DAVE SALTMAN, Managing Director.
Something of a first this issue as Dave’s foreword arrived just five days after the deadline! Sadly, that relative success was tempered by an expected article not arriving at all! There is a fine art to juggling jollies with work, something that Dave has not quite mastered!
JOHN RICHARDS, Operations Director.
Recently asked, by his daughter, to choose a logo for a company involved in ‘Over 50s adventure holidays’, something he is highly qualified for -b
Annoyingly, he asked the opinion of one other ‘elligible’ member of staff. I can’t possibly say who!!!
being over 50, not adventure! LAURENCE (WRITING) GALE, Editor.
On the 16th July 2008 Laurence came up with an idea that might actually work! It was such a momentous occasion that we now have a plaque mounted to the wall of the office as a constant reminder of the date - written in Laurence’s native ‘Shropish’ of course!
Was pleased when Spurs signed David Bentley -a
PETER BRITTON, Sales & Production. at least it is one new signing he
Bad press ...
can actually spell! Whilst the England Test team flounders around for direction, Peter is mimicking this behaviour on the golf course getting maximum benefit from his membership! Middle right John!
ELLIE TAIT, PR and Marketing.
With Saltex looming, and all the press releases written, Ellie has turned her attention to scouring the shoe shops of Leicestershire for designer wellies, just in case the Windsor weather takes a turn for the worse. Recent ‘Saltexes’ would suggest that she won’t need them!
ALASTAIR BATTRICK, Web Monkey.
Al has been ‘sooo’ busy recently that he hasn’t even had time to be his usual grumpy self. He’s just kept his head down, appearing above the parapet occasionally to fire off a broadside in techy speak that none of us understand. We are urgently seeking to add to his workload!
DAN HUGHES, Sales Manager.
Keeps ‘popping off’ to the former Eastern Bloc, as recent trips to the Czech Republic and Poland will testify. We are not sure why this is but it appears that the ‘recovery time’ gets longer with each visit. He would have us believe that this is due to unsociable flight times rather than any excesses!
CHRIS JOHNSON, Training Coordinator.
Whilst most of us are happy with the visage that appears in this section, Chris, Chrissie or Christine (depending on how naughty she has been!) has supplied yet another new mug shot. It has nothing to do with vanity -s new hair do!
she just wants to show off her STUART BURTON, Web Designer
Quiet, competent and helpful aren’t words you might associate with a Pitchcare employee but all three sit comfortably with the latest addition to the PC nerd centre. Having sorted the Buyers Guide section of the website he’s now moved on to the online magazine. Way to go Stu -lliterally!
SHARON TAYLOR, Company Accountant.
End of year accounts have got in the way of her equine pursuits but, judging by emails received at ungodly hours of the morning, she is still desperately trying to find the time to exercise her steed, and the minds of her colleagues. But, at 1.00am in the morning Sharon?
JULIE ROBINSON, Administration
Julie has found concentration difficult in an office predominantly full of waffling men (and Laurence) but was treated to a two week sabatical when one of them took their annual leave! Enjoys wordsearch puzzles. Perhaps she could help Laurence find some of his!
It seems that our industry has a penchant for attracting bad press. A recent example would be the unfortunate greenkeeper at Haywards Heath Golf Club who ‘irrigated’ the course with weed killer, damaging vast areas of the course. No facts were given other than he was a ‘groundsman’ or ‘greens keeper’ depending on which paper you read.
Then came the Daily Telegraph who did a hatchet job on ‘golf courses, ruining our green and pleasant land’, a wholly inaccurate piece that completely ignored the facts presented to their reporter, who chose sensationalism over the truth. From my own experiences this isn’t the first time. After the Champions League Cup Final, where the build up to the game had centred entirely on the poor playing surface, a reporter from the paper was hell bent on blaming the pitch (which was fine on the night) for all the lost footings, players cramp and missed opportunities.
There are, of course many other examples in recent years; The pitches at Wembley and Wigan with Motson and Lawrenceson banging on ad nauseam, (am I the only person relieved that John ‘state the bloody obvious’ Motson has retired?) as well as poor old New Road at Worcester where last year’s summer floods were completely out of the control of the groundstaff.
And when a good story comes along, what happens? Well, in the case of the US Open, it gets completely ignored. Candice Combs became the first woman Course
Superintendent to oversee a golf major and, yet, the media decided not to mention it.
I’m not sure why the press want to jump on our industry at every opportunity. Perhaps it is the high profile nature of many of the facilities that make them fair game. But, equally, I do not
understand some of the derisive comments that appear on the Pitchcare message board when these stories come to light. It amazes me that there is still a ‘them and us’ mentality amongst some sections of this industry when, surely, these are the times that we should all be pulling together, showing a united front and rallying around colleagues who are under duress. In fairness there are those who also offer strong support as well.
Through the pages of this magazine, and on our website, we try to present a united ‘turfcare’ front. We aim to cover all the sports disciplines, including the minority ones, because we believe that aspects of pitch maintenance will be of interest to greenkeepers and, conversely, how a greenkeeper operates will interest groundsmen.
After all, we all use similar tractors, topdressers, aerators, mowers and fertilisers, as well as employing similar good practice. Our primary aim, whether a greenkeeper or a groundsman, is to supply the best sports or amenity surface for the intended use.
At the top flight we are more than groundsmen or greenkeepers. We are competent people managers, widely qualified, have a full understanding of current and ongoing health and safety regulations, keep abreast of legislation and, in addition, are required to communicate with the media.
I suggest that, if we
are all turfcare professionals, then we should all serve and support our turfcare industry as one.
Dave Saltman Managing Director WELCOME TO pitchcare
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