I could write a book on the dealings with both BIGGA and the IOG. Both organisations, for whatever reasons, have seen Pitchcare as a direct threat to their respective associations
Pitchcare Timeline
August 2001 - Pitchcare website goes live
April 2002 - 1,000th member September 2002 - 2,000th member
January 2003 - Pitchcare sponsor of inaugural Unsung Heroes Award June 2003 - 5,000th member
July 2003 - Technical Merit Award launched
October 2003 - Pitchcare Survey of Premier and Football League Groundsmen, leading to implementation of warm-up and warm-down procedures
January 2004 - Pitchcare host the first ever internet cafe at BTME Harrogate
July 2004: 10,000th member
July 2004 - Pitchcare, in association with Cricket World, launch the Cricket Groundsman of the Year Awards
July 2004 - Pitchcare build a grass tennis court on a Thames barge for an American Express publicity event
July 2005 - Pitchcare hard copy magazine launched
September 2005 - Pitchcare run the internet cafe at Saltex for the first time
June 2006 - 20,000th member
May 2007 - Dave Saltman awarded the 2007 Professional Excellence on a Global Scale Award by The Ohio State University
August 2007 - Pitchcare Oceania launched
February 2008 - 30,000th member August 2009 - merger with ALS
October 2009 - Pitchcare become main sponsors of the Racecourse Groundstaff Awards
May 2010 - 40,000th member
May 2010 - Pitchcare magazine nominated for ‘Best Front Cover on a Trade Magazine’ in the national Maggies award - cover features Gary Kemp of Norwich FC
September 2011 - Pitchcare Germany launched
2009 -P 6
Pitchcare becomes main sponsor of the Neil Wyatt Racecourse Groundsman of the Year Award
Jonathan Carr, Bob Bolland, John Richards and Dave Saltman at the merger with ALS
In 2004, with assistance from Darren Baldwin, Peter Craig et al, we built a tennis court on a Thames pontoon
What was the initial reaction to Pitchcare from within the industry?
As I said before, many companies were not really certain about what Pitchcare was. The most common response was, “we have our own website, why do we want to be involved in yours”. Another was “groundsmen and greenkeepers don’t have access to the internet”. However, the response from those that did get online was amazing, and it was their encouragement that kept us going through those early, dark days. I could write a book on the dealings with both BIGGA and the IOG. Both organisations, for whatever reasons, have seen Pitchcare as a direct threat to their respective associations. Both, I believe, have it noted in Board meeting minutes on a number of occasions. It was a shame that they viewed
Pitchcare only with suspicion, and chose to fight us verbally, in writing and, in some instances, legally. The internet allows for so much diversity and freedom of information. It’s a shame, because we could have helped both associations reach the 21st century amicably.
Most people that I speak to, either from
a greenkeeping or a groundsmanship background, don’t see the point in having two separate associations anymore. Even the few that believe that they should remain autonomous can’t give me a good reason as to why that should be the case. It’s surely just a case of resisting change. Whilst this continues, the industry remains in an unhealthy position, in my view.
Did you, at anytime, consider giving up on the project?
Pitchcare introduced the concept of the internet cafe to BTME Harrogate and Saltex
I’m not sure that I considered throwing in the towel, I’ve never quit at anything in my life, not without pursuing something (or someone) to a natural conclusion. However, there were many dark days, certainly in the first two years of Pitchcare. There were a lot of good days too, and I describe that time as a rollercoaster of emotions. One day on the peak of a wave, the next in the bowels of the ocean. I was always encouraged and motivated by my team, and by the sheer goodwill and thanks that we received from a growing membership of groundsmen and greenkeepers. People who were grateful that so much good information and advice was becoming available to them for free. The opportunity to see everyone interact, chat online and share knowledge was immensely gratifying.
What have been the key turning points and milestones for the business?
Where do I start? The thousandth member, finding someone a job, the first paid advertisement, the first shop sale, the first export sale, the internet cafe at various events and shows, the merger with ALS, doing the Millennium Stadium, while the team continued to grow the business. There are hundreds of milestones, but
the key ones are the team themselves. From John Richards getting involved at the start, we aimed to bring in qualified individuals who were experts in their own fields. Sharon Taylor, who ran the finances brilliantly in those early days, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Alastair Battrick, who has developed a web platform that can be used globally, both from a Pitchcare
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