Aston Villa Football Club training grounds manager Graeme Farmer is using a Koro Field TopMaker with the new Universe Rotor to transform the management of the training grounds.


Graeme Farmer and the team with the Koro

His approach to end-of-season maintenance will bring new techniques to the high-pressure playing schedules on the training pitches at Bodymoor Heath.

"Generally less investment is made on the pitches at the training grounds of professional football clubs but the intensity and level of play can be 10 or 20 times that of the stadium," says Graeme. "But these pitches do not have the luxury of Desso Grassmaster, Fibresand or other surface stabilisation."

Graeme and his team believe that investing in vital equipment like the Koro will offer higher standards of training surfaces and save the club money in the long-term.

STRI advisor Andy Cole has been very encouraging with Graeme's plans to renovate the training pitches using the Field TopMaker - which will remove unwanted grasses and thatch.

Working one pitch at a time Graeme and his team will carefully clean out all unwanted grasses and thatch build up, then grow back, each pitch to chosen specifications. The plan is for high-quality training pitches to be in play at all times.

"Better renovation creates greater pride in the job and will provide great value to the training pitches at Aston Villa," says Graeme.

Specialist contractors will still continue maintenance to keep the high surface standards at the stadium pitch and first team training areas.

Stadium grounds manager Paul Mytton and his team at Villa Park say the Koro Field TopMaker will continue to be part of developing superior pitches at the club.