That time is fast approaching that winter sports are looking forward to the end of their season and summer sports are looking forward to, or dreading, the start of their season!  Of course, I say ‘dreading’ tongue in cheek. Cricket season comes around very quickly once the new year has passed, and it signs the end of our so-called downtime. 

Karl McDermott, head groundsman, Lord's

Playing seasons in all sports are getting longer and more intense. There was a time that the traditional 50 over final at Lord’s in early September would signify the end of the cricket season, but of late we have played cricket in October! There is better structure in youth and academy systems, and women’s profile and participation is growing by the day. They all require somewhere to practice and play, resulting in higher footfall across amateur and professional sporting venues. In my four years at Lord’s the number of practice sessions has nearly doubled. Floodlight use is a regular occurrence meaning late nights and still having the requirement for early starts the next morning.
 
There is a perception from the outside that once the final ball is bowled or the last ball is kicked, we all put our feet up, sit in the tearoom and hibernate until the start of the next season! As we all know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Football clubs have shorter renovation windows with players returning for pre-season early, and I dare anyone to try a full cricket square and outfield renovation at the beginning of a damp October month. With greater resources and the advancement of machinery it is clear to see on social media that clubs of all sports and levels are doing more extensive end of season works. When I started over 30 years ago, we only had an old pedestrian SISIS Rotorake with no drive, and a garden rotary mower to clean up. We also carried all the loam out bag by bag and spread it by hand with the back of a rake! 

This unseen work and the longer working hours mean groundstaff have less rest time. The buzzwords ‘work/life balance’ are regularly thrown around these days. Speaking from a cricket perspective it has been very difficult to find this balance. Times are slowly changing, and there rightly is more focus on trying to achieve a suitable middle ground so as staff can get sufficient rest and personal time. In all my working life in cricket I have only ever had one summer holiday. A lot of that is my fault, being part workaholic and part control freak but I do realise that this must change, and in my short three years as a father it’s frightening to see how quickly my girls are growing up. There are times with them that I don’t want to miss, and I am challenging myself to make time for those family moments.

 
But groundsmen and women of all levels are passionate and proud individuals. We all want to produce the best playing surfaces we can, no matter what our resources. I’m sure at some point we dreamt our pitch looked like Lord’s or Wembley, I know I did. This industry comes with a high level of personal sacrifice, and there is some apprehension about the future as it is getting harder and harder to find committed staff. There are regular stories of people leaving their grounds career to seek a more suitable role that fits into their personal life. Whilst it is concerning, I am hopeful that this will turn positive.

When you go to SALTEX or BTME you see a huge number of highly enthusiastic ‘groundies’, ranging from the volunteer at the local sports club to top professionals, all mixing together sharing ideas. The industry also has great support from businesses and magazines like TurfPro. I was also lucky enough to recently attend the Turf Business Summit in Barcelona where we had 100 top grounds people brainstorming the future of our industry. All of this gives me optimism for the years ahead.

I also believe there is an onus on grounds managers to make the industry sustainable. We can do this in many ways but to me the easiest win is developing our own staff. This can be done be upskilling them, either with external training or internal training if finances are tight. We need to include our staff as much as we can, educating them about as many aspects of the job as possible. I’d like my staff to fulfil any role at any time. Hopefully this gives them the confidence and desire to be as good as they can be. I also challenge them to come to me with their own ideas, and how they want to best promote themselves. The rewards are there for individuals, but it rightly takes hard work and dedication to get succeed.

For me I would do nothing else. From the first day I used an old Ransomes cylinder mower (that would never start!) I was hooked. I dedicated myself to my trade and put myself into situations that I was not comfortable with, especially when I was younger, but this gave me the drive and confidence to pursue my ambition of being a Test Match groundsman. With the unwavering support of my friends and family I achieved that dream - and if I can do it, anyone can!!

The UK’s topsoil industry is to lose to retirement someone who has spent the past 26 years raising the quality bar for manufactured topsoils and leading the industry in educating and informing customers across the landscaping, amenity and construction markets.

Andy Spetch

Andy Spetch is retiring at the end of April after a career with British Sugar spanning 36 years. He joined as an agricultural trainee in 1987 and worked as an agronomist for the company in the UK and Poland before starting up British Sugar’s Topsoil division in 1997.

Recognising that the rich arable soil brought into British Sugar’s UK factories on the sugar beet was a valuable resource, and in line with the company’s vision to make its operations environmentally and commercially sustainable, Andy set about designing quality topsoil products. Working closely with soil scientist Tim O’Hare, with whom he has continued to work to develop products and stringent testing and analysis protocols, Andy developed a range of products for the construction, landscaping, and sports amenity markets.

Key to Topsoil’s success has been Andy’s determination to provide customers with continual independent detailed product analysis, case studies and testimonials, and reports on scientific trials carried out on Topsoil products by respected organisations such as the Sports Turf Research Institute and Cranfield University. He has always believed passionately in informing and educating customers about soils and soil products so that they have the information they need to make informed choices. All data, analysis, trial reports, and case studies remain freely available for download from the company’s website.

Andy’s all-encompassing role at Topsoil is being re-structured in advance of his departure. Senior manager Natalie Gudgin, who joined British Sugar in 2009 and who has worked closely with Andy in managing the sales team, will take on the strategic sales role. Overall responsibility for production, testing and analysis will rest with the topsoil production managers, and British Sugar’s marketing department will take on direct responsibility for promoting Topsoiland its products to its key markets.

“I would like to thank our customers for their support over the years; I know Natalie and the team will continue to give them excellent service and advice going forwards. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the trade associations we have worked with from day one. In particular, BALI and the late John O’Conner of John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance who was such a tremendous help to me personally as I found my way around the landscape industry back in the late 1990’s, and Geoff Webb and Jason Booth of the GMA who have been a great support throughout Topsoil’s development and growth.”

Commenting on his future plans, Andy said, "In retirement I’m looking forward to continuing as a volunteer pitch advisor for the RFU and to doing more bicycle touring. In July this year we will be riding from home to Switzerland, following the Rhine for over 700 miles. I want to use this ride to raise funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease to show my support for Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow, Ed Slater and others suffering with this awful and currently incurable disease.”

You can sponsor Andy at JustGiving.

Tallis Amos Group (TAG) has confirmed the recruitment of Mark Smith as agricultural sales director (East).

L-R: Mark Smith and Ben Tallis

Mark had previously spent 27 years working for John Deere Ltd. at Langar, latterly as strategic account manager for UK & Ireland. 

The announcement follows recent news from TAG regarding significant expansion into Shropshire after the decision by Rea Valley Tractors (RVT) to resign the John Deere franchise. TAG's new 40,000 sq ft depot at Allscott nr Telford is due to fully open in March 2023.

Currently operating four depots in the West Midlands and Wales at Evesham, Kemble, Leominster and Narberth, TAG also has plans to open an additional site near Lampeter in Spring this year. 

Ben Tallis, TAG managing director, said, “We have plans to double our turnover to £120m within four years. This appointment illustrates the ambition of the company and our desire to recruit first class people to help drive this journey.

“Simon and I have known Mark for over 20 years. His strong relationships, extensive knowledge of the Agricultural industry and exceptional product knowledge make him the ideal person to help TAG deliver its next stage of continued growth.”

Mark Smith, said, “TAG has a phenomenal reputation and is at an exciting point in its expansion. I look forward to working with the team to help take the company from strength to strength”

ClearWater say that the recent BTME exhibition was successful for themselves, with a good number of enquiries taken.

General manager, Matthew Mears, said “the show seemed to be back to normal after Covid".

The company said their stand was busy and footfall up on last year with continued overseas interest too. 

Towards the end of the last day, the big event for the company was the prize draw. Jim Croxton, CEO of BIGGA and Andy Smith, president of BIGGA, were on had to make the draw.

The system was won by Crews Hill Golf Club, based in the Enfield area. Nick Street, course manager was delighted to learn of the win and said, “This is great news and we have the prefect spot for the system!”.

A new ClearWater system will be on its way to Crews Hill Golf Club and up and running soon.

DOUBLE CENTURY CELEBRATED

OUR PARKS IN CRISIS

AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS

OPTIMISM RETURNING
By Guest Editor, Roy Rigby

WATERLOGGING ISSUES

NEW YEAR, NEW FEATURES

View all of 2022's blogs here

View all of 2021's blogs here

View all of 2020's blogs here

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE
Seeking transparent and robust supply chains is essential

TIME FOR ACTION
To reverse recruitment crisis

CONTROLLING COSTS
Planning is crucial

THE SEARCH FOR SUSTAINABILITY
What exactly does the term mean?

CARING FOR THE GRASSROOTS
From volunteers to contractors

DEFRA IS LETTING DOWN THE COUNTRY
Complete failure to address the plastic grass debate

WE CAN ALL DO MORE
To aid biodiversity

MY LIFE IN GREENKEEPING
With Bruce Cruickshank

LEVELLING UP, GETTING SMARTER & GETTING AHEAD
Parks require so much more funding

SWITCHED ON FOR HARD WORK
Putting trimmers through their paces

MACHINERY HIGHLIGHTS
At this year's show

MY SALTEX
Daniel Lewis​, Manchester City Football Club

AWASH WITH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Two months till showtime

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD
Priorities for the amenity sector

THE DECLINE OF ‘PARKITECTURE’
A symptom of the state of parks in 2022

DEVELOPERS SHIRKING GREEN SPACE RESPONSIBILITIES
Lack of financial commitment

TIME TO COME TOGETHER
For the good of the industry

THE DEATH OF GRASS ROOTS CRICKET
Gathering apace?

ROUTES INTO THE INDUSTRY MUST BE ENSURED
Q&A with David Fisher, Lantra’s head of industry partnerships

STRONG VIEWS ON CRICKET PITCH PERFORMANCE MARKING
A bone of contention

A PREMIUM PRODUCT
Delivered at Naas Golf Club

THE GREEN REVOLUTION
And Esker Hills

MAKING A CHANGE
Laytown and Bettystown Golf Links

A DAY AT THE RACES
Naas Race Course

WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE VOICE
How the industry needs to proceed

OVER 175 YEARS OF EDUCATION
Wesley College

ELECTRIC EXCITEMENT
Dennis's Ian Howard talks electrification

THE HOME OF CORK GAA
Páirc Uí Chaoimh

LONG POLE BATTERY HEDGE TRIMMERS TESTED
STIHL HLA 66 and HLA 86

OVER 800 YEARS OF HISTORY
Johnstown Castle and Gardens

A CLUB GONE WILD
Kilkenny Golf Club

A GOLF COURSE IN THE GARDEN OF IRELAND
Woodenbridge GC

80 YEARS YOUNG
Charleville Golf Club

AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE
Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club

GETTING BACK TOGETHER
Albeit gradually . .

GO WEST
Inishturk GAA pitch – one of the most westerly sportspitches in Europe

WORKING ON A TIGHT BUDGET
Nenagh Golf Club

ON A MISSION
Wrekin Golf Club aiming to enrich wildlife and fauna

WILD AND WONDERFUL
Design By Nature

LEARNING HOW TO SURVIVE
Abbey Par 3

TACKLING OBESITY
Vital that schools can provide sport

A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
Vital for turf professionals

CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
Tullamore Golf Club

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGES
At Trinity College Dublin

BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW
Bray Golf Club

A WELL POLISHED COURSE!
Ierne Social And Sports Club

IDENTIFYING THE TRUE VALUES
Of grounds maintenance

THE INDUSTRY WILL CHANGE & ADAPT
But it will survive

WIRRAL GOLF COURSES SAVED
Renewed hope and optimism for the future

GREEN SPACE CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING IS UNDERVALUED
Parks invisible on national agenda

A SHINING LIGHT IN IRELAND'S SUNNY SOUTHEAST
Wexford Golf Club

GREEN SPACES DO NOT LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES!
Keith Kent says we must invest in people

WE SHOULD TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THE UK INDUSTRY
Right time for all sides to come together

SOIL LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Good-quality soil can help save the planet

MORE THAN JUST CUTTING GRASS
Encouraging the next generation

A BUZZ FROM DOING THE JOB
Wide experience of the turf grass industry

PAYING THEIR WAY
Low wages is the bane of the industry

AMENITY MANAGEMENT IMPACTS US ALL
Professor John Moverley

CARING FOR PARKS OF ALL TYPES
Mary Worrall

TOP FIVE FRUSTRATIONS FOR CRICKET GROUNDSMEN
What causes you the most frustration in your role?

PROFESSIONALS AT THE CUTTING EDGE
Vic Demain and Phil Sharples

BOWLS CLUBS IN PERIL
A sad decline

A VERY SPECIAL INDUSTRY
Loz looks back

SNEAK PEAK AT A ROBOTIC "GAME CHANGER"
Commercial model capable of covering 50,000 m2 teased

HALESOWEN PICK A BIG ROBOT UP FRONT
Invest in mowers

COMPRESSED AERATION
The new way

PARKS MATTER MORE THAN EVER
Recent sector developments

ON TEST
STIHL blowers

THREE CORE VALUES TO SHAPE OUR INDUSTRY
Real concerns for the future

ENGLAND'S GREEN SPACE GAP
A split along racial lines

ON TEST
EGO STX3800 strimmer with RTX2300 Rotocut head

A SECTOR FACING IMPORTANT TIMES
Review of the National Action Plan

PARKS MATTER
The role of public parks in the recovery: a discussion paper

A UNIQUE SPORTING VENUE
Wormsley private estate

A BTME OUTDOORS?
A good bet for the industry

PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

Recently I read that Worcester Warriors will be renamed Sixways Rugby as ownership group Atlas revealed the club will not feature in next season’s Championship. This came to pass after the club failed to meet the Rugby Football Union’s deadline of February 14 to provide evidence, they had met relevant conditions to participate in the second-tier competition.

It seems the owners said they would instead be merging with fourth-tier Midlands side Stourbridge.

This decision will clearly upset many people. The sad fact of life is that the Worcester Warriors brand and the Worcester Warriors business is gone for ever. This leads me to wonder what many of the old Stourbridge players and members think of this development? And indeed, what will happen to the current Stourbridge club’s facilities?

Worcester Warriors

In my opinion it’s another nail in the coffin for the current state of rugby. As an ex-player myself, who played for Worcester RFC in 1979 and several other top Midlands clubs - including Moseley, Birmingham and Nuneaton of which all have had their own ups and downs since the formation of Competitive leagues in 1997 - it is tragic to hear about the many issues facing rugby clubs up and down the country. 

Before 1997, rugby clubs organised their own fixture lists and historically clubs over many years built up their specific rivalries of teams they played each year. However once the new leagues started and the top two tiers turned professional, then these financial and logistic problems began. 

We saw several clubs go to the wall, losing their status and having to start at a lower level to get back into the sport. Even today, I suspect many of the top teams are living above their means in terms of paying players wages and coupled with shear costs of running these clubs at the top level.

The pandemic has certainly not helped the sport. The long layoff reduced clubs’ incomes and over time many lost players who perhaps did not return to the game.

Clubs that back in the 1980s and early 1990s were fielding several sides, are no longer able to do so. They are now often lucky to be putting out two or three senior teams.

Woodrush RFC v Shrewsbury RFC 

Youth team rugby is not what it was either, as there are more activities and pastimes offered, plus parents have other priorities, Also with the loss of u19 colts representation fixtures, most clubs have seen a dramatic loss of potential first team players moving into the seniors sides. This is coupled with the fact that most 18-21 year olds are now going to university and moving away from the area. 

This lack of participation across UK teams is having a profound effect on many clubs who each week find it hard to put out regular squads.The game has certainly changed since I stopped playing in the mid-1990s aged 40. Back then most club players were totally committed to playing and training every week. Even when I took up coaching some local clubs, getting players to attend two training sessions a week was nigh-on impossible and we rarely put the same side out two weeks on the trot.

My old club, Woodrush RFC, for the first time since it was founded in 1966, recently failed to field a first team due to a combination of injuries, non-availability and the fact it was international week for the club.

This lack of player commitment is becoming more prevalent with many junior rugby sides struggling to field teams on a Saturday. Players today often do not want to travel far and not spend too much time at their clubs. Long gone are the days when players committed whole days and nights playing and socialising with their fellow club members.

Putting out fewer teams has a detrimental effect on the club’s income generation with reduced bar profits. Combine this with the recent increases in clubs’ running costs  and it means that plenty of clubs are facing an uncertain future.  

One of my former junior clubs has said they have lost several of their best players from their playing squad this year due to the fact that a club two leagues above them are paying players to play.

Newport RFC v Nuneaton RFC 

I know of several clubs who are prepared to pay players, with some receiving payments of around £150 per game. So, if all fifteen players are paid, that equates to a weekly bill in excess of £2250. A considerable sum of money to find. Times that by 25 games and we’re talking a total of £56,250!

Factor in that many players are not prepared to pay subs and membership fees and it equates to far less money reaching the clubs’ bank accounts. Also, the cost of running clubs as gone up substantially in recent years.

How many clubs can afford to pay players and how do clubs who do not pay players cope with dwindling numbers of players willing to play for nothing? 
It is certainly a difficult time for many grass roots rugby clubs. It’s a pattern that is repeating of course, in other grass roots sports, with both bowls and cricket seeing a drop in participation.

A number of Midlands clubs I know, are actually sharing player resources to ensure they get a game on a Saturday.

Perhaps times are changing, and clubs will have to find new ways to attract and retain players. Let’s hope that these wonderful community clubs can weather this storm and be there for the next generation of sporting stars.