GROUNDSKEEPING
RIGBY TAYLOR AND
MAIDSTONE RUGBY
PITCH IN TO IMPROVE PLAYING SURFACES
A week is a long time in politics,
according to the idiom. But for
Bob Hayton, grounds chairman at
Maidstone Rugby, deciding whether
to aerate or apply fertiliser, for
example – or to delay either for a
few days – can, he says, make all the
difference to successful pitch care.
“The weather can change so quickly,”
he says, “so it is crucial to time any
application of granular feed for
when rain is forecast within a day
or two. Likewise, there’s wisdom in
holding back on aerating when it is
very wet, whatever the size of the
tractor.”
Groundscare ‘rules’ such as these
were imparted to Bob two years
ago when, with no sports field
groundscare experience but lots of
enthusiasm for improved pitches
spurred by his spell as a player for
the rugby union club’s veterans
squad, he took the reins as volunteer
grounds chairman of the Kent-based
club whose 1st XV competes in the
London 2 South League.
“I ‘shadowed’ my predecessor for
a couple of years before I took
on the role so I knew something
about pitch care, including the
importance of correctly timing
certain maintenance routines,” says
Bob, who adds:
“The former grounds chairman –
who I actually work for and is a
successful local farmer and a great
sponsor of the club – achieved great
improvements to the pitches, and
he impressed on me that knowing
when to do things and when not is
key to keeping the pitches playable
and presentable. I follow his mantra
of ‘the difference between a good
farmer and bad one can be just a
week; the trick is doing the right
things at the right time’.”
The three pitches are natural grass on
soil, on clay, “and while there is some
drainage, to be honest we are not sure
where they are and what state they
are in! The pitches are effectively
‘tiered’ on a sloping site next to a large
car park which means we get a lot of
water run off when it rains”.
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