Message Board - Natural Turf: Snow Problems
10 Jan 2010 by Chris Penny
I know this has been discussed before, but I need a bit more advice. I work for a football club near heathrow airport, and have not had football played at our ground since before xmas. It started off with the rain then frost and now snow. We are a small club but with high ambitions, we are well equipped for many seasonal maintenance tasks but we are struggling with the adverse conditions we have had in recent weeks. Our clubs runs mainly on revenue brought in from games, but as we are calling games off no money is coming in. We have 4 full size senior pitches, 2 mini soccer pitches and a 3G artifical surface. We have finally removed snow from the 3G to get training on and now struggling with the grass pitches. We are not a premiership club so dont have all the resources at our disposal, but we need games on. So I guess this a call of help. Anyone that can help with any advice, ideas on snow removal off grass, tools or machine offers. Anything to help us out would be gratefully recieved. Many thanks, Chris.
10 Jan 2010 by Grassman2011
Do not want to be a profit of doom Chris, but , when this snow and ice thaws there is a real chance that the pitches will be far to wet to use again for a week or two. Get the now non playing members to scrape the snow of with shovels and boards, boards being small plywood sheets attached to broom handles for example.
The more snow you can clear the less there is to melt on the pitch.
Most back to work again tomorrow i guess, so manual labour at a premium. Dont feel you are on your own, most other clubs are in exactly the same boat. Some have already trashed there pitches so god knows how they are going to play any more games after this.
Best of luck.
12 Jan 2010 by Phil Isherwood
This was the the covering of snow on the pitch earlier this week, some slight thawing is taking place at the moment, but Tuesday evening there is still at least 3 inches, ground underneath is hard, haven't checked the depth of the frost yet. The problem is that we have not had any rugby since the 12th December, the players are getting desperate to play, (not sure if they want to play or get out of the house at the weekend), The Club desperately needs the revenue, but looking at the weather forecast it look like the Thaw will start on Friday in the North West, with temps barely above freezing (+1 or +2), if the snow clears and the green grass reappears, everyone will expect me to be out with the marking machine and expecting to play on Saturday and Sunday. Is the frost likely to come out enough ???
Already messages are going out "Training on Thursday whatever the weather"
12 Jan 2010 by jlawrence
IMO, no the frost isn't likely to come out. If you get clear of snow then you could try and get some covers on and attempt to get the surface playable.
It's at times like this when I really wonder how you winter sport guys stay sane.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
12 Jan 2010 by Philmort
I would hope that the thaw is slow and you cannot see the grass, to save you a lot of hassle.
Training on snow will do no harm but the potential root shearing if they play on a soft top half inch with frost below will cost more to put right than the income gained.
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
13 Jan 2010 by tonybolton
Jon, over the years as a both a winter sports and cricket groundsman, I've lost far more cricket games to the weather than I have rugby. This winter is somewhat exceptional and is the first time in several seasons that I have had to call off rugby matches. Not too many years ago I had to cancel an April cricket match because of a snow covered field, where's the sanity in that.?
A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother
13 Jan 2010 by LittleDave
I'm starting to get the teams moaning at me now. We have two senior pitches completely snowed under. We called a few games off in Autumn due to the rain, and now the snow, they've got a big fixture backlog.
With no sign of the snow melting soon, I'm wondering if there's anyway to clear the snow off?
It's thinking outside of the box, and my common sense says this is just stupid, but it's worth a thought....if I raised cut the cut on the gang mowers would I be able to 'churn' up the snow and encourage it to melt?
Obviously you risk damage to the gang mowers, compacting the grass behind you with the tyres and everything etc. but I can't think of any other way to get the pitches cleared!
Any ideas? Bearing in mind there's only me, so shovelling it isn't an option.
13 Jan 2010 by tonybolton
I'd advise not to go along the gang mower route, compacted snow and ice will soon clog up the blades/rollers etc even if it is thawing and to be honest you'll begin to make a mess of the surface. The best way is to let nature take its course and tell the players to be patient.
A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother
13 Jan 2010 by LittleDave
Cheers Tony, I know that's the right way to do it, I just wondered if anyone had thought of any madcap ideas to clear the snow.
Looks like I'll be painting the changing rooms again tomorrow :o(
13 Jan 2010 by matt burrows Last edited 13 Jan 2010
what ever you do dont go on with the mowers i used the brush on the back of the tractor wish i didn't now ruined the level of play compacted like but i had to get the sheets off
14 Jan 2010 by Phil Isherwood
Weather not improving very fast, but team managers are pressing for a decision. Colts manager is offering to get the colts down to clear the snow from the pitch. With 8 cm of snow on a pitch 90m x 65m wide this is 470 cubic metres of snow, to my thoughts that is going to take some serious amount of shifting.
Looking at the weather forecast BBC is showing +2 Thur, +3 Fri, +4 Sat, +6 Sun. Met check is showing +1,+1,+3,+2 for the same period with wind chill taking it below freezing most of the time.
Do i offer them the chance to try and clear a pitch for Sunday or is it a waste of time.
14 Jan 2010 by Phil Isherwood
Another pic
14 Jan 2010 by LittleDave
Thing is though Phil, you got somewhere to put 470 cubic metres of snow?!
14 Jan 2010 by Grassman2011
470 c m of snow probably in excess of 20 artic lorry loads, or should that be arctic loads.
Pushing of the pitch could lead to a snow wall of approx 4ft high. This is a judgement on what has happened before. Not an exact science so not to many questions please.
14 Jan 2010 by jontaylor
If you are absolutely desperate to be seen to be doing something mechanical to break up the snow, use chain harrows. I've successfully done this in the past to speed the clearance of shallow patches of frost crusted snow.
But with anything more than a very shallow depth this will only make matters worse for you as the tyres of whatever you pull the harrows with will compact the snow and slow the thaw.
The ciderman rolls
14 Jan 2010 by LittleDave
I've just ventured on the arctic plains (my pitches) and the ground underneath is frozen solid anyway, so if I cleared the snow it'd be called off for 'frozen pitch' reasons anyway.
At least the benches in the changing rooms are now a briliant white colour instead of dark yellow!
14 Jan 2010 by Philmort
Roof needing repair, Dave? Snow got in there as well?
Seriously, how long before you get some thanks for the painting do you think?
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
14 Jan 2010 by LittleDave
Thanks? I won't!
It just gives me something to set my alarm for in the morning until the big thaw kicks in!!!
15 Jan 2010 by shaka
chris with your past experince you should have some of the answers .
each ground is different and only the person on the ground can make the call what to do. It is very clear the whole country is not able to deal with the weather.
removal is key as the following thaw and rain thats now started will as someone has said above will create follow on problems.
there are many people who can help but sadly it will cost and not be free unless your club has lots of helpers, maybe like your old club type set up.
I for one think getting free help sometimes costs more than paying someone to do it properly.
you should use as much of your previous experince to gain that help. people and methods used in past use again.
lastly pray for rise in temp that will speed all this up.
15 Jan 2010 by Minormorris64
I would have though that most sports surfaces covered in whatever amount of snow will be frozen solid underneath anyway.
Here in South Shropshire, my brother runs our family building/ undertakers firm with the old chap, he was digging a grave yesterday and reckoned it was froze down to at least 6 inches had to use a jackhammer to break the surface up.
What goes around, comes around
15 Jan 2010 by chick1
Hello Chris I am located here in Ireland and we had our last snow 3 days ago approx 3 ins of it on an allready frozen pitch.
The temp. have rose since and today the snow is gone and the pitches look playable this wekend so just wait and be patient let nature take its course !
15 Jan 2010 by russell jones
is this the Chris Penny who used to manage the mighty cove fc?if it is then come back and you will never moan again !!!!!our untreated sewage trumps your snow..big time!!
Back to Top - Go to Next Unread Message
This Message is closed, you may not post a reply at this time
