Winter Sports - Football Why Kubota?
The machinery Adam and his team deploy on both the Madejski and the training pitches also plays a big role in the quality of the turf and managing the demanding workload the Reading FC groundcare staff face. The team use Kubota tractors and mowers through a twelve year relationship with Kubota dealer Lister Wilder, which includes servicing, maintenance and new product training; all of which is overseen by Lister Wilder’s Stuart Venn Dunn.
The Kubota fleet now consists of five machines, including the L Series 3540 utility tractor - complete with spraying fittings and front loader - B Series 3150 compact tractor, BX2530 sub compact tractor (which has completed a staggering 280 hours of work), G26 ride on mower and RTV900 utility vehicle.
“We use the Kubota machines for a wide range of applications, here at the Madejski and back at the training facilities. For example, we use the B2530 tractor as a general workhorse at the stadium, shifting the artificial lighting rig, trailing and pulling other pieces of kit, whilst the L3540 is only deployed at Hogwood, spraying all of the training pitches and making use of the hefty front loader attachment.”
“A great strength of Kubota machines is their reliability.” Adam states. “All our models very rarely break down, and the support from Lister Wilder means that, if we do have a problem that we can't deal with ourselves, it will be resolved quickly and the machine in question will be back at work, so minimal productivity is lost. This is essential to our day-to-day operations, as with responsibilities also requiring us to prepare the Reading FC Ladies pitches over at Farnborough Football Club, we can’t afford for time to be wasted.”
“What is also pleasing is that the Kubota machines always seem to be progressing in terms of power, fuel efficiency and operation qualities. The new Kubota B3150 is proving a real hit with my team, as it is easy to operate and can deliver excellent results with the 5m brush attachment and the front loader frame.”
“Another benefit of the new B50 model is the minimal impact it has on the turf. The players can be fussy about turf damage, which is why we requested the extra wide tyres for the model. That, coupled with the Bi-speed Turn (which is unique to Kubota), means we can carry out work without affecting the playing surface.”
“The loyalty we are displaying with Kubota is due to the machines doing a good job year after year, with the excellent service Stuart and the Lister Wilder team are providing us.” Adam closed by stating: “As long as I’m Grounds Manager here at Reading FC, I can’t see us going anywhere else.”
84 I PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2016
something that is a significant achievement for a club that does not wield the same financial clout as the Premier League big boys. This elite status allows Reading to nurture some of the game’s best talent and, although the club isn’t always able to keep hold of the players due to the inevitable lure of top European clubs, the academy holds strong financial value for the organisation, whilst also challenging the status quo of the game.
Adam’s contribution to the success of
Reading FC’s academy facilities is a clear endorsement of his ability, but it is his success at the 24,400 capacity Madejski Stadium that is all the more impressive due to the challenges he faces there - with the biggest challenge to the turf coming in the shape of the London Irish Rugby Club. London Irish began its Madejski tenancy back in 2000, moving from the more humble premises of The Avenue in Sunbury-on- Thames which, at the time, held a maximum capacity of 6,600. With Rugby Union turning professional in 1997, the demand for the
sport has been growing season-on-season ever since, now with London Irish bringing in an average attendance of around 4,000 per game, they are a vital financial draw to the stadium and to the Reading FC owners. Rugby, as a collision orientated sport,
poses significant wear and tear on the turf due to higher impacts and use of studs to grip the playing surface during scrums. This can cause issues with the ‘carpet’ required for professional football games, as the requirements are clearly very different. Adam isn’t alone in having to provide a
professional quality playing surface for both sports, and other examples include Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, which hosts Coventry FC and Wasps, Hull’s KC Stadium is used by both Hull City FC and Hull FC Rugby League, and Swansea’s Liberty Stadium has to cater for both Swansea City and Ospreys. “I will have a team in place when we have a double header weekend of football and rugby,” confirms Adam. “First, the pitch is restored using Dennis G760s with brush cassettes and mown with Honda rotaries to
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