Winter Sports - Rugby World Cup “
The Football League - and the Premier League, as far as I know - are hopefully working to avoid scheduling a home fixture too close to Rugby World Cup games for those of us staging them
Lighting rigs at the Amex, sidelined in the spring sunshine
Steve was appointed club head
groundsman at the end of 2001 and was in charge of the Withdean pitch maintenance regime - initially with Council grounds team support - until Brighton’s move to the Amex. Officially, he’s now Head of Grounds Maintenance, but he still prefers the ‘ring’ of Head Groundsman. He has three full-timers working with him, based at the Amex; Nigel King, his Amex deputy, Tom Bilton and Ryen Teague. A further twelve full-time ground staff are based at the club’s training facility and academy at Lancing, west of Brighton, where Steve is also in charge of pitch and grounds maintenance. As we walk across the pitch now in his care,
we talk about the impending rugby challenge. “I must say, I’m very pleased that the matches are in September,” he said. “Growth and recovery are at their peak.” “The Football League - and the Premier
League, as far as I know - are hopefully working to avoid scheduling a home fixture too close to Rugby World Cup games for those of us staging them.” The Amex pitch is Fibrelastic and it was
installed by contractors Kestrel. “Originally, when the stadium was at planning stage, the idea was to have a fibresand pitch to give stability and good drainage,” said Steve. “Then Mansfield Sand comes up with Fibrelastic, designed to help provide more give in the surface and hence better for player impact.” “I researched the product, checking
installations at Newcastle’s St James and Glasgow Rangers’ Ibrox, which interested me particularly because they were using the same grass and lighting rigs intended for the Amex. I recommended its installation and I’m pleased to say it’s done a great job for us.” “I think too that the Rugby World Cup
organisers like the fact that the surface here is reinforced, but without protruding material. Personally, I think it’s a level up on fibresand for player comfort.” Steve has very specific ideas about grass
seed and, looking around, it clearly works. “On a culture of rye, I think it’s a good idea to have a blend of seven or eight cultivars to
52 I PC APRIL/MAY 2015
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