The recent MCC announcement that Karl McDermott has been appointed as the new head groundsman at Lord’s has firmly given me the proof that someone with the desire, skills and ambitions can reach the top of their profession.

I remember vividly Karl’s dedication to his role of groundsmen when I was lucky enough to go and judge him way back in 2007 at Clontarf CC as part of the Cricket World / Pitchcare annual cricket groundsman of the year awards.

Karl was clearly a man on a mission. We soon exchanged contact numbers and have remained friends ever since. I also recall Karl coming to stay with me in Shropshire to visit Pitchcare and meet up with Tim Packwood at Worcester.

The rest is history. After beginning his career as assistant groundsman at Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin, Karl took on the head groundsman role in 1997, ahead of the venue hosting an ICC World Cup Fixture in 1999.

He spent seventeen years at Clontarf, working on numerous international and domestic fixtures and winning the European ICC Groundsman of the Year award in 2007, before moving to Worcestershire as Assistant groundsman.

He then took up post at the Ageas Bowl where he was initially appointed deputy head groundsman in 2009, ahead of the ground’s inaugural Test Match in 2011 between England and Sri Lanka.

Karl then became head groundsman in 2016 and most recently presided over England’s victory over India, the third Test Match to be held at Hampshire’s headquarters.
There is no doubt that Karl will serve the MCC well and dedicate his life to maintaining the famous hallowed turf of Lord’s. I will be looking forward to catching up with Karl in the coming months. Congratulations Karl you have certainly earned this unique opportunity.

Last week also, saw me out on the road conducting an interview with Stephen Jacob CEO of BASIS Registration who are celebrating their 40th year of service to agricultural and related industries throughout 2018.

This key milestone is a testament to the developing industry, proving that training and continued development is not only essential for production, but it’s here to stay, as the need for increased knowledge across the board grows.

A full account of my interview with Stephen will be published in next week’s edition of Turf Pro.

And finally, I had the privilege to attend this year’s STRI Research 2018 (Tomorrow’s Turf Today) event held at the STRI trial grounds in Bingley.

The Events brought together a number of leading companies who have been carrying out some (R&D) projects for the sports turf industry. The companies attending and supporting this year’s event were Aquatrols, Bayer, Bernhard and Company Limited, Headland Amenity, ICL, MLR, Sherriff Amenity and Syngenta.

Over 250 delegates comprised of industry practitioners, managers, advisors and contractors attended the two-day event. This year there were seven separate demo areas to see.

All in all, a very busy two day event for all of the delegates. I personally think these days are very important as it gives the end users a chance to see the latest sports turf research and innovations from leading companies who are at the forefront of bringing out new products and methods of managing our diverse turf requirements.

For me it is also about the chance for delegates to meet up with like-minded professionals and share common issues and keep updated on the latest research and practices being used to manage sports turf. There were a wide range of delegates representing all of our national sports, with several premiership, championship and Scottish football groundsmen, horse racing, schools, universities and golf clubs.

There was something for everyone. I was particularly interested in the two presentations regarding lighting rig technologies. It will be interesting to gauge what interest the new MLR / Bernhard golfing lighting rigs will have. Like most lighting rig systems, they are not cheap to buy and run. However, we have seen from their use in the stadium environment they have become an essential tool in stimulating much needed grass growth in low light conditions.

A full report of the day will also be featured in next week’s Turf Pro Weekly Briefing.

I would like to personally thank the STRI for their invitation to the event and to all the companies that continue to support our ever-challenging sports turf industry.

As for the weather, the tale end of Hurricane Ali is now hitting our shores and no doubt will be testing out the patience and dexterity of our dedicated grounds professionals. Let’s hope it passes through quickly and we can get on and complete much of our autumn renovation works.

BIGGA has announced that Daniel Ashelby of Wilmslow Golf Club has been proclaimed the 30th winner of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award.

At the same time, Danny Patten of Lee Park Golf Club, became the third winner of the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award.

Danny Patten and Daniel Ashelby

Each year, a selection of the best student greenkeepers, selected from regional interviews hosted across the country, descend upon BIGGA House at Aldwark Manor in York for the two-day finals of the event, where they complete a variety of tasks.

A second-generation greenkeeper, whose father was course manager at Gatley Golf Club, Daniel impressed the judges with his knowledge and passion for the profession. The presentation he delivered in front of the awards judges showed his dedication to greenkeeping and his eagerness to do well in his chosen career.

Daniel said: “I can’t believe I’ve won it to be honest. There was a really strong line-up and I couldn’t tell right until the end who had won because everybody else was fantastic. I’m absolutely delighted and I’d like to thank Toro, Reesink Turfcare and BIGGA for everything they’ve done this week, it’s amazing.”

As part of his prize, Daniel wins a seven-week scholarship at the University of Massachusetts in the USA, as well as a trip to the GCSAA’s Golf Industry Show in San Diego and a trip to Toro’s headquarters in Minneapolis.

The Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award is open to students under the age of 20 and as winner, Danny receives a two-week work placement at the exclusive Vidauban Golf Club in France, as well as a trip to BTME in Harrogate.

Danny, 20, said: “I’m shocked to have won. I thought I had done a good course walk but wasn’t sure it would be enough. Then when they announced my name to say I had won it was just the best feeling in the world. I’ve been greenkeeping for just over two years so to get this award is really promising for my career and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

BIGGA Head of Member Learning Stuart Green said: “Congratulations to Daniel and Danny, who showed outstanding passion and commitment, both during the finals of the awards and at every stage of the competition, to be crowned worthy winners of this year’s awards.

“To be crowned Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year isn’t just two days’ hard work; rather you must dedicate yourself to the greenkeeping profession every day of your working life and so both winners and everyone who made it to the finals should be incredibly proud of their achievements.

“Each year the finals of the competition get harder to judge, which gives me confidence that the future of the industry is in very safe hands.”

The runner-up in the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award was John Scurfield of Morpeth Golf Club.

The runner-up in the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award was Liam Pigden of Burnham & Berrow Golf Club.

BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said, “We call the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards the most prestigious in the industry, but they are only made so by the commitment and dedication to the greenkeeping profession shown by those who have previously enjoyed success in the awards.

“Daniel and Danny join an incredible roster of past winners throughout the awards’ prestigious history, each of whom has done their part in elevating standards in the greenkeeping profession to new heights."

Applications for the 31st Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards will open in February 2019.

Reesink Turfcare has announced it has secured the exclusive UK distribution rights for a specialist range of tractor mounted aeration equipment from the American-based company 1st Products.

Aeration, thatch removal and seeding are offered by the range of 1st Products tractor attachments which are now available.

The UA-60, complete with Aera-Vator shaft, is part of the new specialist aerator range

Steven Haynes, sales manager for TYM, which Reesink also distributes said, “We’re introducing three core product lines back into the UK from 1st Products, having been previously imported by Mumby Machinery.”

First in the range is the AERA-Vator, a subsurface aerator whose osilating vibrating tine system loosens, rather than punches, the soil around and underneath each tine. According to the company this allows better air and water infiltration and eases soil compaction, it also doesn't leave cores or plugs behind, meaning less post-aerification clean up. The unit is also able to aerate dry soil to reduce the expense of pre-irrigating.

The AERA-Vator has the additional benefit of being designed with a universal frame system, so extra shafts can be added to expand its capabilities. The shafts, available in conjunction with the AERA-Vator through Reesink Turfcare, are the Multi-Tine, Multi-Slicer, Multi-Spike and the non-PTO Coring shaft.

The big brother of the AERA-Vator, is the AGRI-Vator. A larger machine suitable for relieving soil compaction on bigger areas such as race courses and polo fields, the AGRI-Vator brings the same oscillating hubs as found on the smaller AERA-Vator, but with larger tines to provide more depth and subsoil fracturing. The tines create holes which are six inches deep and their aggressiveness can be varied by changing the PTO RPM and groundspeed.

Reesink say the biggest advantage of the last item in the range – the VC Verti-Cutter – is the speed and depth which the machine can work to. Depth adjustments can be made in the field with no tools using a simple detent pin allowing the height to be adjusted in 5mm increments. It has a unique swing-hitch allowing for enhanced manoeuvrability around obstacles without the need for the operator to lift the unit and the pivot points in the hitch, as with all frame and shaft assemblies, allow the unit to turn and float over uneven terrain.

Steven concludes by saying, “This range from 1st Products was chosen to give customers even more value from their tractor investment. Reesink is careful in selecting items to pair up with existing products, but with 1st Product’s reputation and almost 40 years’ experience as a leader in the turfcare market, we’re happy to partner with them to bring a reliable range of quality attachments to our customers.”

As grass plants have experienced extreme droughts this summer greenkeepers are reminded to act now before disease onset this autumn.

Dr Colin Mumford, Bayer technical manager, explains that stressed turf is more likely to be affected by diseases such as Anthracnose, foliar blight and Anthracnose basal rot.

“Grass swards are struggling to recover following this summer’s extreme weather conditions, making them more susceptible to disease. If weather conditions are cool and damp going forward you’ll be more likely to see disease outbreaks,” he says.

“Anthracnose is known as a low nitrogen disease so it’s essential to monitor plant nutrition regularly to keep your grass plant in the best condition. You can do this by looking at grass clippings when mowing greens or taking soil or tissue samples and applying correct nutrients if required.

“However, if conducive weather conditions prevail, I’d advise greenkeepers to treat turf preventatively to stop disease from establishing, using a dual action fungicide such as Dedicate (tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin).

“As well as helping to reduce the impact of scarring, treating turf preventatively will minimise the effect of Anthracnose, in turn leaving you with a healthier grass plant that’s able to withstand other disease stresses like Microdochium Patch,” says Colin.

Following the loss of iprodione, Colin recommends that greenkeepers use an integrated approach to combat disease. This should include both cultural and biological controls as well as fungicides if required.

Top tips for managing Anthracnose basal rot:

• Don’t wait for disease to appear, plan preventative applications into your disease control programme
• Integrated management is key for minimising the risk of disease
• Use cultural and biological controls to prepare for the disease season ahead
• Monitor the weather to identify favourable disease conditions, and plan applications ahead of these periods
• Indicator greens help identify disease for early curative applications

Four UK parks are set to benefit from £100,000 of investment which will encourage local people to get active in their local park.

Capital grants from The London Marathon Charitable Trust have been awarded through the Active Spaces programme delivered in partnership with Fields in Trust. The four recipients of a capital award of £25,000 each are:

• People’s Park in Ballymena, Mid and East Antrim
• Halewood Park in Knowsley, Merseyside
• West Pilton Park in Edinburgh and
• Gelligaled Park in Rhonda Cynon Taf.

Each award will enhance a vibrant green space to encourage good health and physical activity.

West Pilton Park in Edinburgh

The Active Spaces programme is supporting physical activity projects to inspire the most inactive communities to get active and use their local outdoor spaces. Funded by The London Marathon Charitable Trust this programme pays for the cost of protecting open green spaces in perpetuity for future generations to use and enjoy. The programme also offers each site £5,000 to help initiate community participation in sports and physical activities on local parks and green spaces across the UK. Four £25,000 capital grants, one in each home nation, will also allow substantial improvements to parks and green spaces which have been protected.

Active Spaces is the first UK-wide funding programme from The London Marathon Charitable Trust which makes grants to projects that encourage people to get active. The funding comes from the surplus generated by the iconic mass participation events organised by London Marathon Events Ltd.

Sarah Ridley, Chief Grants Officer for The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said: “Congratulations to these four deserving winners; each has demonstrated a remarkable potential to transform physical activity opportunities for its local community and visitors. Since 1981, The London Marathon Charitable Trust has funded a huge range of projects that have inspired millions of people to get active, and now we look forward to seeing these projects deliver more such opportunities well into the future.”

Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, Helen Griffiths, said: “We know that parks and green spaces contribute to health and wellbeing; people enjoy greater life satisfaction including both improved physical and mental health, directly as a result of regularly using parks and green spaces. We congratulate each of the recipients on their award which will contribute to happier and healthier local communities able to enjoy their parks in perpetuity.”

One of the award recipients Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Lindsay Millar said: “I’m delighted People’s Park will be benefitting from exciting new facilities. This initiative means the park is also protected from future development, so it remains an active space for recreational use. Active spaces are proven to help people stay physically and mentally well, they are where memories are made, and precious spare time enjoyed, so it’s great to see them continue to do that for generations to come.

“Health and wellbeing is one of the council’s priorities and it’s reassuring to see this commitment supported by long establish organisations like Fields in Trust in partnership with The London Marathon Charitable Trust.”

Bernhard and Company announced earlier this year their partnership with MLR Sports, provider of lighting solutions for sports stadiums since 1998. They are now launching a golf rig specifically designed to golf courses.

MLR Golf Lighting rig

The Orn is compact and easy to move around the course to spot treat problem areas. It can be disassembled in less than 30 minutes, so it’s easy to store when not in use.

MLR general manager, Hermann Sather, said, “MLR is proud to launch the world’s first supplementary lighting rig designed specifically for golf. There’s a great deal of pressure on greenkeepers to produce quality surfaces all year round, and the Orn can be a crucial weapon in that battle.

“This is our first venture into the golf market, but it won’t be our last."

Steven Nixon, Director for Bernhard Company, says: “This is an exciting time for Bernhard Company. By combining our strong experience and knowledge of the golf market with MLR technical expertise, we are bringing a unique product that will revolutionise the way turf professionals manage difficult growth areas around their golf course.”

BIGGA and ICL have revealed the five successful recipients of the third ICL Continue to Learn scholarship.

The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn education programme. Taking place at BTME 2019 in Harrogate, the education programme features more than 250 hours of education.

The 2018 ICL Scholars with Sami Strutt and ICL's Ed Carter

The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights’ hotel accommodation and a 15-hour education bundle.

The successful BIGGA members are:

• Blair Shearer, assistant greenkeeper, Dunbar Golf Club
• Dan Dooley, greenkeeper, Mount Murray Golf Club
• David Stewart, deputy head greenkeeper, Walmley Golf Club
• Jorge Manso, deputy head greenkeeper, Coombe Wood Golf Club
• Andrew Brown, course manager, Boundary Lakes

Sami Strutt, BIGGA’s head of member development, said: “The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship is a great initiative, providing five BIGGA members with the chance to attend education classes that have been specifically designed with greenkeepers in mind.

“Staying in Harrogate, visiting BTME and networking with like-minded colleagues and peers is a fabulous way to ignite the passion of this great industry for the year ahead. Our thanks go to the sponsor, ICL, for enabling this desirable opportunity.”

Michael Hughes, deputy course manager at Scotscraig, was an ICL Scholar at Continue to Learn 2018. He said: “The scholarship was priceless for me because I knew my golf club couldn’t afford to send me to Continue to Learn. When you add up the cost, including a hotel for the week, what ICL and BIGGA do for anyone in my position is just priceless. Just those few days in Harrogate benefit your career immensely because you take so much away from them.”

Continue to Learn at BTME will take place at the Harrogate Convention Centre, Crowne Plaza Hotel and The Majestic Hotel from Sunday 20 to Wednesday 23 January 2019. The programme will run alongside BTME.

Matt Gilks has been appointed by Rain Bird Europe as golf sales specialist for the UK and Ireland.

Closely involved in golf course irrigation throughout his career Matt joins Rain Bird from Farol where he specialised in sales to golf sector customers. Prior to that, his greenkeeping and engineering roles at The Belfry and MJ Abbott respectively were focused on water resources and construction.

Matt comments on his appointment; “Irrigation is my specialism and having been involved with every aspect of golf course systems, from construction to water management, I understand the challenges golf clubs face. I’m delighted to join the Rain Bird team. In my role as golf sales specialist I’ll be supporting clubs with their existing systems alongside Rain Bird’s expert technical team to ensure irrigation systems are running at their most efficient. I am also looking forward to supporting clubs looking to upgrade or renovate existing irrigation systems with Rain Bird’s latest technology.”

Jimmy Sandison, Regional Golf Sales Manager for UK, Ireland, Iceland and Scandinavia adds; “I am delighted to welcome Matt to Rain Bird. He brings valuable, practical experience in the golf sector and considerable expertise in irrigation and water management.”

Matt can be contacted via email at mgilks@rainbird.eu

ICL Turf & Landscape have announced the appointment of Andrew Pledger as their new technical area sales manager covering the South East of England including Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent and East London.

ICL say Andrew has worked in the industry for many years and brings with him a wealth of experience.

A previous Toro Student Greenkeeper of the year in 2002, Andrew studied at the University of Massachusetts before embarking on a number of greenkeeping roles which included the positon of Deputy Course Manager at The Wildernesse Club and the Deputy Superintendent at The Hertfordshire. He then spent six years as Head Greenkeeper at Frinton Golf Club before moving to Chelmsford Golf Club as Course Manager - a position he held for seven years.

In addition to his Golf Course Manager roles, Andrew has also enjoyed many years of being a volunteer groundsman at West Ham Utd FC.

Andrew starts his new role with ICL on 8th October.

The Amazone Profihopper self-propelled mower/collector takes on a completely new design and features an updated hydrostatic drive system.

It is available in two models: the iDrive with front-wheel drive or alternatively, as the 4WDi where the all-wheel drive capability makes it ideal even for the most difficult of working conditions.

Click here to find out more

Scoop purchase of Groundkeeper GHD 1800

The Groundkeeper GHD offers all the convenience of a trailed mower / collector - so less horsepower required, increased manoeuvrability and yet with a larger size hopper capacity; around 300 litres more in relation to a linkage-mounted machine and so less emptying time.

The trailed format makes hitching up easier and also the GHD is ideal for use where high speed road work is not required, such as in a golf course or large estate situation.

Click here for more information

Amazone Ltd., Blyth Road, Harworth,

Doncaster, South Yorks. DN11 8NE.

Phone: 01302 751200

Fax: 01302 751202

Web: www.amazone.co.uk

E-mail: sales@amazone.co.uk

SALTEX event organisers have revealed exciting details about this year’s all-encompassing education programme – Learning LIVE. The CPD-accredited seminars are free to attend and registration is now open for all sessions that are due to take place in four purpose-built seminar theatres on the SALTEX show floor in Halls 6, 7 and 8 at The NEC, Birmingham on 31 October – 01 November.

Last year’s Learning LIVE programme was the biggest one yet and featured more than 100 industry experts who took to the stage to address a variety of topical issues and highlight best practice case studies within the turf care industry – and feedback gathered from seminar delegates has helped organisers to create an even better line up of speakers and learning opportunities to suit the needs of all SALTEX visitors at this year’s event.

Day one will feature an interesting panel debate featuring Professor Colin Fleming (Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute), Neil Stubley (AELTC), Tony Bell (Middlesbrough FC) and Andy Gray (Southampton FC), who will discuss a chemical-free alternative to clean up your soil. Adam Witchell (Forest Green Rovers FC) and Roy Rigby (Manchester City FC) will be among those highlighting emerging trends in groundsmanship and a panel of professional groundsmen including Anthony Facey (Colchester Utd FC), Dave Mitchell (Carlisle Utd FC) and Stuart Vause (Castleford Tigers) will be discussing groundsmanship on a budget and sharing valuable money-saving tips.

Elsewhere on day one HR consultant Frank Newberry and Scott Tingley (Watford FC) will be on hand to provide career development tips and reveal how to secure the top jobs, while delegates will get the chance to ask questions to a panel of pest and disease experts in a session run by the Amenity Forum. There will also be plenty of technical advice on offer within Dr Ruth Mann’s (STRI) presentation on how technological advances are helping to improve turf grass quality on playing surfaces.

On day two, Phil Garrod (Advance Grass Solutions) will be sharing new ideas that have had successful outcomes in preparing pristine turf for multi sports on a single site and Ted Mitchell and Corin Palmer from the RFU will explain how the RFU and Premiership Rugby are raising the standards of groundsmanship. Andy McKay (Sussex CCC), Gary Barwell (Warwickshire CCC) and Chris Wood (ECB) will also explain how to prepare a cricket wicket to world-class standards.

In addition, phosphite for cool-season turf grass management; sports pitch renovations; the benefits of topdressing and education in the sports turf industry will be addressed by expert speakers including Andy Spetch (British Sugar Topsoil) and Dr Stewart Brown (University Centre Myerscough).

To book the seminars you wish to attend please visit https://www.iogsaltex.com/learning-live/
Go to www.iogsaltex.com to register for FREE

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

A recent trip to Leicestershire enabled me the opportunity to visit Leicester City’s training ground and catch up with Chris Minton, their newly appointed dedicated head mechanic - a new role created at the club by their visionary head groundsman, John Ledwidge.

Chris Minton
 
Most of the Premiership football clubs now have larger training facilities encompassing many different types of pitches to manage plus a very busy fixture and training schedule to meet.

Gone are the days when you had a couple of mowers to mow the pitches. These new training facilities now require a larger fleet of machinery and resources to maintain them.
Currently the club train at their existing Belvoir Drive Training Ground that was purchased in 1963. Belvoir Drive has played a significant role in the Club’s development, which has gradually been extended by introducing a number of additional pitches and ancillary facilities.

John manages a team of 14 staff and is actively involved in the ongoing development and investment in world class sports turf surfaces for the club whilst managing 24 acres incorporating 9 natural and re-enforced football pitches and 14 staff at the club’s training facility.

Having served the club well for many years, the Belvoir Training Ground is unfortunately no longer sufficient to meet the demands of a modern Premier League club. It is too small and constrained at all sides by neighbouring properties, which prevents the club from continuing to develop the facilities required for its ongoing growth and to support further success.

With all this in mind the club have been searching for a suitable site to develop that offers plenty of scope to develop their aspirations and compete with other Premiership teams.

Recent press coverage has said that the club have acquired Park Hill Golf Club and are seeking planning permissions to develop the site with the aim of building a brand new training complex on the 180-acre site.

The development proposals seek to retain and enhance the site’s valuable ecological features while at the same time providing: -

• Approximately 14 pitches, plus a mix of small pitches, goalkeeper and training areas.
• Full-size indoor pitch.
• Show pitch with a small spectator area for approximately 499 people.
• Foundation/full-time Academy and First Team building, including accommodation, training and educational facilities.
• Car parking facilities.
• Sport Turf Academy building.
• Ground maintenance building.
• Retain a nine-hole golf course for private use.
• Landscape and habitat mitigation and enhancements.
• Sensitively designed and sited secure boundary and screening.

Once completed it will certainly enable Leicester to compete with the best clubs in the league and offer their players some of the best facilities in the country. I am sure the attraction of the golf course facility will also attract a lot of interest and enable John’s grounds team to grow and develop many new greenkeeping skills.

The demand for producing better quality playing surfaces and in particular improving club-training facilities has been born out of the needs of a modern-day footballer to be fitter, stronger, agile and faster while at the same time ensuring they remain injury free. This has led the need to replicate the stadium pitch-playing surface at their training grounds, providing consistent safe surfaces for all of the club’s teams from youth, academy and senior sides.

Therefore, in recent years we have seen a dramatic shift in the investment in machinery and resources at football clubs. These facilities are used on a daily basis, which in turn means that the grounds team are constantly preparing and repairing these playing surfaces.

During the growing season these playing surfaces are mowed and cleaned up each day, resulting in the need for a large fleet of mowers and machinery to cope with the demand of these pitches. The Leicester’s appointment of Chris as their full-time mechanic is a wise move by John who knows the full potential of having their own dedicated mechanic and workshops.

As for machinery the club currently have 4 brand new ATT infinicut’s, 6 Dennis G860s (34inch) mowers with cassettes, 21 Honda Rotaries, three Toro 3100 sidewinder ride-on mowers, a couple of Toro HDXD workmen fitted with sprayers, three Toro Procore 648 aerators a couple of Iseki tractors and other complimentary machinery / equipment such as Pellenc battery powered strimmers, blowers and hedge trimmers. They also have several line marking machines - all in all a lot of machinery to be maintained.

Chris’s new role is to manage and maintain this equipment and ensure the staff are trained to operate it safely. Chris brings with a wealth of experience having headed up the machine operations at the Belfry Golf club for 11 years.

However, to utilise Chris’s skills and expertise, the club have had to invest in providing a fully operational workshop with a range specific tools and equipment to enable Chris to do his job efficiently. Chris started is new role in September 2017 and one of his first jobs was to rearrange the garage and storage areas while at the same time bringing in some designated machinery aids such as a Sealey pneumatic hydraulic work bench, Draper tyre machine, air compressor (air tools) a set of 4000 DXI Bernhard Grinders a mig-welder, hot torch system and a press for removing bearings and a large two post hydraulic lifting ramp and finally a whole range of BETA hand tools and spanners.

However, one of the real beneficial changes has been in the education and training of the staff with regard to respecting their machinery and being more accountable. Chris has put in place a full recorded preventative service schedule for every piece of machinery and equipment. Daily pre start check sheets are completed before any machine leaves the yard, Chris has also implemented a series of operational training days and pre start check training sessions ensuring all staff carry out appropriate pre-start and operation checks on the machinery they use and above all communicate daily with him on any specific issues and problems they may have with the equipment they are using.

Chris gets a daily list from Callum (Head Groundsman) of machinery that is going to be used the following day then Chris sets up the cutting units and checks over the machines.

Although based at the training ground Chris goes up to king power stadium at least once a week to check over the machinery that’s used there.

Chris uses his grinders regularly and grinds little and often keeping his mowers in tip top condition.

Chris likes to run his mowers on a light contact between bottom blade and cylinder, thus ensuring they are always cutting sharp and set at the correct height of cut (HOC) usually set between 23-27mm for the pitches at the training ground. This year the training pitches where renovated on the 14th May, with hundreds of tonnes of sand being applied. The sand does have a detrimental effect on the mowers, requiring them to be reground more frequently during the initial first few weeks of the summer. Servicing of the mowers is done in house, based on the number of hours used. A complete service of oil, and filters is also carried out.

The club buy their machinery from a number of local dealers, namely Marsdens, Platts Harris and Dennis Mowers.

It would seem from my visit that Chris’s appointment has gone down very well, with all of the grounds team led by Callum Allsop praising the work being done to make their job more efficient and effective. There is no doubt in my mind that the club’s investment in both Chris and the new workshop space has made a significant improvement in the management and maintenance of the pitches at Leicester City FC.

Coupling the club’s vision of the future with this exciting new training ground, it’s clear John Ledwidge and his team will be taking groundsmanship to new heights of expectation.