SportsTurf

September 2012

SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.

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FieldScience in the air around both clubs. What a wonderful situation for Manches- ter as a city, no matter what side you are on. The world is talking about Manchester through Sunday! The Head Groundsman for Etihad Stadium, Mr. Lee Jackson, took time to visit with us and show me around even with preparation ongo- ing for their final Premier League match on Sunday. Thank you to Mr. Jackson; I would like to think that I would do the same for a total stranger from out of the country if they came to visit me even during preparation for one of the biggest events of a lifetime. Mr. Jackson's pitch is superb. I am amazed how successful it's possible to be with growing grass through the dead of winter and into miserable weather conditions like they are experiencing in Manchester this spring. Manchester United's Carrington Training Ground was the next most HOT here! But I am not one to ever complain about heat so bring it on. It is refreshing! Arriving in Madrid Friday night, many Thanks to Mr. Paul Burgess for taking the time to make a trip to the airport and then to show me around on Saturday. With preparation taking place for tonight's final La Liga match, after which Real will be presented with their 32nd league championship trophy, I know Mr. Burgess is very busy. Saturday Paul was gracious enough to show me around on the pitch May 13 Well what a change from Manchester to Madrid. WOW it is al- stop. Mr. David Lindop was very generous with his time to welcome us and show me around as Head Groundsman Joe Pemberton was un- available. Missing my friend Joe was the only disappointment of the trip. The training ground buildings are going through renovations and upgrades, as were many of the pitches. "Busy" is only half a strong enough word to describe how things are around the training ground. Thank you, David, for allowing me to spend some time with you and pick up many valuable lessons. Our conversations and seeing another piece of the renovation process was so helpful! In route to the airport, our final stop in the Manchester area was at at the Bernabeu. WOW what a stadium. And WOW what a fantastic pitch. Absolutely great stuff. Following, Mr. Burgess gave the tour of the Real Madrid Training Ground. With the number of fields and tremendous about of place that takes place on each pitch, it reminded me even more of home. The observations and conversation created a wide range of new ideas for me. Thank you, Paul! Now tonight, the fixture between Real Madrid and Mallorca. What an experience it shall be! Real is in the hotel here currently preparing for the match and what an atmosphere it is outside. So I can only imag- ine what it will be like at the Bernabeu tonight! Salford City Stadium, a new rugby stadium. Mr. Danny Huffman, Head Groundsman, was in preparation for rugby events this weekend. With the stadium opening in the early winter, the pitch has been played on frequently during its few months. Mr. Huffman has succeeded to maintain a fantastic surface all the while establishing the young field even more. The pitch has Fibre Sand, so the opportunity to talk about the technology and get feedback surrounding the reinforcement was very, very helpful. Thank you for the time Danny it was ex- tremely rewarding for me! Friday evening lead to >> PAUL BURGESS, head groundsman, Real Madrid, on the day before Real Madrid's final match and presentation of their 32nd La Liga trophy. weather is blessing Madrid and our trip; what a change from Manches- ter! the departure of Manches- ter with a flight down to Madrid, Spain. WOW it is HOT! Unseasonably warm tality, the guidance, and the wonderful feedback and wide range of ideas and discussions over the [past few days] traveling through 5 coun- tries and several hundred miles, I am sure there are points he wanted to pull the car over or hit the eject button with all of the questions I was asking. Thank you, Simon, Richard Campey and the entire staff of Campey Turf Care for the respect, the time, the ideas, and the support. Absolutely a class act of an organization! Thanks to Mr. Simon Gumbrill of Campey Turf Care for the hospi- 16 SportsTurf | September 2012 weather continues! Examining the pitches at SoccerPlex this evening, we are still fighting the same inconsistent growth on cool season and bermudagrass. It's all good though we need the rain, and the sun looks to be coming by Wednesday. Now that I am back home, the time for reflection and creating ideas May 14 Returning to DC this afternoon, it's like I never left. Inconsistent begins. The key categories I have established to work through the many new topics and ideas currently are: 1) Professionalism. The professionalism exhibited by all the Grounds- men I met on the trip is amazing. They understand that extra traffic on a field is reality. So they spend their time working to negate it. 2) Confidence and aggressiveness. During the renovation process, most all fields are grown back from seed in 4 weeks time. If someone in the USA did that, we would think they had gone mad! I respect the confidence to do the "right thing" in using seed to eliminate the layer- ing and to save money. 3) Self Sufficient and Efficient. Doing renovations "in house" on a rotating basis to achieve the end goal to using larger size equipment. Most all operations I observed were all about "getting things done" in an impressive manner. 4) Open Minded to new technologies (Desso, Fibre Sand, Crumb rubber, Fescue and Bluegrass w/ rye, performance testing, etc) and being tried and implemented daily. May 15 A reason for the timing of my trip to Europe was that the playing season was wrapping up and the renovation season for the pitches is be- ginning. I wanted (or better stated, NEEDED) to see the renovation process taking place to get a better understanding of how it works and all the positive pieces of the process. My perception from the pieces of the process I had heard and read about were that the UK groundsmen must just really like to make themselves extra work! Ha ha. Why would you want to cut out your fields every year and wait for them to grow back in from seed? Madness! Well I certainly saw 1st hand and it was nothing like I imagined. Instead of madness, I say now that it is genius! www.sportsturfonline.com

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