CONTENTS The Pitchcare team
KERRY HAYWOOD Editor
t: 07973 394 037 e:
kerry@pitchcare.com
JOHN RICHARDS Freelance sub-editor
LEE WILLIAMS Editorial
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lee.williams@pitchcare.com
PETER BRITTON
Advertising & Production t: 01952 898 516
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peter@pitchcare.com Our contributors
Issue 95 February/March 2021
Scott Gardner, Northenden Golf Club COVER STORY: Taking care of business
Northenden Golf Club survived fires and floods before a complete redesign and reconstruction in 1973. Situated on the banks of the River Mersey, five miles south of Manchester city centre, Course Manager Scott Gardner has just completed his first year and, in his own words, tells us about life on the course and how he has settled in..P14
JANE CARLEY BLAIR FERGUSON GOLF Wharfe factor one NEVILLE JOHNSON CHRIS McCULLOUGH
In the winter, the number one problem at Ilkley Golf Club is flooding. The course, which nestles in the lovely Wharfe Valley, is situated in a flood plain. With the UK experiencing a significant increase in heavy rainfall, flooding has become more frequent in recent years. Lee Williams met with long-serving Head Greenkeeper Duncan Campbell to discuss how he manages the course after the floodwaters have receded. P26
Reaching the Heights DAVE MEARS GREG RHODES
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Situated in an area known as Marsden Heights, midway between the Lancashire towns of Burnley and Colne, Nelson Golf Club is an Alister MacKenzie designed course that was skillfully laid out as to avoid any wearisome climbing. Lee Williams met up with Gary McKie, the club’s thirty-eight year old Head Greenkeeper. P34
Monumental Efforts
It was formed in the late 1800s and still proudly sits under Knockagh Hill near Belfast. Chris McCullough paid a visit to Greenisland Golf Club to meet Head Greenkeeper Mark Middleton to discover how he and his small team look after this 9-hole course set in the shadows of the Knockagh Monument War Memorial. P42
WINTER SPORTS A harsh reality
Eight months on from the last FIFA Update, Blair Ferguson talks with the world governing body’s Senior Pitch Management Manager, Alan Ferguson, and discovers a lot has changed in the landscape of international football due to the COVID-19 situation. P48
Their moment to shine
Marine Association Football Club recently encountered a once in a lifetime experience, reaching the FA Cup third-round, where they drew Premier League Tottenham Hotspur at home. We could only imagine what it was like for the grounds team of the eighth-tier club to prepare the pitch for the world to see, so we spoke to contractors Gary Powell and James Tomlinson to find out more. P56
Turning life and the pitch around
The experienced Head Groundsman at Hednesford Town FC, David Bates, is one of the most experienced men you’ll find in the turf industry. In this interview, David tells his extraordinary story of how he entered the turf industry, in a rather unusual way and how he turned Hednesford’s poor pitch into one of the best stages in non-league football. P62
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