THE PC TEAM


DAVE SALTMAN MD and constant mover. Apart from Laurence’s tongue the nearest thing we have to perpetual motion. Favourite film -S Seattle.


Sleepless in JOHN RICHARDS


Operations Director and token old employee. Ecstatic when flared trousers came back into fashion, desperately awaiting the return of the kipper tie.


LAURENCE GALE


Joint Editor, jetsetter and friend of the famous. Recent encounter with Sir Bobby Robson (in the toilets at a motorway service station). A restraining order is pending.


PETER BRITTON


Sales and Production Director. Recently found out that being surrounded by nurses in uniform is not as exciting in real life as it was in his dreams. A welcome return to the real world.


ELLIE TAIT


PR and Marketing Executive with brains, beauty and energy. Nicknamed the whirlwind of Harrogate Week, covered more ground than Steven Gerrard.


ALASTAIR BATTRICK


Web Developer and cyclist, now to be seen pedalling the Midlands highways on his folding Brompton S3LX. Pitchcare’s outside hope for a medal in the 2012 Olympics.


SHARON TAYLOR


Company Accountant and Pitchcare’s paymaster general, most popular member of the team as we near the end of each month.


DAN HUGHES


Marketing Coordinator and purveyor of quality goods to the sports turf industry. Known as Silky because of his smooth talking telephone manner.


WELCOME TO Whipping boys


SINCE Christmas I have taken part in around a dozen interviews for various radio stations, most of whom wanted to talk about the condition of the football pitches around the UK. On our message boards there also always seems to be some consternation regarding poor pitches at this time of year. When people are quick to criticise they should perhaps bear in mind the following points in the future. Stadium environments are unique places and each stadium has its own problems, in terms of natural light levels and sunshine hours per year. All stadium Groundsmen can provide water and nutrients, but only one or two of them can presently provide UV light to sufficient levels for the grass plant to photosynthesise, make sugar and grow/recover during the winter months. Many of the stadiums have ‘wrap


around’ stands with high elevations, allowing little summer sun onto the grass, let alone winter sun. There is little or no air movement, which would help the plant to transpire and take up more water through the root system. The turf sits wet and


doesn’t have the ability to dry out, so


whatever roots are present don’t need to go down through the profile to look for water.


Adding to these fundamental criteria, some stadiums have dual use, incorporating rugby league/union within their timetable.


Each season brings the opportunity for cup runs and for the teams in Europe this brings additional training sessions as well.


I’ve worked under a succession of managers over the last 18 years and they all have different views on the pitch. Some will avoid using the main stadium surface at all costs, some will ask for occasional training sessions and some will just abuse the pitch altogether. This winter the continual cold weather has meant that some managers have used the main stadium pitch for training more because the training grounds have been frozen in the mornings. In some cases the clubs haven’t


previously invested in their pitches properly and this year’s shorter and more intensive season, due to the World Cup, has caught them out.


Stadium pitch versus outside pitch is not a viable comparison. At Wolves home stadium, Molineux,


there have been around 30 games this season so far. In comparison the Wolves training ground pitches take training or Academy games nearly every day, seven days a week. These pitches still look very good and have a high percentage of grass covering, compared to the stadium pitch which has little comparative use and yet has lost substantially more grass cover.


Until such time that clubs truly understand the benefit of investing in their playing surfaces, staff and equipment, we will continue to be the whipping boys in the face of the media and public.


DAVE SALTMAN Managing Director


No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Editorial contributions are published entirely at the editor’s discretion and may be shortened if space is limited. Pitchcare make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents but accepts no liability for its consequences. Pitchcare - The Magazine is printed by the Gemini Press, Dolphin Way, Shoreham- by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 6NZ


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