Latest news with #groundskeeping
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
What it takes to make the Peterborough United pitch perfect
Peterborough United's team of dedicated groundsmen have embarked on a summer of renewal at Weston Homes Stadium, ahead of the 2025/26 what does it take to make the Posh pitch perfect? End-of-season clean Cleaning, repairs and tonnes of sand are just some of what it takes to give a League One pitch a well-earned dose of TLC during the close could not begin when the final whistle went after the League One season as the stadium still had to host a junior tournament in May, among other under way, the groundsmen began with cleaning the pitch - which they refer to as the "carpet" – to get rid of as much vegetation as possible. Making repairs The team then lift and repair areas of the pitch which have come loose or "popped up". Groundsman Mark Panter said: "After that, the pitch is dressed with between 70 and 80 tonnes of sand."We then aerate the pitch to about three or four inches [of depth] , brush all the sand into the holes and then over-seed and feed the pitch." Time to grow or mow? "This year it has been a fairly basic renovation because the carpet is quite clean anyway, we knew we were in a good position in terms of where we wanted to go with the pitch," Mr Panter added."As we speak now, it is about keeping the top of the surface moist and hopefully within a few weeks we will be getting the mowers out and beginning to cut the grass."The club can has confirmed it will not have any home pre-season friendlies to ensure the pitch renovations can be the training ground, all three pitches have also been worked on before training resumes at the end of June. Looking ahead Mr Panter said he was hopeful of warm conditions for the rest of the summer."That will help to speed things up but we are happy with the position we are in at this moment in time," he 2025/26 season will kick off over the weekend of 1 to 3 August in League One and League have not been confirmed yet but will be officially released at 12:00 BST on 26 June. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Malay Mail
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
At Roland Garros, the ‘other' clay specialists have their work cut out
PARIS, May 25 — The almost cathedral-like silence of Court Philippe Chatrier is broken only by the thrumming of large squeegees scraping the clay: it's 6.30am and the groundstaff team quietly enters the arena to tend to the soon-to-be centuries-old ochre of Roland Garros. With the aid of shovels, brooms and wheelbarrows — and a dose of elbow grease — the 180 or so specialised staff, most of whom are temporary workers, toil from dawn till dusk to whip the 18 courts into pristine condition for the year's second Grand Slam. 'It's a real craftsman's job,' Philippe Vaillant, head of the groundskeeping department, insists of maintaining a surface that has been used at Roland Garros since 1928. Staff members prepare the surface of the Court Philippe-Chatrier, ahead of French Open 2025 at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris May 21, 2025. — AFP pic The clay, the product of 40 tonnes of red bricks from northern France which are then crushed in Belgium, is fickle in nature. 'It reacts very quickly to weather conditions, so you really have to pay close attention. It's almost like gardening,' says Vaillant, who arrived at Roland Garros in 1995. A blast of heat or wind and all bets are off: the clay dries and bakes, the surface becomes too fast and too slippery. A few drops of rain and the court can become too slow and greasy. To make matters worse, small white granules from the thick layer of limestone beneath the clay — just a few millimetres thick — regularly rise to the surface. This photography shows a logo for 'Roland Garros Paris' on the net across the Court Philippe-Chatrier, ahead of the French Open 2025 at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris May 21, 2025. — AFP pic Relying on instinct Morning and evening, and sometimes between sets in the afternoon, the courts are watered heavily to counter the effects of the sun. 'We use around a cubic metre of water per day and per court, half as much as the toilet facilities and 10 times less than the kitchens,' asserts Vaillant, aware of the environmental concerns and the need for reduced consumption. Calcium chloride, which captures and retains water, is also added. But there are no humidity sensors or other bits of technology to help. 'It's all down to the naked eye and the feel of the shoe,' smiles Aurelien, who joined the crew in 2008. Employees install the tennis net across the Court Philippe-Chatrier, ahead of the French Open 2025 at the Roland Garros Complex Paris May 21, 2025. — AFP pic The demands of the players must be factored in as well, which often increase as they scale the rankings. Last year, Novak Djokovic attributed his injury during his last-16 victory over Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo to the lack of clay on Court Philippe Chatrier, which had become too slippery for his liking. 'There are players with whom it's a little more complicated. He's one of them. It's all good, all good or all bad,' said a philosophical Vaillant. 'It's a hose pipe, there's no meter on it. Human error is possible,' he admits, while pointing to players who ask to 'only water their part of the court, or behind the baseline'. A bucket of clay at the Court Philippe-Chatrier, ahead of French Open 2025 at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris May 21, 2025. — AFP pic Memories to savour For the temporary workers, the enemy is not so much the sun as the intermittent rain. 'The days of rolling out the tarp and removing it can be a bit tough' physically, points out Laurence, but that hasn't stopped her coming back for an eighth Roland Garros. 'It's very friendly, we come from all over France, that's what makes the adventure so charming.' 'Coming to Roland Garros is the ultimate thing, it's a mythical place. We're like kids, we keep the flame burning,' laughs Vincent, in his fifties. An employee sprays water on the Court Philippe-Chatrier, ahead of the French Open 2025 tat the Roland Garros Complex in Paris May 21, 2025. — AFP pic For Aurelien, he cherishes the connection that will forever link him to record 14-time champion Rafael Nadal. 'I've prepared courts for Nadal,' he says, 'It's still a privilege. Tennis fans would write a huge check to be in my shoes.' — AFP
