entails decompacting the pitches with a vertidrain or linear aerator, topdressing with fifty tonnes of sand, overseeding with rye grass plus an application of pre- seeding fertiliser. He hires in local
To advertise in this section contact Classifieds
Peter Britton on 01747 855335 email:
peter@pitchcare.com
contractors to do the work and then, once the new seed has established, continues with his ongoing, yet fairly basic, maintenance regimes. The pitches are cut two
ARTIFICIAL The offending bare patch
to three times each week, depending on growth, using a New Holland TC27D tractor and new Trimax ProCut rear mounted rotary mower, recently purchased with help from Groundmatch grants from the RFU. The grass is kept at a height of 55mm and fed twice a year, once in May and again in August, with a 12:6:6 NPK granular fertiliser.
Phil also drag harrows and slit tines the pitches as often as he can, fitting it in around his mowing routines and dictated by the weather.
weekly using a spray jet marker.
DRAINAGE
Inspection hole (No. 4001) CYLINDER GRINDERS
DRAINAGE SPECIALISTS
DESIGN & INSTALLATION PRIMARY SYSTEMS SAND SLITTING & GRAVEL BANDING
Tel. 01722 716361
www.mjabbott.co.uk
The pitches are marked
The club also rent out some of the pitches for other sports. Lancashire Wolverines American Football team use one of the pitches throughout the summer months, and the main pitch is also used for summer rugby league, bringing in much needed additional revenue. The main pitch has in excess of
F.T. MACHINES
NEW - USED - RECONDITIONED MOWER SHARPENING MACHINES SPARES - GRINDING WHEELS
Phil with tractor and Trimax
seventy matches played on it from the end of August to May during the rugby season, and a further fifteen games of either rugby league or American football during the summer. Many regional schools’ competitions, for various age groups, take place at Blackburn throughout the year and one of the highlights of the summer is the “Wooden Spoon Charity” MLD/SLD annual tournament, when more than 300 youngsters with mild and serious learning disabilities enjoy a day of rugby.
£10,000 per year on the five pitches. £6000 is used to cover the end of season works with the remainder spent on ongoing maintenance costs. As a part time groundsman he manages to commit between fifteen and twenty hours a week to maintaining the ground. It is a job he gets immense satisfaction from, especially when the rugby pitches are considered to be among the best in the North West. It was Phil who invited me to visit the club to try and help him solve a problem he was having on the centre spot - a two square metre area of turf was dying off. We had discussed some of the possible causes, such as compaction, soil contamination and pest or disease damage. Without seeing it, it would be difficult to comment. So, I popped in to see him whilst in the area visiting Paul Bradshaw at Burnley Football Club. The first thing we did was to hand fork around the offending
Phil allocates in the region of
area to see if there was any difference in hardness. Then we dug a hole to inspect the soil profile and root depth to see if there were any signs of layering, black layer or any other offending issues. Root depth was shallow, and
ianfearftm@aol.com 07774 258052
www.foleyunited.com www.nearytec.com
there was a layer of dark material that did smell slightly, but the soil did not seem to be unduly compacted. I suggested sending some samples off to be tested to see if there was any
Tel: 01462 683031 email:
admin@huntergrinders.com
contamination, whilst, at the same time, finding out the soil type, soil Ph and nutrient status.
I also recommended that, come the end of the season, localised aeration work across the central area of the pitch would be a good idea, followed by topdressing and overseeding, and then hope the area recovers. For the time being, and to see
him through to the end of the season, Phil has decided to returf the area using fresh turf from the side of the pitch. Phil is only too aware of the issues that face many clubs with regard to finances. Remaining viable is all about marketing the club and maximising the use of the facilities, in terms of the pitches and clubhouse. He is mindful that, at many clubs, the pitches are neglected in favour of the clubhouse.
disaster. Poorly presented pitches do not attract players or help the club promote exciting rugby. He knows only too well that the secret is to invest in the pitches. Even at a low cost of £2000 per pitch, Phil sees the results of his labour, with well presented pitches that are the envy of many local clubs.
This he sees as a recipe for Draining and Gravel Banding
also Vertidraining, Hollow Coring, Overseeding, Field Top Maker, Deep Scarifying
Mobile: 07860 259692
Tel: 01284 735105 Email:
peter@buryturfcare.com www.buryturfcare.com
Appley Bridge, Wigan, Lancashire WN6 9DT
e
t 01257 255321 117
www.huntergrinders.com DRAINAGE 45
Cost effective drainage quick and neat trenching work with minimal disruption to play.
PHILIP DIXON Contractors Ltd Est. 1978 Sportsturf Drainage Specialists
Golf Course • Sportsfield Drainage • Construction • Renovation Slitting/Banding • Vertidraining Groundbreaker • Sand Master Topdressing • Overseeding Spraying • Cultivation
Tel: 01772 877289
Fax: 01772 877479 (Preston, Lancs)
www.dixondrainage.co.uk
AFT Trenchers
Tel: 01787 311811
info@trenchers.co.uk www.trenchers.co.uk
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