NATURAL TURF
The IOG event, held at the Ricoh Arena, attracted more than 350 professionals from across the European groundscare industry
Football to the fore at IOG Industry Awards and ‘Raising the Game’ conference
governing bodies of sport and influential sports administrators, attended this year’s Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards to honour the expertise, dedication and passion of the country’s grounds profession.
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RAISING THE GAME Now in its fifth year, the prestigious ceremony at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena recognised leadership, innovation and outstanding achievement across every aspect of groundscare – and it followed a day-long series of ‘Raising the Game’ conference presentations where football was a predominant subject. During the day’s proceedings, Darren Baldwin, grounds manager at Tottenham
ore than 350 of the UK and Europe’s leading groundscare experts as well as dignitaries from the
Hotspur FC, recounted his experiences this summer in Hong Kong during the Barclays Asia Trophy (see pp. 60-61 for more); Andy Cole, head of stadia services at the Sports Turf Research Institute, enlightened delegates on stadia and training ground pitch preparation in the run up to the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil; and former Aston Villa head groundsman Jonathan Calderwood reflected on how winning an IOG award last year helped shape his recent move to Paris Saint-Germain. Also, following a presentation by
consultant Professor Eric Harrison on ‘Protecting your investment through effective management of synthetic turf’, a panel of sports turf experts discussed the rise of synthetic turf and technology and its impact on groundsmanship. The panel included turf consultant
David Rhodes, Alistair Cox from turf tester Labosport, Dr Tim Lodge from Agrostis, pitch installer Support in Sport, and head groundsmen at Hampton School Clive Liddiard and Swansea University’s John Courtney.
Darren Baldwin (left) receiving his award
AWARD-WINNING EXPERTISE The expertise of UK football groundsmanship and the calibre of the nation’s football stadia were recognised when Darren Baldwin was given the IOG Campey/Imants Professional Football Groundsman of the Year Award and Wembley Stadium grounds team, headed
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by Tony Stones, stepped up to receive the IOG Professional Sports Ground Team of the Year Award. The Wembley team is charged with producing and maintaining a world-class playing surface for a myriad of elite sporting events – a mixture which presents a unique range of challenges. Most notable is the pitch turnaround time between events, which can see an NFL (American football) game staged back-to-back with football, followed by rugby then NFL again – all in the space of a month. The stadium’s uses also include filming for adverts and movies. Lee Jackson, Etihad Stadium’s head
groundsman, received the award for the IOG Governing Bodies’ Professional Spectator Sports Ground of the Year – which is co-sponsored by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Football Association, the Football Foundation, the Lawn Tennis Association, the Premier League, the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union. As well as being Manchester City FC’s
home ground, the Etihad Stadium also hosts events such as the Rugby League Magic Weekend and closed season pop concerts, of which there were six in 2013. Plans going forwards include an expansion of its capacity from 48,000 to just under 61,000, which has proved significant in the stadium being chosen to host an England pool game for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Issue 4 2013 © cybertrek 2013
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