Educational Establishments “
Seagulls tend to roost early morning on our synthetic pitches, which does create increased cleaning
maintenance, but it’s just one of those situations when we have to grin and bear it
Linemarking on the synthetic pitches is outsourced; usually once a year
maintenance tasks required on such a busy site. At times, when demand is high, it is a case of tackling the next job with whoever is available. However, in general, we do utilise the skill sets of each individual and, for the most, we keep the same member of staff on certain duties.” “This not only gives a sense of ownership
to the guys, but also pride when the job is completed. The added bonus is that maintenance of machinery is also easier to monitor, with each person taking greater responsibility for the maintenance and performance of equipment, particularly with mowers.” “Playability and performance is our main
Rubber crumb infill
A hockey coach did try using an artificial predator - a wooden Barn Owl - to scare off the gulls, but this was quickly removed as the gulls used it as a perch
” 86 I PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
target, but we also place a high demand on ourselves for presentation, particularly on our three main showcase pitches. Pitch aesthetics, such as linemarking and quality of cut, are just as important, especially when attracting major competitions and professional organisations to our facility.” At the end of each playing season, all grass
pitches at the site are verti-drained, topdressed and seeded. On the key pitches, the team carry out jumbo hollowing coring and scarifying. With pitches only having short rest periods
between seasons, there’s a big demand on resources and staff to carry out as much renovations as possible over a small window of opportunity. Gary added: “Like all things, budgets have
an impact on all aspects of maintenance and renovations. I’m fortunate to the extent that my budget is agreed in advance of each season and it’s therefore up to me to programme and manage expenditure over the course of twelve months.” “If something unexpected does require further expenditure, I make allowances in other areas to accommodate any costs. If there is a major issue, I can go to the Head of Estate Services to ask for help, but thankfully that has never happened.” “Our main pressure comes from the
various sports all having less time between seasons. With organisations such as the IFA running their coach education programmes
at Queen’s, we sometimes carry out our maintenance programmes in two parts to allow the pitches to remain open.” Major events have also been a factor, but
the University is no stranger to hosting these. “In 1999, we hosted the IAAF World Cross
Country Championships; in 2007, we were the U19 Rugby World Cup venue; in 2013, the World Police and Fire games venue and, in 2014, the GAA Festival venue.” “In 2017, we will be a venue for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and, later in the year, the UEFA Youth finals venue.” When it comes to the synthetic pitches at
the venue, Gary has another maintenance plan. “All synthetic pitches are checked daily, as are goalposts and fencing in high impact areas. 3G surfaces are brushed every week and the sand dressed and water based hockey pitches slightly less frequently, as required.”
“Linemarking on the synthetic pitches is
outsourced and usually once a year is sufficient. The water based hockey pitch is usually deep cleaned annually and this is outsourced to a specialist contractor.” “In the future, our next programme will
involve the replacement of our main 3G pitch and the water based hockey pitch. These are set to start in 2017 or 2018.” Machinery forms a vital part of Gary’s day
to day running of the facility and, of course, affects his budget. “We have a machinery programme schedule, with equipment proposed and added to the list when identified, and approved if additional resources become available.” “The University has already invested much
needed funds to replace outdated equipment that is no longer fit for purpose, and this will continue when feasible. Depending on the costs, the University has a robust purchasing and procurement policy which allows for local and national distributors to submit quotes or tenders when the occasion arises.” “Due to the investment the University has
recently undertaken, we have managed to purchase a new Kubota 9960 tractor, a disc seeder and a ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator.
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