that the 2017 winners of the SALTEX College Cup will be given the opportunity to work as part of the grounds team when Scotland host England as part of the 2018 Six Nations Championships, at BT Murrayfield Stadium.

After making its debut at SALTEX last year, the College Cup will be returning to this year’s exhibition. Last year’s winners from CAFRE College in Antrim, Northern Ireland, experienced an unforgettable day when they were part of the Wembley grounds team at the FA Cup Final.

Sponsored by Ransomes, the national student-led academic test of turf management knowledge, will see teams competing this year to get their hands on the SALTEX College Cup. As well as having its name engraved on the trophy, the winning college will also receive a ‘big’ cheque in addition to a cash prize and gain work experience at the 124th edition of the Six Nations Championships.

Commenting on the opportunity, Alex Latto, assistant head groundsman for Scottish Rugby at BT Murrayfield Stadium, said, “The winners of the SALTEX college cup will be given the unique opportunity to experience the buzz of working at a Six Nations weekend at BT Murrayfield and the sporting rivalry of the Calcutta Cup always provides a special occasion. They will see and be involved in the pre-match day preparations, where both teams are given training time on the pitch and also the match day itself where the pressure is on to set the stage for a sell-out crowd and millions at home watching on television.

“Both days are a lot of work and provide their own set of challenges so it will give the winners a real insight of an event of this nature and the experience that comes with it. I think it’s important that new entrants to the industry are given the chance to experience what it’s like to work in this type of environment, to learn and gain experience - so for us to be given the chance to do so is something all the grounds team are looking forward to.”

SALTEX visitors will have the opportunity to see which team emerges victorious when the SALTEX College Cup winners’ presentations take place on the first day of of the show (1 Nov) in Seminar Theatre 1 at 3:30pm.

The stadium, which is home West Ham, is scheduled to be available for a week during the World Cup's May 30-July 15 window. A day-night match is likely to be played on a Friday, followed by a day fixture on a Sunday. Drop-in pitches are yet to be used for international cricket in England.

The 2012 Games arena's capacity is expected to be around 60,000, meaning it could increase sales budgets and reduce operating costs through economies of scale. The International Cricket Council runs the tournament, but the England and Wales Cricket Board collects the ticket revenue. The Times estimated the ECB could haul in up to 20 million pounds from the exercise; 2 million pounds is set aside to develop the project.

In May, the Guardian reported the India-Pakistan and Australia-England matches are likely targets in what looms as a "festival of cricket" across London, with Lord's and the Oval also official World Cup venues.

The New Zealand Herald says that Mark Perham left his Eden Park job at the end of the 2012-13 season and now runs Field Turf New Zealand, with 19 staff who contract to sports grounds in New Zealand and overseas.

Part of his cricket groundsman reputation was as a pioneer for portable pitches, which were regularly used at Eden Park during his tenure. He has been charged with preparing three such wickets at Loughborough University in England's East Midlands for transport to London.

"They will go to the stadium next year for a trial," the paper quotes Perham, who has made four trips to Britain within the last year as part of the preparation.

"[The organisers] won't go into the World Cup without playing on them. They want to reduce [the traditional pitch] square size and have pitches close to the centre of the ground. We will also turf over the [athletics] track."

Perham was targeted following glowing feedback from his efforts preparing pitches in the United States. He oversaw the drop-in strips used in Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne's cricket all-stars series at Major League baseball parks in New York, Los Angeles and Houston in November 2015.

The Association says that within two months of BTME 2017 in January, more than 65% of exhibitors booked their spot to return, and with three months still to go until the event returns in January, every available space within the Convention Centre has been booked up.

A waiting list has also been set up to register interest from any companies who have not secured a space.

Over 140 exhibitors have signed up for the show which will take place on 23-25 January 2018.

BIGGA Business Development Manager Jill Rodham said: “Following the incredible success of BTME 2017, we have been delighted that so many companies signed up to return to the next exhibition.

“BTME continues to grow year on year and we’re delighted to welcome so many new faces, who will be making their BTME debut in 2018."

More than 4,500 attendees are expected through the doors of the Harrogate Convention Centre. Coupled with the Continue to Learn Education Programme, which features more than 250 hours of greenkeeper education, and the Golf Business & Industry Convention (GolfBIC), BTME 2018 is set to be one of the busiest ever.

The three category winners for the 2017 Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards were announced at the 2017 Amenity Forum conference held at the Pirelli Stadium at Burton on Trent on Thursday 12th October.

It is the third year of the Awards, which aim to reward top sprayer operators across the amenity industry, and to share their best practice to enhance standards for all.

The main sponsors of the awards are ICL and Syngenta. Each winner announced at the event received a framed certificate and a trophy from the sponsors, together with the offer of free training awarded by BASIS Registration.


L - R: Awards supporter Stephen Jacob, CEO of BASIS Registration Limited, category winner Lee Harrison from Complete Weed Control, Category winner Nathan Hume from SH Goss Ltd, Mark Pyrah from sponsor ICL, category winner Chris Phillips from Complete Weed Control and category runner up Andy Baker from Ely Golf Club

The category winners and runners up were as follows:

Sportsturf category: an especially highly competitive category with just one point separating winner from runner up

• Winner - Chris Phillips who works for Complete Weed Control
• Runner Up – Andy Baker from Ely Golf Club

Landscape & Amenity Knapsack Operations category: a category that attracted a very good number of entries and some difficult judging decisions

• Winner – Nathan Hume who works for SH Goss Ltd.
• Runner Up – Tony Robinson from Southern Horticulture

Landscape & Amenity Mounted Sprayer operations: another category that attracted a very good number of entries and some difficult judging decisions

• Winner – Lee Harrison from Complete Weed Control
• Runner Up – Robert Alexander from JSD Rail

The three category winners have now been invited by ICL and Syngenta to attend as their guests the BTME exhibition in January when the overall winner will be announced at their evening awards event. The overall winner will receive the Amenity Forum Shield from Forum chairman Professor John Moverley OBE and will have a choice of prize options provided by the sponsors. These are a trip to the USA to attend either the Green Industry & Equipment Expo or the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America Conference or to receive instead £2000 of ICL and Syngenta products.

Speaking about the awards, John Moverley said: “We are extremely grateful to the sponsors of these awards who are members of the Forum and fully supportive of all our objectives. The awards highlight the professionalism that exists in our sector and the high standards achieved. I congratulate all who entered and especially the winners.”

Amenity grass seed specialist Germinal is to establish its own research station to spearhead a new programme of trials and development work geared to helping UK groundsmen, greenkeepers, turf growers and landscape architects get the very best from their amenity and sports areas.

The 11-acre facility, located near Melksham in Wiltshire, will be managed by grass trials specialist Dr Joanna Matthews, who leaves her post at NIAB to join Germinal in January 2018.

Germinal GB Managing Director Paul Billings believes the development will create an unrivalled knowledge hub that will enable professional sports turf and amenity grass specialists to improve the performance and aesthetics of their green spaces.

“In a competitive market where only the best cultivars and seed mixtures will suffice, having a bespoke R&D facility will allow Germinal to showcase market-leading varieties, test innovative ideas in UK conditions, and demonstrate at a local level alternative grass seed species or turf management systems that we are bringing in from around the world.

“The research station will be integrated with our amenity breeding programme at IBERS Aberystwyth University and will provide facilities for Germinal to collaborate with many other industry partners on projects of great significance and benefit to the wider industry.

“We already have plans for over forty projects at the site, which will include trialling new amenity varieties, and proving, in real world conditions, the benefits and advantages of site specific traits such as tolerance to shade and disease resistance under stress. We’ll also be collaborating with leading amenity nutrition manufacturers to trial a range of slow and phased- release fertilisers and specialist liquid and granular fertilisers.”

Dr Joanna Matthews joined NIAB in 2013 and Germinal says she brings a valuable combination of practical grass trials knowledge and progressive plant science experience.

Over the last 40 years, the family dealership has been an established name throughout the mid-western counties of Ireland, renowned for providing first-class machinery and aftersales support to both the domestic and professional markets. Having supplied Kubota’s agricultural solutions for 14 years, it was an obvious step for the dealership to start offering groundcare machinery following an increase in customer demand.

Speaking of the partnership, Dominic Mulchrone, co-owner of Mulchrone Brothers Ltd, said: “Continuously adapting to the ever-changing requirements of our customers, whether they may be local authority or private farmers, is crucial to our success. Having supplied Kubota’s wide range of agricultural machinery for many years, we know first hand the durability, reliability and sustainability that its vehicles offer.”

Regional customers can now purchase a range of Kubota’s groundcare machinery including the L Series, B Series and STW Series compact tractors, along with the RTV range. The GR1600 ride-on mower has already become a best seller for the dealership, along with its G2120 counterpart, together with the professional G/F Series range.

Adrian Langmead, Groundcare Business Development Manager for Kubota UK, said: “This announcement is all about strengthening our product and service offering in this key region. It’s an exciting development and one which we are delighted to announce to the market.”

Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex has brought in its first fleet of Toro greens, tees and grounds mowers.

The club is a relative newcomer to the golf course scene, opening its 18-hole Championship course and the nine-hole Willows par three course to the public just 23 years ago. Since then, the greens, which are USGA sand constructed, have undergone annual improvements, says Steve Thorn, estate manager.


Stewart Rogers, Crondon Park’s new head greenkeeper, left, shakes hands with Reesink’s Richard Freeman while members of the greenkeeping team on the club’s new Toro fleet of machinery look on

“We do our best to improve the surfaces year-on-year. The courses have improved beyond recognition and the fact that we have one of the largest memberships in Essex, with all categories virtually full, illustrates our success.

“Although we’re delighted with the progress, we strive for perfection, which is why we have brought in our first fleet of Toro machinery.”

Joining the club are two TriFlex 3400 greens mowers for the greens and tees, a Reelmaster 5510-D for fairway cutting and a Groundsmaster 4300-D and Groundsmaster 4000-D for the semi-roughs and roughs.

Richard Freeman from Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare says of these machinery choices: “I’ve been visiting Steve and the club for a few years now and over that time we’ve struck up an ongoing dialogue about what the course needed to get it to the next level. One of the main things we discussed was the best machines for cutting the roughs and semi-roughs. It was previously being done with cylinder mowers and really rotary mowers are going to deliver the best results for that environment. Hence why we showed Steve the GM4300-D and GM4000-D.”

For the rest of the course, Steve continues: “The greens have matured really well over time and while there are very few flat areas, it’s mostly undulating so it’s quite a challenging course to maintain. These were deciding factors when considering which greens, tees and fairway mowers to go for. But leading every decision was the fact that Toro is renowned for being the best quality and delivering a consistently good cut. We have no doubt they can stand up to the challenges of the course.”

The Double A Trading Company dealership has added the Reform name to their groundcare equipment range.


Double A Trading Company

Managing Director Sandy Armit said, “From our premises in Cupar and Aberdeen our aim is to give clients throughout Scotland the best service we can and the Reform Metrac bank tractor range is known for its quality, performance and reliability. We were also influenced by the excellent after sales service available to us.”

Simon Richard, UK Agent for the Reform range adds, “Reform produces tractors from 44hp -70hp in their Metrac G series and 46hp – 81.5hp in their Metrac H (hydrostatic) series. This choice of power unit covers all eventualities for a wide range of users, including the amenity, utility, contractor and golf sectors."

The countdown to Europe’s largest annual turf management event has officially begun, marked by the opening of online visitor registration.



SALTEX 2017 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 1-2 November, and has already attracted over 250 exhibitors - a number that’s set to grow further in the weeks leading up to the event. Confirmed to return are a number of leading brand names spanning the whole turf management industry including manufacturers and suppliers of world-class products and services for the maintenance of pitches, grounds, landscaping, parks and estates.

SALTEX will also once again boast unique show features such as:

• Learning LIVE - an all-encompassing free-to-attend education programme offering grounds and open space practitioners across all disciplines, volunteer as well as professional, the chance to increase their CPD points.
• Outdoor demonstrations - providing an opportunity to see a number of products in action directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8.
• The SALTEX College Cup - a national student-led sports-turf challenge sponsored by Ransomes.
• Pathology & Soil Science LIVE - allowing visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems.
• The Young Groundsmen’s Conference, sponsored by Rigby Taylor and Top Green - an ideal opportunity for young people looking to advance their career in the groundscare industry
• Ask the Expert – free pitchcare advice from the IOG’s team of regional pitch advisors based on the IOG Hub
• The IOG Industry Awards - the UK’s biggest celebration in groundsmanship held on the evening of the first day (1 November) at the National Motorcycle Museum.
• NEW for 2017! The Job Clinic – the chance to receive one-to-one advice from industry expert Frank Newberry on how to progress your career, write a compelling CV and perform well in an interview situation.

Located in the centre of the UK, whether you are travelling from overseas or within the UK, the NEC is incredibly easy to get to by car, rail or air.

SALTEX 2017 is free to attend. To register your attendance and beat the queues visit www.iogsaltex.com

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