Magazine - Testing Times at Tividale

3 Sep 2005 by Andy Thompson

A great read and its great to see what can happen to a pitch if the right work ethic is used and the it really seems to have paid off for you and your club.

I know its hard working with limited resources, at Doncaster Rovers we are a league one club but we have to stick to a very small budget especially over the next year and a half due to it being or final season at our ground. But you will have to rely on very very small amounts of finacial input .

May i ask what renovation procedures you went though pre-season, ie did you use any contractors or was it all done on a manual basis? things like that.

So on a final note i would like to say what a great job you are doing and i would like to see what the pitch looks like after xmas to see the hopefully not to drastic changes to its condition/

All The Best
Andy Thompson
Doncaster Rovers

4 Sep 2005 by simon

Chris

Have just read your article in the magazine and read all back dated ones now on the internet which I’ve found very helpful. As I’m writing this we are having our first real downpour in about 4 weeks, so I feel I want to go out and run around my garden thanking the man above and praying it stays for a few more days(not likely thou).

I am a volunteer groundsman at Buckland Ath and we have just moved to our new ground this year and needing to generate some £££ we had all pre season friendlies (4 teams) at our pitch which up to now is 17 games. At the start the pitch was in a good condition but it’s starting to look a bit ragged, we have drainage lines showing now and they have sunk a bit, but finding the time in between games to maintain the pitch and carry out repairs is a struggle. I cut the pitch 2/3 times a week as time allows but we too are on a meter and that makes it difficult financially to water. I would like to go to the committee and say we need to do this and buy this but having just moved to a self funded clubhouse/ground the money seems to be more important elsewhere.

I look forward to your next article and also how the meeting went with the Water Company, and hopefully things at our ground might have slowed down to enable some well needed repairs.

Many Thanks
Simon
the web page below shows arial picture of the pitches

http://www.bucklandathleticjfc.com/main/main.htm

5 Sep 2005 by Chris Charles

Firstly, Simon. You are already beating me by seven games! At a previous club I worked for I would be beating you by the same believe me! One season there for me meant that I contended with 135 games. The Water Company issue has come to a standstill. Apparently this is the norm. A bit frustrating eh? If you miss a payment to them you get a pretty quick reminder eh?! Things have to change.

In the next few days I will respond fully to your questions regarding renovations Andy if that's ok. I am a bit busy at the moment and as soon as, I will.

All the very best.

Chris

5 Sep 2005 by Andy Thompson

Yeah thats cool Chris theres no rush i was just interested in the procedures etc that you go through

Andy

6 Sep 2005 by simon

Chris

it gets worse, just as i think i maybe be able to get on the pitch after the game on sat, 2 games have been quickly arranged for the sunday. at least at the commitee meeting last night they understood that i/we have to spend a bit of money to retain the pitch quality, even thou its only a fraction of what i could do with, its a start!!

simon

ps what sort of mowers did you start with, i have a old grey lazer, whith a rusty old brush system on the back(1 and half hrs per pitch cut) and a newer saxon triple(40min per pitch cut)

plus a tractor for the harrows

6 Sep 2005 by Andy Thompson

Simon you have better equipment than me and i work for a league one football club.

9 Sep 2005 by Chris Charles

Simon,

Regarding your comment above about the rain. Pleases don't do what I did a few years ago. Similar circumstances, but I felt a complete prat afterwards!! I know what you mean though.

Three times this week our local forecast has been for rain. I came back from a family day out last Sunday to expect thunderstorms and rain through the night as was forecasted. I woke next morning to find that we had had hardly any rain whatsoever.

Rain was forecast yesterday. Nothing. Again today. As I write this, it has just started.

You know yourself that this job is all about timing. Especially if you work part time on your pitch. My main job of late is to selectively weedkill my pitch. It's hard to predict when to spray, given that you are meant to allow a few days for the weeds to be at a certain growth stage and then to allow a few days before cutting again. It's sometimes difficult to explain to the manager why the pitch is a little longer due to the above.

We will get there my friend.

Chris

10 Sep 2005 by SIMON

Chris

About time my luck has changed we've had rain most of friday night and sat am so that has helped the pitch no end, still could do with about 3 more days thou. The clay company who we bought our land off has offered to get their grounds person in to fertilise the pitch for us during the next week, and with both seniors and youth all away next week the pitch has 13days of rest.

Im after a little bit of advice, the drainage runs which were put in have sunk slighty across the pitch, they're about 2 or 3 inches in width. What would be the best solution to help with this?

I was thinking, we have some root zone left from pre season, so fill up the worse areas with this and put some grass seed in with it(not sure which thou) and with the fertiliser and 13 day rest hope it might repair the areas, What do you think or suggest?
very new to this game and any advice is taken on board

Simon

10 Sep 2005 by Chris Charles

do you use msn chat

10 Sep 2005 by Chris Charles

Sorry, Simon,

Do you use msn chat at all. That way I could "speak" to you right away.

Chris

10 Sep 2005 by simon

yes i do chris

my e mail address is

coobiashy@hotmail.com

10 Sep 2005 by simon

Im off out for meal now, but if you send an e mail 2 me i will load u on my messenger and "speak" later
simon