TOPDRESSING
4turf ® from Johnsons Sports Seed delivers a sustainable droughttolerant sward at Stoneham Lane
pened in late 2019 , Stoneham
O Lane Football Complex comprises 64sq . Km of artificial and natural sports pitches – supporting grass roots football for players of all ages and abilities . Part of the FA ’ s Parklife Project , the maintenance of the Complex falls under the remit of Hampshire FA Facility Operations Manager Pete Hussey who , in conjunction with seed from DLF , keeps the five grass pitches fit for more than 425 matches per season .
Alongside the Stoneham Lane facility in Eastleigh , Pete also manages operations at the Winklebury Football Complex in Basingstoke and the Front Lawn Community Hub in Havant – all designed to support and fund grass roots sport within the local area . “ I ’ ve been in this role for three and a half years , but have worked with DLF for 17 years , having used various seed formulations at my previous venue ” explains Pete .
“ When Stoneham was constructed , one of the major focuses was on drainage – giving us incredible infiltration rates in the region of 52mm per hour . However , the flip side of that is that we have no irrigation meaning that in the dry months , pitches struggle to retain moisture and thin out quickly .” Foreseeing the challenges that lay ahead , Pete spoke to his DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett to explore more droughttolerant varieties – and just in time , before one of the most prolonged
44 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | March / April 2023