these Open Championship Clubs choose to relief grind - Pitchcare

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Pitchcare Classifieds AERATION ARTIFICIAL CYLINDER GRINDERS Tel: 01462 683031 email: admin@huntergrinders.com www.huntergrinders.com Why not visit our on-line Buyers Guide for direct links to suppliers websites and email addresses www.pitchcare.com 132 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012 TERRAIN Turf and Trees 10” drill aeration 1m air injection 1m soil coring Air excavation DRAINAGE AERATION Tel: 01449 673783 www.terrainaeration.com terrainaeration@aol.com WORTH DRAINING LTD 25 years in sports turf maintenance Verti-draining - Koro Blec Groundbreaker Overseeding - Sanding Top Dressing Hollow Coring Tel/Fax 01476 550266 Mobile: 07855 431119/20 email: worthdraining@talktalk.net www.worthdraining.co.uk 45 Cost effective drainage quick and neat trenching work with minimal disruption to play. AFT Trenchers Tel: 01787 311811 info@trenchers.co.uk www.trenchers.co.uk Winter Sports History of covers Matchsaver’s Mike Clegg looks at the history of frost and snow protection and finds some of the older systems can be both costly and timeconsuming Over the years, football has become a sport played with skill and finesse but, for this to happen, the playing surface has to be of the highest standards. For years, groundsmen have battled with the elements to try and produce the best playing surface possible. In the 70s and 80s, football pitches were of a poor quality, some might say they were more like mud baths but, as the sport has evolved, so have the pitches. To achieve this, they have had to use some form of pitch protection system. There are a number of ways in which groundsmen can protect their playing surfaces from the elements, the oldest method being a layer of straw. Straw is an excellent insulator, better than any plastic or mesh cover, and achieves this by keeping the warm air trapped in little air pockets, which enables the ground to stay frost free in very cold temperatures. Straw is also exceptional when it comes to waterlogged pitches, as it can soak up the water. These few advantages are outweighed by the number of disadvantages; the straw used has to be a specific type (good, stiff, clean, wheat straw is the best). Handling of the straw can be very difficult because of the amount needed. As much as twenty tonnes can be used on a single pitch, which would take many men hours to lay, and machinery used could damage the pitch. Storage of the straw causes a major problem, not only because of the quantity but because of the fire risk it carries. Also, if straw is applied to a frozen pitch, then it will keep the frost in when there is a thaw. Undersoil heating has been in football grounds since the late 50s, and is proven to work. It can protect playing surfaces from any frost, and can also protect against a moderate snowfall as long as the drainage systems is of a high standard. If there is a heavy snowfall, then there is no protection available, and clearing the snow could damage the pitch. The price of installing and running undersoil heating systems is often cost prohibitive to many clubs. There are several different types of undersoil heating on the market, the favourite being a hot water system which is very similar to a conventional central heating system. The original undersoil heating system was made up of twenty miles of electric cable and was first installed in 1958 at Goodison Park. This type of system evolved into a wire mesh which, if punctured, would still work. Some more recent undersoil systems use heating pads which distribute the heat more evenly. However, they still require major excavation and can still cause root damage. When using a water pipe system, precautions need to be taken to remove scale-forming deposits that will form on the
“There are many different covers on the market and they all have their pros and cons” inside of the water tubes. A mere 0.2mm can reduce heating efficiency by as much as 10%, so this could be a major issue. If this rises to 0.8mm, clubs could be wasting as much as 25% in excess energy, or even preventing the system from doing its job! One of the best ways of protecting a football pitch is to use some form of cover. In an ideal world, a permanent roof like structure would be the best method, but this option isn't financially effective, so the majority of clubs settle for a cover that can be deployed when needed. There are many different covers on the market and they all have their pros and cons. Most can be deployed with a small army of men in around two to four hours, protecting the pitch from frost, snow and rain. Whilst being a positive point, it is also a negative one, as it is back breaking work and takes just as long to fold away as it does to deploy. Also, the covers are made to be as light as possible for ease when manoeuvring, making them less durable when machinery is clearing the snow from them. Other covers use inflatable tubes in which many individually covers are zipped together, and fastened both sides of the pitch to either the stand or ground anchors. The inflatable roller then inflates to raise the cover from the pitch, and forms a tent like system which allows the groundstaff to access a percentage of the pitch. Again, like the ground sheets, this method takes hours to erect and can be very dangerous in high winds and heavy snowfall, resulting in a damaged cover and serious injury. Inflatable dome systems have been used for some time, and work very well, creating a pleasant environment for the grass to grow with fresh warm air circulating. These structures allow access to the pitch but, again, shouldn’t be used in high winds or heavy snowfall. One of the more modern methods of covering a football pitch is using a number of inflatable tubes which have the protective material attached. The tubes are inflated, then can be rolled out with a number of people. This has been designed to make it easier for ground staff to deploy them, and does work. Again, you may want to have a think before deploying the cover in high winds. There are many different kinds of materials on the market, ranging from plastics to mesh, whether it’s for a frost The Matchsaver system in use at the Olympico Stadium in Rome cover, rain cover or one which is suitable for all adverse weather. All these systems have one thing in common; they have all been designed and manufactured to protect sports pitches from rain, frost and snow. Nowaday, as a result of listening to current and potential customers, there is a need to develop new products, making automated pitch covering systems a real alternative in pitch protection from both frost and snow, and in helping prevent waterlogged pitches. With one continuous cover, it is fully waterproof and, when used alongside undersoil heating, provides an insulating effect that can make real savings on heating bills. It’s a case of learning from many of the historical problems that older methods of protection have suffered from. The problems of keeping pitches playable in adverse weather conditions will always be a challenge for groundsmen, but new technoligies will help provide them with the pitch protection they need. DRAINAGE DRAINAGE SPECIALISTS DESIGN & INSTALLATION PRIMARY SYSTEMS SAND SLITTING & GRAVEL BANDING Tel. 01722 716361 www.mjabbott.co.uk Draining and Gravel Banding also Vertidraining, Hollow Coring, Overseeding, Field Top Maker, Deep Scarifying Mobile: 07860 259692 Tel: 01284 735105 Email: peter@buryturfcare.com www.buryturfcare.com ANY SPORT - ANY SURFACE Pitchcare Classifieds Philip Dixon Contractors Ltd Established 1978 Sportsturf Drainage Specialist Drainage Construction Renovation Slitting Banding Maintenance Tel 01772 877289 (Preston, Lancs) Email: info@dixondrainage.co.uk www.dixondrainage.co.uk Miles Drainage Limited Quality Land Drainage Systems for Sports Pitches, Golf Courses and other Amenity Areas •Advice, design and installation •Piped systems •Sand Slitting •Gravel Banding Tel: 01359 259424 Fax: 01359 258073 Web: www.milesdrainage.co.uk Email: trenchers@milesdrainage.co.uk DESIGN : INSTALLATION : MAINTENANCE Pitch Construction : Piped Drainage Systems : Sand Slitting Pitch Construction : Piped Drainage Systems Blec Vibro Sand Banding : Koro Surfacing : Vertidraining : Topdressing : Overseeding Sand Slitting : Blec Vibro Sand Banding : Landscaping Koro Surfacing : Vertidraining : Topdressing : Overseeding If it’s drainage, it has to be Duncan Ross! If it’s drainage, it has to be Duncan Ross! Willow Farm, Red Cat Lane, Burscough, Ormskirk L40 0RF Appley Bridge, Wigan, Lancashire WN6 9DT t 01257 255321 t 01257 255321 f 01257 255327 e office@duncanrosslanddrainage.co.uk erosslanddrainage.co.uk www.duncanrosslanddrainage.co.uk www.duncanrosslanddrainage.co.uk - CONSTRUCTION - MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS IN SPORTS DRAINAGE www.sgcgroup.co.uk - Tel:0161 343 1044 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012 PC 133
Page 1 and 2:
SERVING THE TURFCARE INDUSTRY KEYNO
Page 3 and 4:
WELCOME TO pitchcare 2012 - and all
Page 5 and 6:
Andy Gray, Southampton FC Artificia
Page 7 and 8:
Reverting to farmland! The Norfolk
Page 9 and 10:
Amenity-specific NSK revamped More
Page 11 and 12:
Launching Spring 2012 www.ransomesj
Page 13 and 14:
getting the MBE, without doubt. It
Page 15 and 16:
THE REAL STARS OF WEST HAM, WIMBLED
Page 17 and 18:
time. He also was the man who donat
Page 19 and 20:
eason we run the electric triplex a
Page 21 and 22:
times. Cycle times are then modifie
Page 23 and 24:
easonable £12,000. And so Parkston
Page 25 and 26:
Controlled burning of scrub Fairway
Page 27 and 28:
However, in collaboration with the
Page 29 and 30:
after Kerry defeated Cork in last y
Page 31 and 32:
involved various management strateg
Page 33 and 34:
convincing the greens committee to
Page 35 and 36:
As editor of Pitchcare, I am fortun
Page 38 and 39:
Golf In October last year, Ian Robs
Page 40 and 41:
Golf As the course has 100% floodli
Page 42:
Golf turn, pays for the course. Our
Page 45 and 46:
thought, at the time, the greens we
Page 47 and 48:
Augusta National levels of crickete
Page 49 and 50:
You don’t often hear a golfer say
Page 51 and 52:
THE NEW LT3340. HEAVY-DUTY MOWING F
Page 53 and 54:
natural pitches artificial pitches
Page 55 and 56:
one area? Clubs are then likely to
Page 57 and 58:
also of the RFU and a number of ins
Page 59 and 60:
“Artificial rugby pitches must be
Page 61 and 62:
Rootzone top-up The concept for a N
Page 64 and 65:
Winter Sports With Southampton flyi
Page 66 and 67:
Winter Sports Professional lights s
Page 68 and 69:
Winter Sports “Our most worrying
Page 70 and 71:
Winter Sports 68 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH
Page 72 and 73:
Winter Sports ViewPoint Our anonymo
Page 74 and 75:
Summer Sports - Bowls Expectations
Page 76 and 77:
Summer Sports - Bowls Rainbird irri
Page 78 and 79:
Summer Sports - Bowls When it comes
Page 80 and 81:
Summer Sports - Bowls “Consistenc
Page 82 and 83:
Summer Sports - Cricket “No, I’
Page 84 and 85: Summer Sports - Cricket trimming of
Page 86 and 87: Summer Sports - Cricket SMITH famil
Page 88 and 89: Schools & Colleges After thirty yea
Page 90 and 91: Schools & Colleges One of Chris Edw
Page 92 and 93: Schools & Colleges Ransomes 305 a g
Page 94 and 95: Schools & Colleges Neville Johnson
Page 96 and 97: Schools & Colleges Head Groundsman
Page 98 and 99: Schools & Colleges Joe Cooper’s l
Page 100 and 101: Schools & Colleges Look through any
Page 102 and 103: Equestrian Craig Williamson “This
Page 104 and 105: Equestrian The home straight from t
Page 106 and 107: Technical Seed germination is one o
Page 108 and 109: Technical Trees represent an import
Page 110 and 111: Technical Giant Polypore heaviness
Page 112 and 113: Technical Normally carried out unde
Page 114 and 115: Technical Choosing the right sand c
Page 116 and 117: Technical which is determined by th
Page 118 and 119: Technical In this final article in
Page 120 and 121: Technical “In order to tie the go
Page 122 and 123: Technical “The words ‘gas oil
Page 124 and 125: Technical MONTHLY Diaries I STILL s
Page 126: Technical Aeration and sweeping Aer
Page 129 and 130: 2. The “threat” scenario If the
Page 131 and 132: Alongside our General Sports Turf M
Page 133: one I had not predicted, but I stil
Page 137 and 138: come of it. They’d look at it and
Page 139 and 140: since day one. Barry is, essentiall
Page 141 and 142: Gravel banding is a secondary drain
Page 143 and 144: Ideal for use around tree bases Jap
Page 145 and 146: present a key challenge. “Typical
Page 147 and 148: Quote me happy “... they are comi
show all

these Open Championship Clubs choose to relief grind - Pitchcare

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?