Stoke City FC has become the latest client to invest in dedicated machinery and equipment supplied by artificial pitch maintenance specialists Technical Surfaces.
The grounds team at Stoke City FC, headed by Andrew Jackson, was recommended to contact Technical Surfaces by Desso Sports Systems, who manufactured the 3rd Generation turf for the club’s new training facility – a £7m development at Clayton Wood in Trent Vale, Staffs.
Technical Surfaces works closely with the industry’s principal manufacturers and construction companies – including Desso Sports Systems and McArdle Sport Tec, who installed the artificial turf pitch at Clayton Wood – to offer its customers the very best service. This ‘Partners in Excellence’ scheme combines Technical Surfaces’ knowledge and expertise with the all-important ‘seal of approval’ from the original pitch provider, to give its customers total peace of mind that their artificial sports facility is being correctly maintained from day one.
The R.E.D Primary Care Package has been fully Researched, Engineered and Developed to meet the needs of any grounds team with an artificial sports pitch to maintain.
Small enough to manoeuvre through a single gate, yet capable of performing the required daily or weekly activities to keep an artificial surface in perfect shape, the R.E.D Primary Care Package comprises a compact tractor unit (14.5 or 18HP) with Drag Mat and Flexicomb attachments designed to tackle issues of infill compaction and distribution. Other attachments in the R.E.D Range are also available, including a Light Decompaction Rake, Sweeper Collector (with filter plate) and a Granular Infill / Salt Spreader, allowing customers to select the ideal in-house maintenance machinery for their facility.
The R.E.D drive unit and attachments will be utilised by Andrew and his grounds team on two separate 3rd Generation artificial turf pitches – the first at Clayton Wood, the other located inside the Academy Dome, adjacent to the Britannia Stadium:
“As many of the maintenance procedures as possible will be completed by our own grounds staff”, Andrew explained during the recent handover and demonstration of the machinery. “We need to ensure that the surface is always kept to a high standard for the club’s players. Also, the machine needs to be used on two sites, so it needed to be small enough to be able to fit onto a trailer to transport, yet powerful enough to cope with the tasks we need to complete. In that respect, the R.E.D range has come up trumps.”
Stoke City FC is one of a growing number of customers to enhance their on-site maintenance equipment with machinery and equipment from the R.E.D Range supplied by Technical Surfaces. From schools and colleges, to tennis clubs and leisure centres, and even pitch consultants and installers, the R.E.D Range offers the complete in-house maintenance machinery package to complement the more specialist cleaning processes available from Technical Surfaces.
Designed to replicate the playing characteristics of natural turf more closely than ever before, 3rd Generation carpet systems are being increasingly adopted for use at varying levels of the game by the Rugby Football Union, the Football Association and even FIFA, thereby propelling artificial grass pitches to the international stage. Technical Surfaces has provided various maintenance services and equipment for the 3G training facilities at a number of football and rugby clubs, including Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, Reading FC, The New Saints, Saracens, Brighton Blues and Egremont RUFC.
As with natural grass, the good condition of an artificial pitch can only be sustained with regular care and attention throughout its life. It is essential to understand the routines and practices relevant to 3rd Generation surfaces, and utilising the services and expertise of Technical Surfaces, a maintenance specialist with a working knowledge of maintaining FIFA RECOMMENDED rubber-filled surfaces, provides added peace of mind that your investment is in safe hands.
To find out more about the full range of maintenance equipment and services required to keep a 3rd Generation pitch in peak condition, call Technical Surfaces now on 08702 400 700 and ask to speak to a Technical Manager.
Comments