December Football Diary 2011

The weather last month was remarkable, with many parts of country experiencing very mild temperatures; this time last year we were all having to deal with several inches of snow.

December is the darkest month of the year with the grass only receiving a potential of around eight hours of light each day though, by the end of the month, the days will be starting to stretch out again (December 21st being the shortest day). This will surely place extra pressures on pitches that suffer from long shadows during the morning and early afternoon.

No surprise then that Premiership grounds, with high stand,s struggle with parts of the pitch being in constant shade. With the introduction and use of light gantries, this has improved matters in providing grass with the light it requires for growth and recovery. But, of course, lighting rigs are not within the purchasing power of all and, in these circumstances, some harder work may be required.

The real challenge during December is trying to keep as much grass cover on the playing surfaces as possible, and prevent pitches being used when they are saturated.

Post match repairs:- Divoting. This is an obvious, continue this essential work and it will pay you dividends later in the season. Brush to bring the grass back upright. Cut with a box to clean surface debris.

Keep casual play out of goalmouth areas if you can. This can be easily achieved if you have a set of portable goals that can be moved around to different parts of your field or pitch. However, if you have socket goals, then your task may be a little more difficult.

Pitch set-ups:- Continue your pre match preparations: brushing, spiking, cutting, marking out, not forgetting your post and net inspections.

Useful Information for Post match and pitch preparations

Articles		Products
	The challenges of growing grass in Azerbaijan		Football Goals

Continue cutting regularly, 25 -37mm, to ensure a good sward density. Check the cutting action of your cylinder regularly to ensure that the units are cutting and not tearing the grass.

If you haven't already turned some thought to your machinery service programme, start formulating a plan of what service requirements are needed for which machine, and a time when you will be sending your mowers out for sharpening etc., so they are not all sent out at once. Look at the overall condition and check for any extra requirements needed to keep it compliant with current health and safety legislation. Check also for things that may cause a problem in the future, such as fatigue fractures on handlebars or on grass box carriers etc.

Keep your machinery in tip top condition. Grease where you find a grease nipple, oil where you see a metallic moving part, check the oil and check the water. If in doubt, consult the manufacturer's manual. Clean it when you've finished. All this may seem mundane, but will keep your mower going when you need it, and save you money in costly down time.

Useful Information for Mowing and Machinery Maintenance

Articles		Products
	Facts about mowing		Football Pitch / Rugby Pitch Grass Seed

Continue the work of brushing to keep the air circulating around the base of the plant, particularly important for removing early morning dew and controlling disease.

Brushing during the right conditions has benefits, but I have seen some pitches where the grass has become smeared with mud through brushing or dragmatting while the grass is still damp, and particularly in the presence of worm casts. Of course, the rain will wash it off the plant eventually, but it will rob the grass plant of valuable light. Much better to leave it until the right conditions are available to carry out the task.

Useful Information for Dragmatting and Brushing

Articles		Products
	A Devil's Own Job!		Football Accessories

Continue spiking when the conditions are right (this should only be carried out if the soil is suitably moist.) to augment your deep spiking carried out to alleviate build up of compaction. Keep your spiking regime flexible, alternating between surface spiking, deep spiking and slitting.

Useful Information for Aeration

Articles		Products
	Why Aeration?		Machinery Spares, Blades, Cylinders & Tines

Take your time when marking out, as rushed lines will invariably wander and will no doubt look messy. This creates a poor impression, lowering the overall standard and vision of an otherwise perfect surface. An accurate line will make such a difference; you should always be prepared to run a string line out to aid you in this, particularly if you already have a crooked line.

Useful Information for Marking Out

Articles		Products
	I walk the line!		Line Marking Paint