SPORTS GROUND EQUIPMENT
Data a Crucial First Step for new Head Groundsman at
Harlequins F . C sing data and the
U
GrasPro system , Harlequins F . C Head Groundsman Adam Witchell has made a quick start to his first job in rugby .
With decades worth of experience in football , Adam brings extensive turf knowledge to the role , but knew there would be a learning curve with changing sports .
Working on behalf of Nurture Landscapes at The Stoop , Adam started in July 2022 . With the grow-in complete and no performance data to reference , he started collating information .
“ The first thing I wanted was a data recording platform , and GrasPro is always the one I will go straight to ,” he said .
“ I ’ ve always been quite data-driven . If I don ’ t have the numbers , I can ’ t just look at the pitch and work it out . Without the numbers , it ’ s just an opinion .
“ I think it ’ s beneficial straight away . For example , when recording the moisture levels and water , I could look back and think it seemed to get a bit more growth at these times . Using the weather reports , you can see the difference in temperature between the highs and lows and find out the evening temperatures were slightly colder at that time . So , it ’ s nothing to do with the products you ’ ve used .
You just didn ’ t have the residual temperature in the evening that will help the grass continue .
“ Regardless if there was performance quality data or not , I ’ d still be doing the same because this was all new to me . Even if there was data , I ’ d still want to see mine , because what I ’ m doing in rugby might not have the same outcome as it previously has on a football pitch .
“ So , I ’ ll know the products that have and haven ’ t worked during the growin . Next year , I can look at what I ’ ve done on the GrasPro system and alter and change . Even if it ’ s just the amount of product I put down or the regularity of applying it .”
18 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | March / April 2023