Winter Sports


Matt, Ben and Tim at the stadium What’s in the shed?


Terrain Aeration were brought in to resolve a problem area Training Ground


Long Equipment - 1502 Versatile (scarifier and sweeper brush) Dakota 412 Turf Tender BLEC 1m Groundbreaker Sisis Vari-seeder Koro 1.2m Field Top Maker Koro 1.2m Recycling Dresser Greensward Maxi Brush Sisis Oscar Brush


Amazone E+S 300 Spreader Izeki 532 35hp Tractor with loader Echo blower Echo hedgecutter Husqvarna Chainsaw Echo Strimmer Honda Strimmer Glider markers x 3 Sisis Litamiser brush Greentek Roller System Greentek Core Recycler Tractor mounted lutes x 2 Two tonne trailers x 2 Honda Pro rotary mowers x2 Jacobson Tri King 190 Weidenmann XF6 aerator Dew Brush (tractor mounted)


Equipment on loan from Ransomes (Contra deal)


Jacobson 250 fairway mowers x 2 Turfco Triwave 60 seeder E-Z GO Terrain


SmithCo 1750 sprayer Izeki 546 45hp Tractor Izeki 5390 40hp Tractor Izeki TXG 237 Tractors x 2


Stadium Equipment Ransomes Mastiff pedestrian mowers x 2 Ransomes Matador pedestrian mowers x 2 Cassette mower with brush Transfer wheel linemarker Scotts pedestrian spreader


Portman Road pitch ahead of match day 64 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013


contractor, Bill Ellis.” “They are also ‘earthquaked’ twice a year; once in the spring and once in the autumn. I’ve also enlisted the help of Terrain Aeration to help solve a drainage problem on one of the pitches. A small area of the pitch was staying wet for long periods, so the object of the exercise was to see if any deep aeration would solve the problem. Terrain drilled a number of holes at two metre spacings, down to a depth of one metre, and then blasted the soil with air at 150 PSI, before backfilling the hole with lytag drainage material. It’s early days, but there appears to be some improvement.” “We are fortunate to have Ransomes Jacobsen on our doorstep, and they supply all our mowing equipment through a package that works for both parties, with the company able to show clients around the facilities and have a corporate box for match days. We also have a close working partnership with them, sharing ideas and issues that we may have.” “Preparation for match days is centred


around fairly intense mowing,” says Ben, “when double cutting is carried out on three consecutive days, including match day itself. It’s part of Alan’s legacy for pristine presentation, and one that we will continue.” “The pitches at the training grounds


are cut using Jacobsen triple cylinder mowers, collecting the clippings. It usually takes half a day for the team to cut


all the training pitches.”


“Over the past six months we have been trialing different line marking paints and markers. We have decided to go for Impact Gold as I believe I can make a saving on paint, plus I have found the lines don’t tend to ghost on the pitch when cutting and brushing. At the stadium we have transfer wheel linemarkers and Stadium paint.” “There are no pop-up watering systems in one of our fields,” bemoans Ben, “so it’s simply a case of getting the hoses and self-travelling sprinklers out. It’s pretty time-consuming and we usually spend long hours overseeing the watering programme. In the other two fields we have a semi-automatic system, having to pull two inch hoses in to the centre of the pitches. In some respects, this has been a good year, as all the rain we have had has reduced the need to irrigate, so we have saved lots of time and money. It’s very rare to get the rainfall we had in 2012. East Anglia is usually parched every summer!”


Another trial being undertaken is on seed performance. “Nathan has set up a grass trial plot area at the training ground, sowing a number of different seed mixes which have all been kindly donated by the manufacturers. Limagrain MM60, Everris ProSelect and Barenbrug BAR7 RPR perennial rye grasses are amongst the seeds being put through their paces.”


Nathan and Ben wanted to bring into


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