We are at the time of year where are preparing the pitches for the forthcoming winter. Our pitches are all 100% natural and require a fairly intense programme of works to keep them in tiptop condition. Working with Nature sometimes means that things do not always go to plan. Through the pre-season months of July and early August, Suffolk went through the driest spell for years. Weather watchers claim our rainfall is 40% down on the average. Grasses, particularly Ryegrasses, begin to stress. To try and ease this stress we have pumped millions of gallons of water over that period. Thankfully we have now had some rain and temperatures have returned too normal. Over recent weeks we have applied a general fungicide to stave of any potential problems as we enter autumn. We have also applied a 6:5:10 granular fertiliser as part of our feeding programme. This will see the pitches through to December when we will apply a turf tonic to keep things ticking over. Early October also saw us apply the 6^th and final application for year of the growth regulator Primo Maxx. This product restricts plant growth upwards diverting energy downwards and out wards. We have used it now for three years and the density of the sward and rooting is impressive. All the pitches have been aerated. This is one of the key tasks we carry out. Mowing is now being scaled down to three times per week. We mow daily from early March to October and the reduction in frequency will give us time to pick up other essential maintenance tasks.

Promoting the sector

Working in Professional sport is demanding and career development sometimes is as much being in the right place at the right time as well as having a comprehensive knowledge of the job. Much is being made of the lack of young groundsmen coming into our industry. For years the profession of the groundsman was not held in to high esteem in many quarters. The Institute has done much work in recent years under the guidance of Chief Executive Geoff Webb to improve this. Geoff has worked as an administrator in sport for many years and is certainly using all his contacts to further our cause.

The minister of Sport Gerry Sutcliffe addressed our morning session and it was heartening to hear backing for our industry from a high level. It was equally heartening to see young groundsmen being honoured for their early efforts in the industry. The categories of Young Student of the Year and Young Groundsmen of the Year showed that at last there is quality coming through.  Through the day I attended a meeting of the Premiership groundsmen forum. I was sitting in as an observer for Football league groundsmen. Later this year the groundsmen in the Football league will have there own forum. The Forum is being facilitated by the Institute and will help groundsmen throughout the 72 clubs deal with key issues that affect their jobs on a day-to-day basis.

Through my blog I am going to try and give an insight to daily life at a professional football club. Towards the end of last season the club parted company with the then manager Jim Magilton. Jim was very popular at the club having been a player for seven years many as captain before becoming manager. His successor was none other than Roy Keane and you could have knocked me over with a feather when I was told who my new boss was to be. Roy Keane is a huge name in the game having captained Manchester United to many trophies at home and abroad. He also had huge success with the Republic of Ireland. The expectancy level among the fans went into orbit when he led the side to two impressive victories at the end of the last season. You can imagine the bewilderment then when after 13 games this season we find ourselves at the bottom of the Championship.

Signs are after many comings and goings over the summer and several changes around our training facility we are starting to play like we can. The boys were unlucky last time out against Watford when a goal in injury time denied us our first win of the season. When the boys are struggling every one at the club feels it. When they cross the line on a Saturday you become as big a fan as the next man or woman in the ground. The trouble is because you are there every day through the week you feel the agony and ecstasy of every loss or win more. This week has been a busy one as we have had two home games in the Championship. Having two games in a week as well as having to facilitate all the squads training along with the academy training meant we did not have to look to far for our next job. Happily the main pitch played well on both games.

This week also sees the beginning of half term. It is the time of the season when the club bring in trialists from all over in an effort to unearth the clubs next star. We have always been a selling club and always will be and I'm sure it will not be to long before the next young player is being sold into the Premiership. This weekend things will be a little easier as the first team play away to Plymouth. The academy have four games scheduled over the weekend for the school boy age groups which will see us work for a little while both days before the second half term week.