GROUNDS MAINTENANCE
Leicester City FC chooses John Deere technology
ased at Leicester City
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Football Club ’ s new state-of-the-art training facility in Seagrave , north Leicestershire , the club ’ s Sports Turf Academy aims to inspire the next generation of sports turf students by offering an elite training environment , with access to the latest technology and expertise .
The Academy is built around four distinct pillars – Education & Training , Technical Services , Tournament Support and Trials & Research – to support the development , diversification and professionalisation of the sports turf industry .
The 185-acre complex at Seagrave has 21 playing surfaces in total , including 14 full-size pitches – one indoors in the King Power Centre – and two show pitches for use in selected matches by the club ’ s Development Squad and Academy . There is also a 9-hole private golf course , for use by players and staff .
These are now being maintained by a new fleet of 32 John Deere sprayers , mowers , compact tractors and Gator utility vehicles supplied by local dealer Farol Ltd at Hinckley , which will also be supported by the dealership ’ s brand new outlet at Newark .
Machines include two GPS PrecisionSprayers based on the ProGator utility vehicle , 8000E and 2750E hybrid electric ride-on cylinder mowers , 7700A PrecisionCut cylinder and 7400A TerrainCut rotary ride-on mowers with TechControl display , a 1600T widearea rotary mower , X950R rear-collect lawn tractor and Z997R zero-turn rotaries , 2036R and 3038R compacts , and TE electric and XUV 855 plus 855 S4 Gators .
Leicester City FC bought the first of the new environmentally friendly John Deere sprayers to be delivered to a non-golf customer in the UK , as part of the package agreement .
“ The Sports Turf Academy is designed to be a hub of innovation and professional development ,” says John Ledwidge , Leicester City FC ’ s head of sports turf & grounds . “ Our aim is to be world leaders in the training and education of the current and next generation of sports turf and grounds staff , while applying that learning to live working environments . As well as creating a world-class facility at our new training ground , we aspire to be world-class in the way we operate .
“ Adopting this new precision technology from John Deere will help in our aim to be as efficient and environmentally sustainable as possible in everything we do .
36 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | January 2022