Marshalling his troops - Pitchcare

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Preparing for Monster Trucks NOVO party Speedway Les Miserables - well, you would be! It’s only Rock and Roll ... 74 “Developing a positive approach, and appreciating the commercial responsibilities of our business, is important to progress the turf industry” installation. Allowing production to go ahead with their event, without limitations and stressed grounds persons, can be beneficial to all. Under Pressure 2009 was another successful year in Parken. FCK were champions, Denmark qualified for the World Cup and the pitch performed consistently well. Challenges faced by the grounds team were motivational and many. A relaxed spring season, with football and one exhibition being our only customer, the autumn calendar was set to entertain the locals. The schedule for the newly installed pitch would include concerts, a dinner party, and be finished off with a rave at the end of October, which required covering the pitch with steel plating. The timeframe for the installation was limited, when we received the pitch back from Britney on July12th. We installed a pitch on the 13- 14th, and staged Champions League on the 15th July. FCK then played at home on 1st August. Madonna sang like a virgin on the 11th August. Madge’s production wrote off the penalty area, so we stripped and relaid the area (1500m2 ) ready for training on the 14th, with a home game on the 15th. This was followed by a Champions League match on the 18th. On the 21st August, we staged NOVO, a dinner party with up to 10,000 diners on the pitch. September was uneventful, with a local football ‘super league’, a World Cup qualifier and a few training sessions. However, the following few weeks was a different story! 1st - Europa League 4th - Danish Super league 8th - Fleetwood Mac 10th - Denmark v Sweden WCQ 14th - Denmark v Hungry WCQ 17th - Bavarian rock concert 25th - Super League 26th - Muse 31st - Rave 5th Nov - Europa League The rave would stress the pitch to the extent we would need time to recover the damage. The calendar limited our renovations and, therefore, the option to replace the turf was scheduled. This enabled Muse to put on a show on the Monday, leaving the pitch protection covers on, to reduce the costs and increase the revenue. Work commenced removing the pitch on November 2nd, and it was installed ready for training on the 4th. The autumn/winter pitch staged two concerts in December, and the X Factor in March 2010. Relax FCK claimed the title at Parken in May 2010. After the final whistle the gates were opened and the crowd enjoyed a free for all on the pitch. A stage and safety barrier had been pre-rigged outside and driven into position on a goalmouth for the celebration party. The schedule for the 2010 summer events consisted of: May 16th - FCK final league match May 22nd/23rd - Monster trucks (grass recoverable) May 29th - Rave (terraplas, recoverable) June 5th - Speedway (9 days production, roof closed for the duration, removal and establishment of plant required) July 16th - Stevie Wonder concert July 17th - Danish league fixture July 25th - Pink concert July 27th - Champions League fixture August 1st - Danish league August 4th - Champions League fixture August 11th - Denmark v Germany Considering the schedule, it was cost effective to hand over the stadium to the operations department. The installation for the new turf was set for June 23rd, to enable time to settle the pitch and allow the grass to strengthen ahead of the scheduled concerts. In consultation with the operations department, the decision was made to install a further pitch on July 26th, after the load out from Pink. The installation was completed on Monday July 27th, ready for prematch training on the Friday. Roll With It Selecting the turf, preparing and planning the installation are crucial to the success of the playing surface. Rooting is the key to the success of the turf system. To achieve sufficient
ooting, attention to the daily maintenance includes monitoring irrigation, aeration and nutrition. The lighting rigs enable us to energise the plant. Concentrate on the roots and the grass will thrive. We are trying to grow it down not up. Ideally, a period for growing-in the surface is advised, with a minimum of fourteen days. Turf selection includes stadia and farm visits. Assessing the turf on the farm is required. Assessing the turf in a stadium environment offers a greater understanding of the turf ’s suitability. The time taken to transport the turf is a consideration, and the option to cool it, in transit, is considered in the warmer months when working in Scandinavia. Assessments of the turf are carried out at the turf farm including: Turf strength Grass species composition (Poa pratensis providing lateral strength, Lollium perenne good wear and recovery) Pest and diseases Rootzone - particle size distribution and compatibility Turf maturity Turf maintenance prior to harvesting (nutrition, dressing, cutting height) Moving On Up Managing stadiums as a business enables development of the turf manager’s role. Economic responsibilities and understanding are a part of our daily work. There are currently four full-time grounds persons managing the stadium and three at the training ground pitches. The standard produced in recent years is a credit to the team effort of Daniel, Matt, Pete and Thomas, the “green team” as we are collectively known in Parken The operations department are also key to the success of the pitch. With the resources and challenges we face, it is vital that all involved are working together. My role is somewhere between the green team and the operations. Developing a positive approach, and appreciating the commercial responsibilities of our business, is important to progress the turf industry. When proposals are discussed concerning usage of a pitch, educating the planners will enable us to become part of the plan. Stadiums will continue to stage non sporting events. Investing in stadiums and pitch systems is expensive and clubs/companies are required to recover their costs. There are solutions to all the challenges. Pitch protection systems allow the pitch to survive, lighting rigs encourage growth in shaded areas, turf installations offer full pitch recovery. Managing the numerous events on the pitch offers the opportunity to learn and progress as a turf manager It’s Only Rock and Roll but we like it! The modern stadium pitch manager ... By Carl Pass, Director of Premier Pitches Ltd Professional football pitch management is no longer about providing a surface which will withstand the rigours of 90 minutes of football, any league groundsman will testify to this. Groundsmen now have the additional pressure of providing a surface that will be used for a pre-match warm-up which can last up to 30 minutes. There are also half time activities, including penalty shootouts, marching bands, dancers and junior matches played across the pitch. In addition, many teams now insist on a warm-down after the match which, in some cases, becomes a full-blown training session for squad players not involved in the 90 minutes of action which has just unfolded. Success in European competitions brings additional burdens as visiting teams have access to the match pitch for training sessions on the day prior to the tie being played. Other events, such as music concerts, bring in much needed revenue to clubs who are in the business of making money by what ever means to support their main objective, which is to be successful on the pitch. All these activities are often undertaken in grounds which have either evolved into multi-use venues or, worse still, have been designed with little or no thought to the well being of the pitch. The consequence of such relentless use is a degenerated surface which may suffer from compaction, poor drainage, little or no grass cover and uneven levels. So, where does this leave the person entrusted with producing a surface which will cater for all the needs of a professional football club? Clubs will not reduce the height of stands to reduce the impact of shade, nor will they open up corners of the stadium to allow increased air movement or reduce the amount of additional activity on the pitch during match days and in the close season. It is my view that we must take a positive stance to the situation by adopting a new philosophy of preparing new pitches rather than repairing old ones. Come the end of the season, clubs who wish to maintain a high standard of playing surface, whilst maximising revenue from other opportunities, must accept that the pitch has done its job and replace it. Particularly in a stadium environment where the groundsman is, essentially, growing grass indoors, beginning the season with a new pitch offers the greatest opportunity for the surface to withstand the difficult environment it is expected to perform within. Stadium pitches, in general, have improved tremendously over the past ten years, which is a credit to all involved including groundsmen, researchers and manufacturers of specialist turf “Clubs will not reduce the height of stands to reduce the impact of shade, nor will they open up corners of the stadium to allow increased air movement” ...continued over
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SERVING THE TURFCARE INDUSTRY GOLF
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WELCOME TO pitchcare The One Show -
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Vic Demain, Uxbridge Cricket Club C
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Action with Communities in Rural En
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Open house at Ransomes Jacobsen Tur
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“In the UK, we have the best cour
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a real buzz from the members and my
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2005 Feb Toro BUY Hayter Toro BY Ha
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fast rules... greenkeeping staff ha
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Parts of the Arden course have a li
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A more modest stock of parts Variou
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We must ask questions like: Why is
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Page 39 and 40: TORO GROUNDSMASTER. THE WIDEST RANG
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Page 43 and 44: “The future of golf lies in attra
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Page 47 and 48: The Fall and Rise of Mark Perrin! N
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Page 58 and 59: Saltley Leisure Centre, Birmingham
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Page 63 and 64: Welcome to Butleigh... Peter Edmond
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Page 87 and 88: problematic. You might agree a stra
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Page 91 and 92: “When the £60,000 installation c
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Page 103 and 104: NOW WITH SPORTS SEED The worlds bes
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Page 117 and 118: Buyer Environmental Science 230 Cam
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Page 123 and 124: “It can be the make or break part
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John Deere dealers source the ideal
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low ground pressure, but also last
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The final presentation by Chad Pric
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exactly what the name suggests - ho
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The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive
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FAQs about Paul Moreton, British Se
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In a previous article (‘Don’t A
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DRAINAGE Draining and Gravel Bandin
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IRRIGATION Irrigation GREAT ALL OVE
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Marshalling his troops - Pitchcare

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