To advertise in this section contact
Peter Britton on 01747 855335 email:
peter@pitchcare.com
Rugby Classifieds THE HOLE STORY AERATION AERATORS
Full range of Groundsman pedestrian and tractor mounted models with all accessories
SALES AND HIRE
Contact Synergy Products on 01380 828337
Dave on mobile: 07971 843802 Email:
sales@synergyproducts.co.uk www.synergyproducts.co.uk
TERRAIN Turf and Trees
10” drill aeration 1m air injection 1m soil coring Air excavation
www.terrainaeration.com terrainaeration@aol.com
www.pitchcare.com ARTIFICIAL Tel: 01449 673783
Laurence Gale MSc digs the 4001st hole in Blackburn, Lancashire in an effort to try and determine what was causing a bare patch on the town’s rugby pitch
Artificial turf and synthetic grass supply & installation
We offer a full range products and services including: Synthetic Grass Pitches • Multi Use Games Areas Tennis court resurfacing and remarking Synthetic Cricket Wickets • Sports fencing
Sports pitch maintenance services • Ancillary Services Fencing • Sport Equipment and Supply Line marking • Maintenance and Repairs
Tel: 0871 288 3425 Email:
info@astrosport.co.uk www.astrosport.co.uk PITCH CLEAN SYNTHETIC PITCH CLEANING SERVICES
Experience enhanced playing characteristics and improved drainage and aesthetics
• Synthetic Turf Cleaning • Infill Decompaction • Infill Leveling • Surface Cleaning • Infill Clean and Recycle • Algae Treatment • Hard Sports Courts Cleaning
Email:
info@pitchclean.co.uk www.pitchclean.co.uk
Why not visit our on-line Buyers Guide for direct links to suppliers websites -
www.pitchcare.com
116 Tel: 01362 851930 Mobile: 07879 495445
still is today, a ‘soccer’ mad area. Premiership sides Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Burnley are just a stone’s throw away, as are Preston North End from the Championship and Accrington Stanley from League 2. Some of the club’s early history is a little vague, due to newspaper records having been destroyed by fire, but there is hard evidence of games against such teams as Preston, then known as Preston Rovers, in their first year. It was thought that the club had been reformed in 1921 but, after some dedicated research, continuous rugby from 1877 was proven. Having celebrated what they thought was the club’s fiftieth anniversary in 1971, the RFU accepted that, officially, they were founded in 1877. In their formative years various
B
grounds were used, including one at Ewood Park but, in 1920, the club settled in the ‘Yellow Hills’ near to the Clog & Billycock pub which was used as a changing room. Playing subscription was one guinea per annum. In 1932, the members purchased land at Ramsgreave where the club are still based. A wooden hut was added as a clubhouse which survived, along with a stuffed bison’s head, until a new clubhouse was opened in 1964. Further land was added and an
extension was built with the help of lottery money. Two years ago, with the aid of an RFU loan, they were able to redesign and refurbish the clubhouse. Behind many clubs there’s an army of committed volunteers
lackburn Rugby Union Football Club was founded in 1877 in what was then, and
with, quite often, a few individuals who run the club from top to bottom and often find themselves doing every job going. Phil Isherwood is one of these who has spent many years committed to helping Blackburn RUFC. He currently holds the post of administrator and groundsman, perhaps no bad thing as, at least, he knows what budgets he has available! Over the years Phil has built up a number of contacts, especially on the groundscare side of things, getting to know local contractors and fellow groundsmen, including Steve Patrick, Head Groundsman at Blackburn Rovers, who is always willing to give advice when required. Phil was also recently visited by Keith Kent, from RFU headquarters at Twickenham, on one of his club workshops whilst touring the country. Even though the ground was frozen at the time, Keith could see how well the pitches were holding up. In 1997, the Club was able to raise funds, with the help of Lottery Funding, to build two new pitches. The works were specified and supervised by PSD (John Hacker) with John Mallinson (Ormskirk) acting as contractor. At the same time, relevelling and draining the main pitch took place. New primary drains were installed at five metre centres, sand banded and ameliorated with sand to improve surface drainage and restore levels. Phil says that, before this work was undertaken, the first team pitch was often a quagmire.
Phil ensures these new pitches, and all of the five pitches now in constant use, always get a fairly significant programme of end of season renovations. The work
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