Post by QPR Report on Dec 24, 2009 19:18:22 GMT
Ipswich Groundsman - Mentions QPR, but could be any groundsman for any club
Horticultural Weekly
Whispering Grass
The football industry through the eyes of a professional groundsman. In-depth views on the sports turf industry, the game and life as a groundsman.
Undercover operation.
The build up to the festive period is well under way. Away from the main seasonal renovations the 10 days coming up can be the busiest of the season. Two matches in three days then into the FA cup can be a defining time in the season for a lot of teams. The perfect Christmas present for any grounds man leading into this period would be a mild dry spell as both training pitches and stadium pitches have to be prepared. Contrast this then with some of the worst snow seen in Britain for years. In Suffolk last week’s fall was the worst in 18 years and saw the County grind to a halt. Fortunately for us the fixture computer has been kind and our holiday game at home is not till the 28th. Holiday games are generally well attended and can be big revenue earners for the clubs. Pressure is then on the grounds man to ensure the games take place. At Portman Road we protect the pitch with our McLeod Coverflex pitch cover. The system is made up of seven sections of sheet supported by an inflatable tube running through the centre of the pitch from goal to goal. When fully inflated the tube has a ceiling height of 5.5 metres. With the sheets zipped together the entire playing surface is protected. I have loved this system since I first saw it being used in Holland 10 years ago. Along with the Manufacturers I have helped to develop the system and in my opinion it is the only cover system that gives the grounds man full control over the surface conditions running into a game. When the system is fully operational you create a micro climate within a micro climate but one that you are in control of. Rain, Frost and Snow can be managed.
The trouble with the holiday period is just that most people are on holiday. This means that plans for games have to be made several days in advance to ensure a smooth match day. Most suppliers are looking to wind down in the days ahead of the big day. Last Tuesday I attended the pre match meeting for the QPR game along with my co coordinator. Normally I would let her attend the meeting on her own but the severe weather has made the build up to this game complex. At the meeting are all departments within the club responsible for putting the game on. As well as advising the general meeting agreements with key departments such as stadium and security are vital to my own team to ensure we have as free an access around the pitch and to our work area as possible on the Match day.
Ahead of every I keep a close watch on the weather. The club pay for a detailed service each year and the information is very accurate. I can see a 24 hour period hour by hour or a five day period every three hours. I can also see a longer term forecast over 12 days. This information is passed onto my colleagues to enable the right decisions to be made. Largely based on this I set the plans for our preparation accordingly. I decided to deploy the cover system early in the week because the volume of snow was so great. Just over 7centimetres covered the pitch last Monday. At this point we still had a fair way to go to our game. We have in the past melted snow from the pitch and played games but never this much. The heater was switched on at 2 pm Tuesday and 45 hours later the pitch is ready to go. We will probably remove the cover on Sunday to complete pre match preparations before covering it again on Sunday night.
All we need now is a win and we have the perfect Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone.
community.hortweek.com/blogs/alanferguson/archive/2009/12/24/undercover-operation.aspx
Horticultural Weekly
Whispering Grass
The football industry through the eyes of a professional groundsman. In-depth views on the sports turf industry, the game and life as a groundsman.
Undercover operation.
The build up to the festive period is well under way. Away from the main seasonal renovations the 10 days coming up can be the busiest of the season. Two matches in three days then into the FA cup can be a defining time in the season for a lot of teams. The perfect Christmas present for any grounds man leading into this period would be a mild dry spell as both training pitches and stadium pitches have to be prepared. Contrast this then with some of the worst snow seen in Britain for years. In Suffolk last week’s fall was the worst in 18 years and saw the County grind to a halt. Fortunately for us the fixture computer has been kind and our holiday game at home is not till the 28th. Holiday games are generally well attended and can be big revenue earners for the clubs. Pressure is then on the grounds man to ensure the games take place. At Portman Road we protect the pitch with our McLeod Coverflex pitch cover. The system is made up of seven sections of sheet supported by an inflatable tube running through the centre of the pitch from goal to goal. When fully inflated the tube has a ceiling height of 5.5 metres. With the sheets zipped together the entire playing surface is protected. I have loved this system since I first saw it being used in Holland 10 years ago. Along with the Manufacturers I have helped to develop the system and in my opinion it is the only cover system that gives the grounds man full control over the surface conditions running into a game. When the system is fully operational you create a micro climate within a micro climate but one that you are in control of. Rain, Frost and Snow can be managed.
The trouble with the holiday period is just that most people are on holiday. This means that plans for games have to be made several days in advance to ensure a smooth match day. Most suppliers are looking to wind down in the days ahead of the big day. Last Tuesday I attended the pre match meeting for the QPR game along with my co coordinator. Normally I would let her attend the meeting on her own but the severe weather has made the build up to this game complex. At the meeting are all departments within the club responsible for putting the game on. As well as advising the general meeting agreements with key departments such as stadium and security are vital to my own team to ensure we have as free an access around the pitch and to our work area as possible on the Match day.
Ahead of every I keep a close watch on the weather. The club pay for a detailed service each year and the information is very accurate. I can see a 24 hour period hour by hour or a five day period every three hours. I can also see a longer term forecast over 12 days. This information is passed onto my colleagues to enable the right decisions to be made. Largely based on this I set the plans for our preparation accordingly. I decided to deploy the cover system early in the week because the volume of snow was so great. Just over 7centimetres covered the pitch last Monday. At this point we still had a fair way to go to our game. We have in the past melted snow from the pitch and played games but never this much. The heater was switched on at 2 pm Tuesday and 45 hours later the pitch is ready to go. We will probably remove the cover on Sunday to complete pre match preparations before covering it again on Sunday night.
All we need now is a win and we have the perfect Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone.
community.hortweek.com/blogs/alanferguson/archive/2009/12/24/undercover-operation.aspx