POTTERS BAR BC COUPLE WIN INSTITUTE OF GROUNDSMANSHIP AWARD FOR GREENKEEPING EXPERTISE
The dedication and skill of the husband and wife volunteer greenkeepers at Potters Bar Bowls Club in Hertfordshire has earned them the Institute of Groundsmanship Bowling Greenkeeper/Team of the Year Award at this year’s IOG Industry Awards.
In a prestigious ceremony at the National Conference Centre, within the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham hosted by talkSPORT radio presenter Mark Saggers, the award was presented to Rod and Sandra Smale by ex-Arsenal footballer Perry Groves in front of an audience of almost 700 of the UK’s and Europe’s leading groundscare experts, as well as dignitaries from the governing bodies of sport and influential sports administrators.
With 52 women and 77 men members, Potters Bar Bowls Club’s green was originally laid in 1929 and was formerly regarded as a ‘roll up and play’ club. However, in recent years the members became more interested in competitive play and were demanding a better playing surface.
Rod, 72, and 69-year-old Sandra took over maintenance of the six-rink green in 2014 after the committee gave them a simple remit: “the green is getting worse each year – can you improve it?”
Working to a limited budget, the duo set about the task.
Aided by two helpers who work to a rota established by Rod and Sandra, the green is now tended every day for a regular programme of mowing, dew brushing and rink marking, and the like.
Hollow coring, tining and topdressing is also under their remit, and the regime also includes a working party on three morning each week for jobs such as hedge trimming.
Inheriting a green where most of the edges were broken and covered in moss, Sandra worked her way all round removing and, for example, re-seeding where necessary. All the edges are now cut at the beginning of each season and trimmed each week with a modified domestic lawn edger that sees all the edges trimmed in just seven minutes.
The result is that the members and visiting clubs now comment on how much better the rinks play from mid-April through to the end of September – for example, green speed has increased from nine seconds at the start of season to 10.5-11 seconds, increasing through the summer to 12-12.5 seconds compared to 10 seconds.
Indeed, the club has consequently attained greater success at all levels of competition, achieving seven appearances during the past two years in the Bowls England National Championships – a feat previously not even dreamt of!
As part of his ‘duties’, Rod also services the equipment used and has either rebuilt, renovated or modified much of the machinery – for example, retrofitting a battery and controls to motorise a roller, in addition to his innovative work with the lawn edger.
Organised by the IOG - the leading membership organisation for everyone involved in the management of sports pitches, landscape and amenity facilities – the annual awards embrace categories of entry covering sport, young people and the environment.
The awards highlight the high standards of volunteer and professional groundsmanship, from grassroots to professional stadia level. They are judged by an independent panel on criteria that include effective use of resources, budgetary control, presentation and housekeeping standards, as well as environmental considerations.
Commenting on the high standard of award winners, IOG chief executive Geoff Webb, says: “With a record number of entries, this year’s awards continue to demonstrate the skills and passion of groundsmanship throughout the UK, at both voluntary and professional level.
“Winning an award is testament to the dedication of the grounds teams and individuals whose ability to produce and maintain ever-improving playing surfaces – which enables more games to take place - goes largely unnoticed.”
With headline sponsorship by Rigby Taylor and Top Green, the 2017 IOG Industry Awards are also sponsored by the AELTC, CubCadet Infinicut, DLF, ECB, The FA, GrassMaster, Growth Products, Headland Amenity, John Deere, Johnsons Seeds, Kubota, the LTA, Mansfield Sand, the Premier League, Ransomes, Redexim Charterhouse, the RFL, the RFU, Rigby Taylor, SGL, SISGrass, Toro and Top Green.
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