Marshalling his troops - Pitchcare

Contents
Cover Story -Paul Marshall, Northants County Cricket Club
Inside
THIS
ISSUE
Under a blood red sky, Paul
Marshall, Head Groundsman at
Northants County Cricket Club,
comes to the end of a fifteen
hour working day.
Laurence Gale MSc joined
him for the duration (nearly!)
Marshalling his troops
Page 78
THE PC TEAM
DAVE SALTMAN
Managing Director
Never let it be said that
Dave is ever anything
but confident. So
convinced was he that
his World Cup team,
Brazil, were going to lift
the trophy, he delighted
in telling all his
colleagues that the
money was as good as
his. The team’s earlyish
exit from the tournament
did result in an ‘egg on
face’ scenario! Shame.
JOHN RICHARDS
Operations Director
With the Pitchcare
Fixometer ‘picking’
Spain out of the hat in
the World Cup
sweepstake, John has
pocketed a not
inconsiderable amount
of dosh from his poor
colleagues. It has all
gone into his Oz fund as
another trip down under
must be imminent
although, as yet, there’s
nothing in the diary.
Golf
Arden fast rules
Looking after two championship courses during
recessionary times can provide additional
opportunities for greenkeeping staff, as our editor
found out on a visit to the Forest of Arden
Country Club. Pg14
Two Bob’s worth
Simon Atkins chats to Bob Hill, Head Mechanic
at the Forest of Arden about his career and his
commitment to training and WD40! Pg18
Back to nature
Aberdovey Golf Club has undergone a dramatic
rebirth in the past three years, thanks to the
efforts of the greenkeeping staff. Pg24
Crosswood’s crossover
Abi Crosswood, First Assistant at Newquay Golf
Club, reports on her recent internship at Augusta
National, where she helped prepare this iconic
course for the 2010 Masters. Pg38
LAURENCE GALE
Editor
It’s finally happened.
Laurence has managed
to take some good
shots with his new
camera, albeit at a
slightly jaunty angle. He
would have us believe
that he is being artistic -
we prefer to think that
he can’t hold the
camera straight. Either
way, the fruits of his
labour can be seen on
the front cover!
PETER BRITTON
Sales & Production
With the bus pass another
year closer - that’s if the
ConLib lot don’t cancel
them - Peter’s
‘meldrewness’ is reaching
new heights. Recent
targets of his chagrin
have been Spurs preseason
form, his
retirement age put back
one year, Go Compare TV
ads - actually, all TV ads -
and close-up TV replays.
You get the picture!
ELLIE TAIT
PR and Marketing
Fame at last for Ellie.
During a recent holiday
to a quiet corner of
Ibiza, she was sat in a
bar (a rarity I know),
when a chap came up
to her and said that he
recognised her. Turns
out that he was a
groundsman from the
UK, and an avid
Pitchcare reader, who
had clocked her from
the photo above!
Rob Rowson, Forest of Arden Country Club
General
Demonstrations - the true
cost!
It’s quite the done thing, isn’t it? You have an idea
that a piece of kit might do a job for you, but
you’re not sure, so you ask for a demonstration.
Pg118
The Loam Arranger
So, how does a cricket loam come to market?
Laurence Gale MSc talks to Simon Hedley about
the processes involved. Pg122
The Wheel Deal!
They’re black, round and have a hole in the
middle, right? Wrong. Jane Carley discovers that
there is more to tyres than meets the eye -
particularly for use on delicate turf. Pg124
Future Turf Managers
The major equipment manufacturers all have
educational schemes for students of fine turf,
which aim to cement relationships with aspiring
turf professionals as they enter the industry.
Pg128
What’s it all about? Algae!
Kelp is the generic name for Large Brown Algae,
that grows into vast underwater fields, so vital to a
huge variety of marine life, yet can also be turned
into a useful product for our industry. Pg130
Mother nature on the
rampage!
The Hurlingham Club’s Grounds Manager, Peter
Craig, explains some of the methods used to
combat a couple of ‘natural’ problems encountered
this year. Pg134
ALASTAIR BATTRICK
Web Monkey
Moved house recently
into a 300 year old pile,
not an easy task with
three youngsters and a
wife in tow. And then
there was the saga of
the washing machine,
but let’s not go there!
Remarkably, the usually
irascible Al remained
remarkably, cool, calm
and collected
throughout the week
long saga.
DAN HUGHES
Sales Manager
Currently sporting a sleek
new hairstyle, very
reminiscent of an inmate
of Broadmoor. Has been
busy recruiting teams for
the Pitchcare Fantasy
Football League. His
admirable, but some say
misguided, loyalty to
Wolves left him fretting
over relegation last season.
His target is to finish above
Kiran who, not surprisingly,
is not losing any sleep.