Winter Sports - Football The contractors story
White Horse Contractors started on the site of former Poolfoot Farm in June 2014 for what was one of its larger contracts (£1.7m), completing its part of the overall project in October/November 2015.
“Fleetwood Town researched the synthetic turf carpet they wanted - a Desso for the first 3G pitch - and instructed us to purchase it,” says Jim Crabbe, Contracts Director for White Horse Contractors (Northern) Ltd, the division that undertook the work, “but site conditions were challenging throughout because of very bad weather and the ground itself.”
“We undertook the earthworks at what was the old farm, shipping in topsoil before contouring ready for the natural pitches, including the 3G facilities.”
The first full size 3G surface, complete with perimeter fencing and league standard floodlighting - hired out to the local community for use virtually every day of the year and for summer camps at Poolfoot Farm Sports & Leisure Complex - is a standard construction with a 50mm pile carpet.
The build included 250mm formation with aggregate and Type 3 drainage stone, tarmacadam, open grade engineered base, then Schmitz shockpad and Desso IDNA X50 polypropylene pile carpet topping out the job, Jim explains.
“For the second 3G facility, we did all the construction of the platform and the drainage for the natural pitches, then finished on site.”
The Elite pitches were Tanners TopSport and Fibresand with full drainage, gravel carpet, imported sand, rootzone mixes on top then Locksand concentrate, mixed in to stabilise them.
Top 75-100ml rootzone. Then rootzone with fibre. Foundation with drainage, then carpet.
Poolfoot Farm’s natural pitches are all standard constructions, says Jim, comprising platform, topsoil, with intensive drainage, seeding with Barenbrug RPR and some operating automatic watering.
“Clubs we work with mostly want to generate revenue, so they want pitches that can withstand high usage,” Jim explains. “In our experience, a North South divide is evident - we build more artificial pitches in the north and more natural ones in the south.”
White Horse Contractors numbers among its other high-profile sports projects the rebuilding of the Ascot course, the Olympic Park, Chelsea training ground, Emirates Old Trafford and Chester-le- Street, Durham outfields, the Welsh RFU training ground and the first build at St George’s Park, where they constructed all the pitches.
72 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
Poolfoot Farm’s elite pitches receiving a spot of irrigation
the £8m Poolfoot training ground, officially opened this spring by no less a footballing peer than Sir Alex Ferguson, glowing in his praise of the facility, has been at the centre of his thoughts from day one, four years ago. “A former farm, the site was to have been
dedicated to first team and community use,” explains Dale “but it has evolved into the Academy training base, although we still hire out the 3G pitches to junior clubs.” The story is not as simple as that though.
Sited in Thornton, the base is also home to Thornton Cleveleys FC, which has earmarked seven of the thirteen pitches as their own - the other six being owned by Fleetwood Town.
“We maintain them for our own use during the week and for them to use at weekends,” Dale continues. “They gain the benefit of playing on what are professionally managed pitches, so that’s a major plus for the club." Two different pitch profiles prevail at the
training ground. Elite pitches 1 and 2, which are fibre reinforced (Locksand) set out for first team practice.
The Fibresand pitches, built on a gravel
mat with drains laid at 8m centres, are fraize mown to strip off their surfaces, before a light dressing is applied followed by reseeding. “These are better quality than our stadium pitch,” Dale adds. Other pitches at Poolfoot Farm are of
natural soil construction, with lateral drains at 5m centres. The quantity of drainage beneath the playing surface is necessary in a region renowned for its silty soil, due to its proximity to the sea. “Very bad for drainage,” declares Dale, “which is why what’s been laid is designed to function for the next twenty- five to thirty years.” Computer-controlled pop-up sprinkler
systems, at both Highbury Stadium and the training ground, keep all surfaces primed for play - a level of provision you’d expect for a club committed to quality. Peering over the expanse of turf is
Poolfoot Farm’s futuristic clubhouse, resplendent with bar and grill, gym and community changing rooms, serving the Academy and local clubs, and acting as another valuable source of revenue for
Aerial view of the impressive facilities at Poolfoot Farm
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