Comment
Radley College synthetic pitch
Southampton FC’s Staplewood facility
although it is almost certain that, as time passes, the chemicals we have available to us will become fewer. We’ll deal with it one way or another, even if it means that we need to change our perceptions as to what is an acceptable standard of turf.”
“I’m very pro-EU so, given the option of having not one single chemical available for my precious turf or remaining in the union, I would rather have stayed in.”
His compatriot along the coast does not agree. “I believe that, one day, a total ban will happen, so we must be as prepared as we can be for when it does.”
“At Southampton, we only tend to use fungicides; no herbicides or pesticides. We also try to keep the use of fungicide to a minimum by making the grass as strong and as healthy as possible and more tolerant to any disease. Sometimes, we have to spray, but I would suggest two to three applications at most for each pitch per year. I do see it as a challenge to not use them at all, by making the pitches as healthy as possible using cultural and natural methods and other products.”
Adam doesn’t believe there will ever be a blanket ban on all chemicals, but expects to lose a percentage across the board. “If we can find alternatives now, then we will ease the pain in years to come,” he suggests.
James believes it will be inevitable; “or perhaps not, after Brexit! We’ve adopted a near chemical free programme over the past ten years anyway, so would only have a little way to go to comply.”
Sports surfaces - is the future synthetic?
“One day, like most things,” offers Paul, “the future probably will be a type of synthetic product. There will be a competitively priced, safe development, which will enable synthetics to reinforce natural surfaces so that the two are indistinguishable, yet cheaper to maintain. Once that happens attitudes will change.”
Unfortunately, the one thing we still need to work on is how employers see what we do - soil scientist, plant scientist, manager, politician, accountant, to name just a few. We all have a duty of getting away from the ‘grasscutter’ tag
” ADAM KING
“Not in professional football, no,” comments Andy Gray. “Football has always been played on grass and should always be. I think artificials have a large part to play in the game, but only for the younger age groups when training. Matches should still be on grass, whatever age group.”
Andy Mackay, agrees. “Synthetics, if well installed and properly maintained, offer great solutions to situations where a turf pitch would not be practicable, but they are not a panacea for sports surfaces in most sports that are traditionally played on natural turf (hockey being the obvious exception). Studies amply demonstrate that many artificial surfaces fail to meet PQS criteria within twelve months of being installed, presumably due to improper maintenance. Artificial pitches have, generally speaking, been improperly sold to Joe Public.”
“The future will eventually tell us that artificial pitches are a second rate alternative
to a good turf pitch, that the cost benefits of artificial pitches are massively outweighed by the installation and renovation costs and that it is far more cost effective, environmentally sound and better for participation in sport to provide the necessary level of investment on say ten turf pitches than it is to install, maintain and replace just one artificial pitch. It’s just a shame that, in the meantime, we have to go through all of this palaver about artificial vs turf and watch our once great public open spaces diminish.”
“That said, in my own sport, a good artificial pitch is far preferable to a poor grass one, especially in state schools.”
“We need to embrace certain aspects of synthetic pitches,” suggests Adam. “With hockey, it has changed the game entirely, which is a good thing. 3G pitches have a place in local communities and Astro cricket pitches are better than nothing. Beyond that, a well-kept natural pitch wins every day, but we are slightly biased, I think!”
And, on that note, we come to the end of this first Round Table discussion. We hope you have found the comments made by the contributors thought provoking. Whether you agree or disagree with their views, it is good to talk.
We’ll leave you with one final comment from Adam King; “Having been in the industry for over thirty years, I have seen massive changes in all areas - machinery, methods of renovations, the way we prepare surfaces for play.”
“Unfortunately, the one thing we still need to work on is how employers see what we do - soil scientist, plant scientist, manager, politician, accountant, to name just a few.”
“I think, with modern media, we all have a duty, alongside the associations, of getting away from the ‘grasscutter’ tag and moving forward. In the future, this could mean better pay and working conditions for all.”
PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 I 21
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