A Mix for Success

26 IOG BEST PRACTICE the Groundsman September 2014 Enthusiasm plus grant aid – a mix for success The Cumbrian fells is not the most likely location for a first-class rugby ground, but thanks to the efforts of people like IOG Award winner John Heyworth, Aspatria RUFC has “the best rugby pitch in the county” By: Colin Hoskins first-class rugby pitch is the last by STRI). The slow-draining 1st XV pitch, used to be known as The Swamp – got thing you expect to find in the Lake which most years suffered from a muddy, so bad that in 2003 the players refused A District. Plenty of sheep and fell slippery surface between November and to use them, mainly owing to the smell walkers, yes, but a pitch that is hailed as March, has been considerably improved coming off them which was created by “the best rugby pitch in Cumbria”? As you without the need to install new drains. This anaerobic bacteria. “The problem was meander through the Cumbrian hills, past is thanks to a regular maintenance initially solved by an intense Windermere and Keswick, and arrive in the programme that includes Blec Sandmaster maintenance programme to improve north of the county, Aspatria RUFC sits as sand slitting and vertidraining three/four drainage and subsequently by installing a shining beacon of what can be achieved times a year (the tine depths are up to new drains funded mainly by the Rugby with a playing surface that 10 years ago 14inches) combined with an average Football Foundation (Turfdry installed was less than perfect, to say the least. annual ‘top up’ of 50 tonnes of sand – the Hydraway system). This was With Skiddaw – 3,054 feet above sea “though I’d like to put 100 tonnes on it complemented by a programme of level – as a backdrop, the club’s Bower every year”, says the club’s volunteer continual improvement based on Park ground has three pitches, two of groundsman John Heyworth. However, he scientific analysis and a team of willing which are training pitches, and all are admits, the pitch will require levelling and volunteers,” says John. “And the result based on a boulder clay subsoil with a new drainage in the future. is that the ground is now constantly in 150-250mm rootzone that is described as The training area/2nd XV and junior demand for rugby league matches that clay loam (according to a soil profile in 2002 pitches – which due to their condition were previously held elsewhere.” Visit www.iog.org for more information and digital editions the Groundsman September 2014 IOG BEST PRACTICE 27 rather than at times to suit our playing judgements about the pitch. schedules”. He continues: “In addition, of Also within the club’s ranks are retired course, players’ expectations of the electrical and mechanical engineers, surface are so much higher nowadays welders, a banker, a training manager, compared to when I was playing, and I project management and safety experts wanted to make a difference. I do and an accountant - a skill set that emphasise, however, that the pitches were regularly pays dividends in the running of constructed in the early 1970s from the club. farmland and club volunteers have maintained them since then.” Best in Cumbria He attended IOG courses in winter With an ongoing programme of sports pitch maintenance up to Level 4 improvement, Bower Park is now classed (within 18 months) as well as LDCA by John as the best rugby pitch in drainage seminars. He also holds a P2A2 Cumbria – “and that includes the county’s certificate for pesticide spraying and is, he professional rugby league pitches”, he says, an avid reader of relevant technical adds, pointing out: “We have also hosted literature. Indeed, he now passes on any amateur association football training and knowledge he can to other club matches as well as amateur rugby league volunteers, especially retired electrical games and social cricket.” engineer Barry Brown who John describes Indeed, the rise in usage levels is clear: as his ‘batman’. John has also nurtured in 2012, 2,000 visits (number of players at industry links with people such as the ground); 2,150 in 2013 and 2,300 Twickenham’s Keith Kent, and he is targeted this year. The club’s 1st XV (the In days gone by, grass coverage on the main chairman of the Cumbria RFU Black Reds – currently in the RFU North pitch would normally have been just 10 per cent Management Committee and chairman of Lancashire/Cumbria League) normally play the Cumbria RFU Facilities Committee. 14 home matches and at least two cup Since December 2013, he can also add matches a year; the second team has nine The club has a willing team of IOG Volunteer Sports Groundsman of the home games and at least one cup match. volunteers – including local farmers who Year to his accreditations, following his Senior players train twice a week from July came to the rescue last year with five large industrious efforts at the club. to April inclusive; soccer players train twice tractors, portable pumps and slurry tankers, John, who holds BSc and AMUMIST a week, and soccer cup finals are hosted. to take away up to 200mm of flood water degrees from Manchester University, says The Aspatria Hornets rugby league club from the first team pitch in three hours of his career in the paperboard industry trains there twice a week and plays six intense activity. This allowed the game to go (latterly as a company director of a large games there. Bower Park has also hosted ahead and the club received a big thank enterprise) played a key role in helping two rugby league cup finals and a seniors you from Bill Beaumont, RFU chairman. him understand the ground’s drainage tournament. The rugby union club’s juniors There is also an enthusiastic committee led issues. His experience, albeit in a different (up to 30 schoolchildren) play and train on by John, who is also the club’s chairman, to application, he says gave him a scientific Sundays, and schools tournaments ensure the success of the club’s continual base on which to make relevant occasionally take place. t improvement programme. “This has been underpinned in recent years by a successful series of grant applications with organisations like the Rugby Football Foundation and Sport England,” John says, “plus overwhelming sponsorship support from local companies which our honorary treasurer Barney Clegg organises.” Make a difference John took on the responsibility of pitch maintenance at the five-hectare site as a ‘hobby’ when he retired in 2000. He joined the club committee in the early ‘90s - under the condition that the club would fund his training to “help resolve all the grumbles about the state of the pitches. These were maintained by a mix of volunteers and contractors who seemed to John Heyworth (right) with his 'batman', Barry Brown come in and do their work on ad hoc basis Visit www.iog.org for more information and digital editions 28 IOG BEST PRACTICE the Groundsman September 2014 With an annual budget of £5,000 for Rugby union in Aspatria pitch maintenance, John says the club’s success at obtaining grant aid and loans Rugby union has a long history in Davidson, David Graham, Robert over the past 10 years has been a major Aspatria, with Aspatria RUFC being Jackson Hanvey, Steve Hanley and benefit to pitch improvement, including formed in 1875. Rugby league has a Rob Miller (Sale Sharks/London these substantial amounts: more chequered history; the town’s Wasps). In addition, Thomas Holliday • £58,000 drainage work on the training team, which became defunct more won seven England caps, was part of pitches – including £48,000 from the than 10 years ago, is now being the 1924 British Lions tour and Rugby Football Foundation and the revived but does not have a ground of subsequently became a rugby league balance coming from club funds and work- its own or a clubhouse and, like the player for Oldham Roughyeds and the in-kind by volunteers – contractor Melvin local football teams, has to depend on England team. Taylor from Turfdry installed the rectangular the local park with a rudimentary and drains at 500/600 mm deep via 50 mm poorly maintained open field. wide trenches; Aspatria RUFC, on the other hand, • £50,000 from Sport England for also has a gymnasium and the replacement floodlights; clubhouse (soon to undergo a • £82,000 loan from Rugby Football £30,000 modernisation scheme) is Foundation for STRI survey and report, very much at the heart of the groundscare equipment, a storage shed community being hired for all manner and additional drainage work. This rapidly of events, including three days a week followed John taking on pitch maintenance: as a clinic by the Cumbria NHS Trust. “The club then had the right The club has produced a host of equipment, but we needed someone to notable players, including Joseph use it properly and to explore the science Blacklock, James and Joseph of sports turf care. Visit www.iog.org for more information and digital editions the Groundsman September 2014 IOG BEST PRACTICE 29 “So, combined with the appropriate SameDeutzFahr Agroplus + 60), an machinery, I set about the task – for HD75 soil reliever (which the club hosts i Facts and Favourites example, changing particle sizes, for Cumbria RFU for use by all 22 clubs eliminating poa annua and using a in the region), a 2.1m wide Trimax Barenbrug ryegrass, which is kept at mower, a Sisis Quadraplay, 6m wide My favourite book: Too many to decide 50mm - plus adopting an annual Hardy sprayer and 300kgs Vicon maintenance regime that includes fertiliser spreader.

Load more