Winter Sports
Attention to detail opportunity to do just that.
In the run-up to the Charlton game, Kiel had been fortunate to have a sixteen day window to prepare the pitch for the onslaught of three consecutive home games. He had used the time to carry out thorough repairs to divots and scars, verticutting and mowing on a daily basis at a height of cut of 26mm. He also took the opportunity to demo a Toro ProCore, using it to solid tine down to 175mm, followed by overseeding with five bags of R14. Regular brushing to remove surface
dew, to reduce the risk of disease, was undertaken during this period, but the mild and wet weather led to a sudden attack of leaf spot, which Kiel tackled with an application of Chipco Green. He was confident that he had caught it early enough to enable a quick recovery. Carbendazim was also applied to control worms.
Kiel’s ongoing feeding regime will be
centred around a combination of 12:0:9 and 6:0:27 granular feeds, topped up with few applications of sugar. With so much wet weather and heavy rain leaching away a lot of nutrients, more frequent applications may be required to maintain colour and vigour. Back to matchday preparations. Having completed the presentation rolling, the next task was to overmark the pitch. Kiel enlists the help of Oliver to move string lines, and uses a transfer wheel linemarker and a ready mixed paint. Each line is overmarked twice to get an even coverage. It takes the best part of two hours to complete the task.
Leeds and Charlton players warming up
If there is one trait that Kiel brought with him from Headingley Carnegie it was attention to detail. He was taught the importance of pitch presentation for matchdays, and says that Jason taught him that the little things can make a huge difference; cutting around posts and corner flags, taking time over marking and spending time repairing the pitch, for example. The next tasks were to set up the goal nets, place the corner flags and assemble the portable goals used for pre-match practice. Once the pitch was set up to Kiel’s satisfaction, he then took me high up into the stands to get a picture of the pitch, and for him to make one final inspection from this high vantage point as, he says, it helps identify any problems.
By this time, it was 4.40pm and time to
take a well earned tea break whilst waiting for the other members of the grounds team to arrive.
Kick-off was not until 7.45pm, so we had about an hour’s rest. I took the opportunity to meet up with some of Kiel’s new colleagues from the stadium maintenance department, and refuel with pies and pasties.
Chris and Jonathan arrived from the training ground during my refuelling. The team take it in turns to help out on matchdays, and there are always four on duty.
Chris Drury has been at the club for over ten years and spends the majority of his time looking after the club’s training pitches. Here, there are eight soil based pitches to maintain, along with an
artificial pitch.
At 6.00pm the players begin arriving, and the place is now a hive of activity with staff, stewards and police carrying out final inspections and holding staff briefings. The club also allow visiting parties to be given a tour of the ground before the game. The Elland Road pitch does not have a
large off-pitch area, so warm-ups generally have to take place on the pitch. Reducing wear from fast feet warm-ups is Kiel’s biggest concern, and he ensures that coaches are made aware of the damage they can cause. To this end he tries to confine warm- ups to the most open areas of the ground, restricting activity in the shaded areas where possible. Kiel currently has no lighting rigs to aid grass recovery, but hopes that the money to purchase them will be made available in due course. The automated pop-up watering system consists of eight heads set into the playing area and ten around the perimeter. However, with so much rain in recent weeks, the need to use the system has been dramatically reduced. After consultation, the decision was taken not to water the pitch on this occasion. Both teams emerge from the tunnel and begin the warm-ups. Chris and Kiel keep an eye on what’s happening and acknowledge both sets of coaches. As soon as the warm-ups are completed, both sets of portable goals are taken down and stored away. Divots, especially where fast feet drills have taken place, are repaired. The groundstaff then settle down into
Portable goals being removed 60 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
Kiel and Oliver get a cuddle
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