Schools & Colleges
reorientation and pitch construction was carried out by White Horse Contractors. The construction consisted of a cut and fill operation, installing primary drains at five metre centres, and sand bands were also added to the first team pitch. These playing fields provide rugby pitches and training areas during the autumn winter months, with a full size athletic track marked out on the 1st XV pitch in the summer months. Like many pitches at public schools, they are used on a daily basis and, at weekends, the staff cover weekend fixtures on a rota basis, often working a twelve hour day during cricket season to accommodate fixtures.
All the rugby pitches are cut using a Trimax ProCut rotary mower, once a week, whilst the grass is still growing, if conditions allow, maintaining a height of cut at around 40mm. They are marked out for every fixture using spray jet linemarkers. At the end of season,
renovations take place, the pitches are scarified, topdressed with 100 tonnes of sand and oversown with around ten bags of MM60 grass seed per pitch. In summer, the school has, in total, seven cricket squares which are accommodated on the schools ‘Middle’ and ‘Upper’ playing field sites.
During the winter months, the ‘Middle’ ground provides twelve grass pitches, including six rugby, four of which change to football after Christmas, the remainder being used for lacrosse and hockey. These pitches are also mown weekly during the growing season, if conditions allow. Renovations for these pitches are governed by their needs. All are scarified, and ‘vertidrained’ as much as possible using a Wiedenmann XP6.
Overseeding of thinning and worn areas is also carried out.
During the summer, the
predominant sport is cricket, with the staff looking after several squares. The main square, plus one other, are Ongar loam, whilst the remainder are Mendip loam. End of season renovations see a robust programme of
aeration and scarifying with Sisis tractor mounted equipment; several passes of the scarifier are made until all unwanted detritus and vegetation are removed. The surface is then power- brushed, leaving a clean surface to receive the MM50 seed and topdressing. Approximately seven or eight bags of loam per pitch are used.
During the summer months, the squares are mown at 12mm, with wickets prepared on a seven to ten day cycle, gradually reducing the height of cut to 3-5mm, depending on the level of cricket. A brand new wicket is produced for each 1st team game, with other pitches being used for practice or, after repair, for further matches.
The school also has a number of synthetic playing surfaces for hockey, but these may also be used for training in adverse weather. Mark explains that a thorough maintenance regime is carried out to help keep them clean and operational and, to that end, the school has invested in a Hoerger SKU synthetic turf cleaning machine that is able to brush and deep clean the surfaces. This machine lifts the fibres and the infill, sieves the debris and returns the infill to the surface, where it is brushed back in by the rear brush. It has been a good investment for the school and minimises the surface compaction and contamination, which all artificial pitches suffer from. As with most public schools, the sports pitches are in high demand, so it is important they are prepared and repaired efficiently and professionally to ensure they are fit for purpose and inspire the pupils to perform.
Mark’s team consists of long serving Keith
Chapman, Mark's assistant and now in his thirty-third year; Dave Sharp (32 years), Ben Sharp (10 years) and Scott Bryan(4 years). With so much collective knowledge and experience, along with strong
teamwork, Mark says that his department manages the large workload very well!
1st XV rugby pitch from the viewing area of the new sports centre
The new sports centre was officially opened by Lord Coe
The new thatched pavilion
The Uppingham School groundstaff, left to right, Keith Chapman, Scott Bryan, Ben Sharp, Dave Sharp
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013 PC 93
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140