Turf Business have teamed up with Leicester City FC’s Head of Sports Turf and Grounds, John Ledwidge, to deliver a new initiative known as TurfForce. The idea behind the project was based around the popular BBC show ‘Ground Force,’ which saw English gardener Alan Titchmarsh make over gardens for well-deserving recipients. TurfForce brings this concept to turfcare, renovating a playing surface for a hard-working and well-loved grassroots club.
Turf Force kicked off on 15th March at Highfield Rangers FC in Leicester and thanks to the generosity of eight sponsors, Barenbrug, Total Amenity Solutions, Hewitts Sportsturf, Mansfield Sand, Nutrigrow, Harrod Sport, Leicester City Sports Turf Academy and AMS Robotics, one pitch at Highfield Rangers is undergoing a full renovation.
Barenbrug is proud to have teamed up with Turf Business and John Ledwidge to offer a helping hand by donating Elite Sport to help renovate the playing surface.
The first stage of the project started with pitch preperation:
- The top layer of turf was removed, a renovator was used to turn and loosen the soil, and bull dozers levelled and flattened the pitch out.
- It was then top dressed with sand and sown with Barenbrug’s Elite Sport grass.
- Lastly, wetting agents and fertilisers were applied - and all of this was done in only two weeks, all whilst avoiding the bad weather!
Depending on the weather conditions, it is hopeful that the new pitch will be fully established and ready to play on by June/July. The club will benefit hugely from the completed renovation, making the pitch a much better surface to play football and develop skills on for young hopefuls.
Highfield Rangers FC was formed over 50 years ago, after being converted from a landfill site. Throughout the years, the club rooms have been renovated, but the pitch has often been forgotten.
Coverage of this project has been filmed since the outset and continues to be for a special program, set to be shown on Turf Business TV’s video channel, with additional coverage across Turf Business.
