To advertise in this section contact
Peter Britton on 01747 855335 email:
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Football OVERSEEDING OVERSEED? NEED TO
Classifieds IN CLOVER! FIELDGUARD
SAFE SURFACES
Moore Uni-Drill is the proven machine for accurate seed placement on flat or undulating areas
Contact Synergy Products on 01380 828337
Dave on mobile: 07971 843802 Email:
sales@synergyproducts.co.uk www.synergyproducts.co.uk
ROLLERS SAFE
Soft, non slip honeycomb rubber mats
•Grass protection •Muddy pathways •Slippery surfaces •Gravel containment •Soft grass driveways
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Fax: 01483 275341 Email:
info@fieldguard.com
www.fieldguard.com SEED SUPPLIERS Tel: 01483 275182
Can clover replace
SURFACES
traditional turf for community sportspitches. Some local authorities believe it can, reports Frank Fielding
Sportsground Mixtures
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Tel: 01522 868714 Fax: 01522 868095
seeds@bshlincoln.co.uk
POWEROLL ROLLERS
NEW AND USED
Tel: 01822 832608
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RUBBER CRUMB
The use of RUBBER CRUMB on grass as top dressing has been granted a PATENT in the UK and Ireland under Number EP0788301B1
TEBBUTT ASSO.
ARE THE LICENSEES with CROWN III rubber crumb Turf
Reinforcement, the licensed product. Contact Tebbutt Asso.
on 01253 342003 or Fax 01253 346644 e-mail:
tebbuttasso@btconnect.com www.tebbuttassociates.co.uk
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Cricket Renovation Seed Mixes CR1 & CR2 WASP coated seed also available 24 hour delivery
Hurrells Specialist Seeds, Beverley Road Cranswick Driffield East Yorkshire YO25 9PF Tel: 01377 271400 Fax: 01377 271500 Email:
nick@hmseeds.com
www.hmseeds.com www.bshamenity.com Order online at
drive to switch to alternative surfaces in a bid to ensure play for all right through the season. The rising popularity of
C
oncern over the viability of intensively used community turf sportspitches is fuelling a
SOIL SCREENERS
ULTRA T1500 - TROMMEL SCREEN HIRE AND SALES
Produce high quality topsoil from recycled soil/green waste
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Dave on mobile: 07971 843802 Email:
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grassroots and youth football in Britain has created a level of use that traditional grass pitches are struggling to accommodate. As participation booms, local authorities are searching for solutions to ease mounting pressure on already hard-pressed budgets as they strive to maintain playing surfaces to reasonable standards throughout the year. Wear and tear on traditional grass pitches, coupled with the poor conditions that excessively wet weather creates, has reached untenable levels in some cases, prompting cancelled fixtures and an extended playing season because of that. The result is that groundscare teams have less time for renovation to bring surfaces up to speed for the new season. However, two north-west authorities, Salford City Council and Bury Metropolitan Borough Council are addressing the issue by pioneering a playing surface that relies on clover - a plant that all those who cherish turf have traditionally sought to banish from grass sward. Trial results strongly suggest that the sportsturf mix of ‘white’ microclover and perennial ryegrass could be the answer to their prayers. Salford piloted the Microclover
Sport mix, supplied by seed producer DLF Trifolium, last year, with tests undertaken on the Patricroft recreation ground in Eccles - an area used predominantly for football and one of the most heavily used in the
city. “We’ve found, even in a short time, that the wear factor has been very good,” reports Tony Barton, Salford City Council’s Environmental Coordinator. “The microclover has produced strong visual results such as a better sward and a fuller coverage and we are predicting reduced maintenance and renovation levels for the playing area,” he adds. Salford is entering its first full
year using the Pro82 mix and Barton expects significant cost savings to result from rolling it out across pitches in the city. “We calculate a saving of £104 per pitch using the microclover mix. Taking the total 64 parks pitches throughout Salford, we would estimate a saving of £6,656 annually,” he predicts. Next spring and summer will
reveal “the true benefits” of using microclover, Barton adds, when “the value of the product will really begin to show”.
Although priced nearly £1 more per kilo at £2.80 than the Pro80 ryegrass he was using, Barton seems sure the microclover prove a winner, for several reasons. Clover captures nitrogen, so reducing the need for summer fertiliser, maintains a healthy deep green colour even in dry periods and resists wear well. “The slight difference in price will be more than offset by reduced maintenance, less need for feeding and the playability of pitches through the winter months,” Barton argues. Independent trials by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), and BSA grass trails in Germany have shown microclover blends to be more wear tolerant and give improved winter colour and appearance compared to standard
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