Winter Sports - Football


for the pitch and also keeping the stands clean and tidy.


“I normally brush the pitch every 25 to 30 hours just to even out the rubber crumb which flattens down when it rains. A fresh run of brushing also levels the crumb out again, especially after heavy use which can leave the crumb displaced.”


“There is a regulatory 2.5m run‐off right around the pitch which allows us an area to turn when brushing and is also an area where the rubber crumb gathers.” “I use an Iseki diesel tractor and a Redexim Verti‐Groom to brush the pitch which takes around three to four hours each time. Special attention is paid around the corner flags, penalty spot and goalmouths where there is extra concentrated displacement of the crumb during games.” “Keeping the stands and turnstiles clean are my other priorities, which also takes some time. We have four areas for fans, three seated areas and one standing terrace which all have to be power washed periodically,” added John.


“ 58 I PC APRIL/MAY 2018


Pests aren’t really a problem on the 3G pitch at Seaview Park but there are other issues that make John’s work that little bit tougher.


“We do have the odd pigeon that lands on the pitch as well as smaller birds that come down just after brushing the rubber pellets to investigate.”


“However, the biggest bane on the workload here is the number of trees surrounding the pitch. Leaves blow onto the pitch and get tangled up in the fibres of the artificial turf. But one of the bigger problems is when the leaves gather on top of the roofs of the stands and then blow down onto the pitch in one go. Now that’s annoying,” said John.


“Sometimes, there is a little bit of line dancing going on as the pitch moves from time to time, depending on weather and game frequencies. All the lines are permanently marked on the artificial surface so, if the pitch surface moves, then so too do the lines,” he said. Crusaders FC has plans in place to further


develop Seaview Park with the addition of more floodlights and a new stand the full length of the pitch.


“This will mean replacing the current stand on the St. Vincent Road side and extending it right along the pitch. New offices will be developed as well as part of the stand development as well.” “We have already had some test holes drilled to check out the site and we hope to start the work later on in the year. Money has been set aside by the club for these new developments and also by the Northern Ireland government.”


“However, with the current stalemate in our politics, it is not known exactly when this money from the government will be made available. They need to sort themselves out so we can move forward, not only here at Seaview Park but in general in the entire country,” he said.


The use of artificial pitches can be quite controversial among the players, managers and fans, especially at top level clubs, with some saying real grass should be the playing


Sometimes, there is a little bit of line dancing going on as the pitch moves from time to time. All the lines are permanently marked so, if the pitch surface moves, then so too do the lines


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