January 2020

Jan 20'

Managing all the rain we have had has been difficult as in the winter there is little drying out until we get into March. So, we have taken things in to our own hands!

With a four week gap in play over the Christmas period on our training ground match pitch and a couple of weeks of reasonably dry weather, the hope was to be able to get back on the pitch and do some maintenance work. It was even in need of a cut due to the warm winter and if we were lucky it might be dry enough for the aerator.

As it turned out, the moisture held in the top few inches wasn't going anywhere and the decision was made to dig a drainage pipe in through the wet part. This area was slightly lower than the rest of the pitch so had probably had some run off into it from the areas around it and then had play on it making the situation worse. 

Fortunately we had some pipe from a previous project stored and a few bags of pea shingle bought in covered a drain line of about 25 meters. The hand digging kept us warm!

The pipe was laid about 450mm deep and care taken to dig the trench with a slight gradient into the soak away pit at the back of the goal. Les Cotton drainage contractors were very helpful with some advise and soak away crates.  

We back filled the trench with the 10mm pea shingle and topped with some sand, although I wonder whether we should have used soil as the sand might migrate into the pea shingle.. Maybe a correction for renovation time if there is some movement. 

The area didn't initially dry out and wondered if it had worked, but now a few weeks on, it has definitely dried out a lot and the surface is much firmer.

The main pitch on the first team area is coping with the winter okay and retains a high level of grass coverage. We have only had to cover it a few times so far this winter with frost sheets. If we have a run of frosts, the training takes place on the same pitch so repair time is reduced before we recover and the pitch can start to deteriorate quite quickly. There has been a couple of applications of ICL 4-0-8 invigorater fertiliser  in the last 7 weeks, Flow-Smart penetrant wetting agent, Vital Nova Stessbuster, and Cal/Mag.

The stadium pitch continues to hold together so far this winter. As I've said before it is very much in the hands of the weather. Despite three wet games before and over Christmas, we haven't lost too much grass coverage, although it has thinned in places as you'd expect given the environment. 

We had initially taken out the base feed Sierrablen this year due to cuts but have managed to add it back into the stadium pitch. This is partly because of all the rain we have had leaching nutrients through and using it as a fail-safe to keep nutrients trickling in and not getting caught out before the next feed. 

Half yearly pitch marks have come through and we are above average for the league at 4.05 out of 5. The referee and the away manager give a mark every game and it is averaged out between them. 

Fixtures have also been kind to us this January with only two scheduled throughout the month, although 6 in six weeks will see us through into, hopefully, an early spring. 

We have had a demonstration of a robot mower from ProPitchUk intellegent Marking at the training ground. I was very impressed with it and it would save a lot of time marking out, especially the initial mark. Once the corners have been found the mower will set off and mark the whole pitch for you including the boxes and circles. The demonstration on the picture has marked in some grids from scratch and took about 10 minutes to mark. Measuring and marking a groundsman would take about an hour. 

For £25k it couldn't replace a human employee as the robot, despite being excellent at marking, would be rubbish at pulling frost covers or driving the tractor. Tea breaks would have less banter too!

Autumn Rains

Dec 19'

Autumn Rains

The South East has recorded the wettest autumn on record and in Ipswich we have measured 263mm to fall at Portman Rd in the last three months. This is 128mm (5 inches) above average over the last 6 years. 

With the climate changing, we are told to expect warmer and wetter winters in the future. Consideration needs to be made to make sure pitches are able to cope with the weather expected. This will come down to a number of factors; correct soils/ sands in the pitch, primary drainage (pipes) and secondary drainage (gravel bands/sand slits), equipment available to keep the pitches open and free draining. To have all of the armory to battle the weather can cost a small fortune, so it may be necessary to borrow and share equipment to some degree, depending on different step level clubs. 

At Ipswich, we have two pitches with drainage in which is the stadium pitch and the main 1st team training pitch at Playford Rd. Both of these are a god send at this time of year. We are also lucky to have sand dominant pitches, although non of them have been constructed at the training ground, the correct grade sand has been added to them over the last twenty years, which helps, but is not as effective as having a full modern construction.

The stadium pitch's drainage has been running hard over the last couple of month dealing with the rain. We have had 263mm over the last 12 weeks which is approximately 1.8 million liters of water to fall on the pitch. Every time the irrigation is run, the drainage pit empties back into irrigation tank and is pumped back onto the pitch.

drainage pit

 During the winter when the irrigation is rarely applied to the pitch, the drainage pit needs to be pumped out or it will back up the drainage pipes.
Due to the old construction of the stadium pitch (believed to be 1970's), the gradation of sand is not of that recommended in a modern construction. It has a percolation rate of around 80mm per hour where the modern pitch is expected to drain in excess of 500mm per hour, The pitch does deal with rain well in time, but it does hold too much moisture in the top 50mm and during the winter it takes damage if it has rained on the day or during a game. This excess moisture softens to surface too much and it loses stability and grass coverage.

Sand gradation curve showing high fine sands percentage in red on the left

To manage this as best as possible, the pitch is kept aerated and then firmed in the lead up to the game. There is also a wetting agent program used to move moisture from the surface and spread it evenly in the profile. care must be taken not to dry the surface out too much as this will also lead to an unstable surface.

Grow lights on the shaded or high wear areas of the pitch

Even during daylight the grow lights are effective 

At this time of year shade is a big problem too. The grass plant thins out and is more susceptible to disease. The strongest part of the pitch is the north east corner (shop corner) as this area tends to get more light than any area. The parts of the stadium we struggle with is the south end and the west side (co-op wing). there is little or no light seen in these areas for around 6 months of the year due to the high stands.

Shade diagrams for December. The coloured in areas are shaded areas of the pitch from 9am to 330pm

To combat this problem grow lights are put on the pitch. Unfortunately, they are both expensive to buy and run. We cover about 530 sqm of a 7000sqm pitch (approx 7%) so we have to target the areas which need it the most.
It is noticeable where the lights have been once an area has been targeted for approximately a week or so, with a denser plant and new growth from seed. by fleecing areas and having a light on top is the best way to grow new grass. the difficult thing to do is hang on the the new grass plant because as soon as it is played on a percentage each time get kicked out before they have enough time time to establish properly. nevertheless, at this time of year we are working on small percentages of gains and it is worth the effort.
The most recent fleeced effort was cut short by the FA cup replay which we had hoped wold happen at home but some things are out of our control. Ground temperatures had been raised enough from the heat of the bulbs to germinate seed under the fleece. The areas outside the fleece and lights were less successful.

On a positive note, from now on the days will be getting longer and more natural light onto the pitch. We are still probably 8 -10 weeks from getting the temperatures we would like to assist growth and another 8 or so games to get through. It is definitely game of pitch preservation now and fingers

crossed for dry match days! 

Considering The Environment

August 19'

Considering The Environment

In the turf industry, especially winter sports pitches, many of us are guilty of not putting the environment first when managing our turf. The pressures of producing an aesthetically pleasing pitch on a sand dominant rootzone leads to excess inputs.

It has been a consideration of mine for some time about how we manage our pitches, the amount of fungicides used, over watering, over feeding and the amount of leaching which can occur. Are we doing the right thing? probably not. but are we doing what we need to? probably. 

The expectation for presentation nowadays is high and the improvements in technology over the last fifteen years or so has meant that it is possible to produce a pitch with both high percentages of grass coverage and pitch stability all year round. This comes at a cost. 

The cost is both financial and environmental. Pitch lights are both expensive to buy and run, using a lot of electricity, with many clubs limiting how long they are allowed to be on the pitch. But the lights allow year round growth (requiring more nutrient input), increased turf density during the winter and turf recovery after play, which is a massive benefit for us seeing the pitch through the difficult winter period.

Most professional football clubs now have some form of constructed/reinforced pitches made up of a sand dominate rootzone which has high infiltration and drainage rates. Moving moisture through the soil reduces the chances of water logging and fixtures being lost, costing a lot of money and inconvenience for the clubs involved.

From the environmental point of view, with increased drainage through the pitch, leading to more irrigation being applied and higher inputs of nutrients due to more nutrients being leached and not taken up by the plant, are we doing the right thing? what is going to happen in the future if nutrient and chemical leaching is monitored and restricted? This could force a rethink in pitch construction in the future so the management of the pitch can change to fit in to possible fertiliser input restrictions, whilst still getting the pitch performance required. As technology is moving forward, we are seeing UV machines controlling disease, there are interesting times ahead and I'm sure this will become a hot topic in the next few years.

There are a few things which we are putting in place at Ipswich Town. Firstly, we have moved over to using a cleaner diesel in the ride on mowers and the tractors. This lowers the emissions because it burns natural gas rather than diesel oil. It also reduces noise which improves the environment for those living around us.

Over the last couple of years, we have made a conscious effort to reduce fungicide application. As a rule, we do not apply fungicides as a preventative, and will only apply at first signs of disease if we feel we need to. 

Not all pitches which have an outbreak will be treated due to the costs involved and a move towards making a nutrient application instead has been our first consideration. I am a strong believer that in winter pitches, in most cases, playing on a pitch which holds too much water in the surface can do more damage than an outbreak of fusarium will cause. Although of course neither is desirable...

Sharpening a bottom blade

We keep the mower blades sharp to cut the leaf cleaner to help prevent disease outbreak and make the water and fertiliser work more efficiently by not having the use the plants energy to repair damaged leaves. Along with other cultural methods, it doesn't mean we won't suffer from disease but if we can limit the amount and deal with it as quickly as we can, which ever way we do it. 

Ready To Go

July 19'

Ready To Go

As we approach the beginning of the new season, the last of the  renovated pitches are being measured and marked in ready for play including the stadium pitch which is now 6 weeks old.

The Portman Rd pitch was renovated straight after the concert and seeded on the 16th June giving about 40 days to the open day and training on the pitch. The session went well, with very little damage in open play. Warm ups and Goal keepers tend to cause wear in a small a area. This has been top dressed and seeded which should cover up any worn ares by the time we hold the first game of the season on the 10th August.

Due to the large stands, particularly on the south and west sides of the stadium, we get a lot of shade even in the summer when the sun is high. In these areas, the sward tends to be a bit slower to fill out, so we have put the light rigs out which speeds up the grow in process.

Lighting rigs helping with the grown-in

We will be aerating the pitch for the first time now. This process is held off to allow the roots to establish adequately to prevent any plucking of the new turf. From now on there will be some form of aeration on the pitch every two weeks working around the fixtures.

ICL's Proturf has been applied and we are putting Primo Maxx growth retardant down at a low rate at fortnightly intervals. we are also still pushing the pitch with extra applications of WSF high N fertiliser and Vital Nova Blade (molasses/trace nutrients) to have the pitch where we want it to be.

At the training ground, we have continued to replace ball stop netting on the first team pitches and developing a new goal keeper training area.

New stop netting and camera tower

New GK area

We have also renewed some rabbit fencing as we have a problem with rabbits eating the grass on the pitches as seen on the image. Although rabbit fencing is relatively cheap to purchase, the installation can be expensive or time consuming doing the work yourselves. This is the first stage in replacements and the most important area as this is the direction they tend to gain entrance to the 1st team training area.

Rabbit damage

Our grounds team has been strengthened with the addition of a mechanic to maintain and service all of our machinery. This will be a great benefit to the rest of the groundstaff to ensure the equipment is ready to go in the mornings and someone is on hand to see to any breakdowns quickly.
We regard mowing with a sharp cylinder as essential, so for the mowers to have time spend on them in the workshop without losing a groundstaff member off the pitches to do this is valuable. It is also a benefit to have the same person setting the blades on cut every day to ensure they are just where we want them to be. 

Concert and Renovations

June 2019

Concert and Renovations

June was a busy month both at the training ground and at the stadium. After the concert at the stadium, the renovations followed immediately. A 40 day grow-in is the challenge.

The concert ran smoothly with very little disturbance to the pitch levels. They are measured by a surveyor before and after the event to see if there has been any problems. The biggest difference was 20mm in a few places but this is corrected during the renovation with dressing and aeration. 

Once the concert is over and the stage has been dismantled, the pitch is walked and all the metal work such as screws, pins and clips are picked up so they don't go through the machines and cause a break down during the renovation, or get pushed into the pitch to reappear during the season. 

The stage was dismantled three days after the concert, so we were straight in there on Tuesday 11th June. 

With a concert being held in the summer, this shortens our grow in time before the stadium pitch's first use, which will be on the 25th July for the open day, weather depending..

In an ideal world I would choose to have 8 weeks to grow the pitch in. As the club is a business and other events take place during the off season, this is something we have to work around. It does make you think about the best products to put down and make sure an application isn't missed. It focus's your mind!

As it turns out, our first fixture is away from home so, excluding the training session on open day, there is almost 8 weeks to grow the pitch in. 

Fortunately, during June we can get quick germination. I seeded on Sunday 16th of June and the first signs of green was on Friday 21st June with it's first cut 5 days later. it has had 4 short waters per day and granular fertiliser applied straight after seeding and an application of Qualibra wetting agent to hold the moisture in and move it even through the profile. 

Seeding drill lines, one of three directions

Germination after 4 days

The first bio stimulant spray with molasses and seaweed and some more nitrogen was made on the 28th June, less than two weeks after it was seeded. I'm really pleased with the progress and I think it is, so far, the quickest establishment we have had in recent years.

First biostimulant spray 12 days after seeding

The pitch will be continued to be pushed through July to be as dense as possible going into the training session towards the end of July. As soon as it is strong enough, the pitch will be aerated to encourage root development.

At the training ground, some pitches have grown in and others are still at different stages. The academy are starting to come back along with the professional squads having been in for a week or so now. 

first team training pitch before their return

The other areas are coming along nicely. We have had some turf at the front entrance of the training ground laid and the new lawn which was renovated a couple of months ago is thickening up and has improved the appearence around the building and front of the 3G pitch no end. We are gradually reducing the height and will move on to cutting with a cylinder mower at around the height of 13mm in the next week or two. It will then have a light top dressing of sand to help iron out and levels and will be re dressed every few weeks until we are happy. 

Before we know it, the season will be here and all of the hard work of the summer renovations will be worth it seeing the pitches used. 

Close Season Improvements

May 2019

Close Season Improvements

The close season is one of the busiest time for the Groundstaff as we are deep into our renovations season. By the end of May, we have just two pitches left to renovate.

The Stadium Pitch will be renovated around the 13th of June, taking about 5 days, once the stage has been dismantled and moved out of the stadium after the Rod Stewart concert on 7th June.

With now only two pitches left in the renovation programme, we are getting the first pitches we renovated in April, back in play. The early pitches we renovate take a good 8 weeks to be ready because of the lower temperatures in April, but the pitches we renovate in late May/early June, can be ready with in 5 weeks. The Stadium pitch takes a little longer to strengthen so we have to be very careful what it is used for before it is fully ready.

On the first team training area, along with the removal of ball stop netting, we have also taken out some old dug outs and are in the process of removing the concrete pads. These areas will be filled with soil and seeded to improve the appearance of the area. The site is an old company sports ground for Fison's fertilisers and one of the concrete pads is an old cricket net which had been built with reinforced concrete to last a long time!

The grow in on the early renovated first team pitches is going well. We have another few weeks until they return and will have two pitches for them to train on until after they return from pre-season tour in July, when they will have all of the training pitches renovated and back in play. 

Even though we have a semi automatic irrigation system, there are some training areas which the water doesn't reach. For theses areas we use portable sprinkers on a 20mm hose and move them around manually. These sprinklers are just as effective but labour intensive. This is the first year that we have renovated on the outsides of the pitches giving a better appearance across the whole site. 

The Training Ground match pitch has had its renovation and is growing back in nicely. We have another 5 weeks until it will be used from the last photo below. After applying about 80 tonnes of sand, we have aerated it with the Groundbreaker, below, and worked the sand in to the slits helping with drainage throughout the season. The Verti-Drain also punches holes through and the sand in worked into the holes too, until we have lost all of the sand.  

The "Sweep and Fill " brush is brilliant at pushing the sand into the holes and lines the aeration machines have created. 

Pitch 6 (match pitch) is growing in , as seen in the picture above. by the next blog in a month's time, it will be almost ready to play. There will be an intensive feeding programme on it between now and then, with weekly applications of water soluble nitrogen, sugars and carbohydrates, trace nutrients and seaweed.  The growth retardant, Primo Maxx, will be applied when the plant is established after about 4-5 weeks. This product will help reduce the top growth and put the plants energy into sward density and root development. 

The new lawn area, which was koro'd at the end of march has grown in but with a lot of weeds through as well. The weed seeds which were in the soil waiting to germinate when space allowed are showing themselves . They have now been sprayed off with Greenor selective weed killer and we will let them die off for a couple of weeks before we ove-rsow with some more seed to fill the gaps. Once the sward is thick enough, it will be able to out-compete the weeds better and we may be able to manage the population by removing by hand when they emerge.

In another 5 weeks or so, all of the Training Ground pitches will have been renovated and grown back in. The first team and the academy will have returned and we will be in full swing in to the new season

Early Renovations

April 19'

Early Renovation

Renovations have started early this year, taking our first pitch out of play on the 1st of April, we are now a month in and in full swing.

Our usual process is renovating one pitch per week, lasting for about ten weeks. This year, we have a concert in June, so the Stadium Pitch will be delayed until mid June. This will leave us about 6-7 weeks until football is played on Portman Rd after the renovation. A little tight, but one that we have achieved before. Typically, I would choose to have 8-10 weeks for a "grow in", but in reality, the pitch is still developing into the early autumn. 

The weather has been on our side this season with very little rainfall around the games. This makes a big difference to how the Stadium Pitch performs during the games and what damage it takes. Due to the amount of fine sands within the profile of the pitch, which directly relates to the drainage rate, it will determine damage and grass coverage, especially during and coming out of the winter. 

We are the only pitch in the top two leagues without a pitch reconstruction and have no artificial fibers giving stability to the rootzone. Next season, I won't be able to say this any more, although there are more grounds with a reconstruction than not in League 1.

The renovation to the lawn at the training ground has been successful. I have wanted to do this for some time, but this year has been the year. It was no more than a rough area which was maintained by mowing once a week but that was about it. We have now removed the surface and the weeds and sown a dwarf rye grass which has germinated nicely and we have now started to cut it. We will see it thicken over the next few weeks and we will move on from cutting it with a rotary mower to a cylinder mower.

After renovation

Before renovation

   Training ground renovations are coming along nicely and we are on our 3rd and 4th pitch this week. We were delayed by six days due to a breakdown, but well within time to be on target for the players return at the end of June. we have now moved over to the academy side to do a full size pitch and a goalkeeping area whilst the 1st team finish off the season on their side and will continue their renovations next week.  

Pitch 2 and 3 have been completed and pitch 1 will start next week. for the first time, we will be renovating the external areas of the pitch, not just inside the touchlines. There will also be a new goalkeeping training area on the main 1st team plateau.  

During the renovation process, the sand is worked down the holes, as seen in the photo above. This will help with the drainage and a route down for the grass roots once it has been sown. 

 Once the holes have been filled in, it leaves a clean finish ready for the seed to be drilled.

Germination on pitch 3 after ten days  after drilling. It is usually another week before in is cut by hand.

Pitch 3 received its first cut on the 30th April. 

We have been working on improvements around the first team training area with the removal of the old stop netting. The holes are being filled in and it will be leveled off and seeded. 

 

Although there is still a league game to play, it won't be long before the training pitches are back in play for pre-season.