Summer Sports - Cricket Memories of turning the square are still fresh in the mind
largely unreliable. I needn’t labour the point of heavy rainfall anymore; we’ve exhausted all possible superlatives. The downpours have brought a few unexpected knock-on effects though. For the last three seasons, migrating Canada Geese, which usually locate to the nearby Sale Waterpark, have stopped off en-route, tempted by the opportunity to feed and to paddle about on the ground. Their deposits of natural fertiliser are certainly not welcome, neither is the damage they inflict on the turf. “For a month between mid-March and April they use us as a stop-off, ripping up chunks out of the wickets and gobbling up seed,” explains Matt. “There
“Technology gives us a useful guide and enables the team to make decisions that we wouldn’t have been able to do just a few years ago”
is little we can do about it other than try to shoo them off. They’re not bothered though. We do all we can, but they won’t budge, so we just have to deal with it until they move on.” Visiting geese may be a bugbear, but the club has forged strong links with others close-by, largely as a result of the Tesco investment, which brings with it a strengthening of community partnerships. Stretford High School, opposite the
ground, was the lucky recipient of Section 106 money, following the construction of the massive Tesco supermarket adjacent to the stadium - money that was, in part, spent on a 3G artificial pitch and new natural turf
construction. With that build now complete, Matt and his team will be tasked with the maintenance of both artificial and natural pitches as part of Lancashire CCC’s agreement with the council, which requires weekly brushing of the community-use 3G and basic preparation of the natural turf.
A hectic season ahead then at Emirates
Old Trafford, and the members pavilion receiving a revamp to boot. Matt’s a man to stay icy cool in any crisis, I suspect, and he’ll be hoping all the hard work on the turf and the stadium provides the perfect platform for success in 2013.
C-Range MACHINES FOR ALL SPORTS SURFACES
• Allett C-Range mowing and turf maintenance system.
• Uses quickly-
interchangeable cartridge heads, purpose-designed for each turf
maintenance task.
• Available in working widths of 510mm (20in), 610mm (24in) and 864mm (34in) to suit turf surfaces from bowling greens and croquet lawns to cricket squares and football stadiums.
• Cartridge heads available for mowing, scarifying, verti-cutting, slitting, sorrel rolling and brushing.
Demonstrations with pleasure on a turf surface near you
Allett Mowers, Hangar 5, New Road, Hixon, Staffordshire ST18 0PJ, UK Tel: 01889 271503 •
sales@allett.co.uk •
www.allett.co.uk NB: 8-blade cutting unit for C-34 not shown 6-blade cylinder 10-blade cylinder 10-blade with groomer Brush Scarifier Slitter Sorrell Roller Verticutter APRIL/MAY 2013 PC 87
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 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156