stma 214 - european field maintenance at real madrid and
TRANSCRIPT
European Field Maintenance at
Real Madrid CF and
Manchester United Football Club.
• The two most famous soccer clubs in the World.
• The style of play requires smooth, fast and
consistent playing surfaces.
• Unique mechanical methods of preparation are
used on the playing surfaces at the two clubs
and throughout Europe.
Paul Burgess Summary of Career History
• Aged 21
Head Groundsman at Highbury and Emirates Stadium,
Arsenal Football Club, UK.
• Aged 25
Advisor for;
Union of European Football Association (UEFA) for Euro 2004 and 2008.
Champions League.
Football Federation.
• Aged 30
Head hunted by Real Madrid CF for the position of Grounds Manager.
Steve Braddock and Paul Burgess
Paul Burgess Summary of Career History
• 6 times, out of his 9 years as a Premier League Groundsman,
Paul has been nominated and won the Premier League Groundsman.
• Paul has won the prestigious Institute of Groundsmanship Award.
• 7 re-turfs
• 3 artificial construction.
• 5 under-soil heating installations.
• 7 full natural pitch constructions.
• Various constructions on top of this as a consultant.
• 1 stadium from scratch – Emirates Stadium, Arsenal Football Club.
• 1st to introduce lights to TREAT A WHOLE PITCH.
Paul Burgess Grounds Manager - Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid Santiago Bernabeu Stadium pitch and a further 11
football pitches at the training ground, including various projects we
have around the World.
Where is Real Madrid CF? • Located in central Spain at 2,133ft above sea level = officially a mountain.
• Madrid is the 3rd largest city in Europe.
• Maritime climate – warm summers / cold winters.
• Summer temperature 100+F (average).
• 15.1” of rain a year (average).
• 58 days of rain a year.
• 2,691 hours of sunshine a year.
Real Madrid
• Is the richest football club in the world generating
$632 million US dollars in 2011, for the seventh year running.
Paul Burgess Real Madrid CF
• €160m training complex
• 6 ½ natural pitches
• 4 ½ plastic pitches
• 43,000m2 of gardens (5 pitches worth)
• 17 teams – hire
• 8 stadiums in training centre
• 4 heated pitches
• Fully automated pitch covering system
• 6 – 9 hours play a week on each pitch
• 10 – 15 plastic
Paul Burgess Real Madrid CF
• 2 / 3 people at Stadium
• 6 – 6 people and a mechanic at training ground
• 6 gardeners
• 365 days p/a
• 6 – 10mm per day
of irrigation in
the summer
(grey water)
• Rye and Poa Pratensis (Blue)
• Transitional zone – cool season
• Heat is a problem – Rye
• Bermuda not popular with the players
• Rye preferred
• Winter
• 2 renovations per year,
1 x Spring – aggressive
1 x Autumn
• Challenges – altitude and a transitional region
Paul Burgess Real Madrid CF
• Light Koro 60 – 100% removed
• 30 tons of sand spread with a Dakota Turf Tender
• Koro Recycling Dresser – used in 2 directions and is Paul’s favourite machine
• Refresh
• Level with Koro Harrows
• 3 passes with the Vredo overseeder
• 1 pass with the Raycam Aeraseeder
• 30 tons of sand spread again with a Dakota
• Aerate with a Imants Shockwave
• Fertilize - seaweed
Paul Burgess Spring Renovations – Bernabeu Stadium / Training
Ground
• Scarify 30 – 40%
• Koro Recycle Dresser – one pass
• Overseed with a Vredo or a Raycam Seeder
• 30 tons of sand with a Dakota Turf Tender
• Aerate with a Imants Shockwave
• Fertilizer - seaweed
Paul Burgess
Autumn Renovations – Training Ground
Paul Burgess
Unique working practices at Real Madrid
• Imants Root Pruner – adapted to pull 30 kilometres of
under soil heating pipes into training pitch 3!
Where is Manchester United FC? • Located in Trafford, near Manchester in the North West of England.
• 14th largest city in Europe
• Maritime climate – warm summers / cold winters
• 32” of rain a year (average)
• 140 days of rain a year
• 1399 hours of sunshine a year
Manchester United FC • Is considered the best supported football (soccer) club in
the world with an estimated 660million followers
worldwide - nearly a 10th of the 7billion global
population.
• 110million in China, only 3% in UK.
I offer advice and guidance to
Manchester United on team
performance. Manchester City Football Club
Manchester United
Training Ground
• Manchester United 1st team training facility, reserves and academy
Manchester United
Key Objectives • A playing surface to replicate Old Trafford, and other surfaces within
the English Premier League.
Manchester United
• “The standard of playing surfaces in the English Premier League in
my opinion as a whole is one of the best group of winter surfaces in
the world” – Simon Gumbrill.
Emirates Stadium, Arsenal Football Club, UK.
Manchester United
• A very tough target when;
1st team Training Pitches get used for 11 months of the year.
The pitches are trained on twice a day, between 3 and 3 ½ hours.
• The Reserve Team also use the areas on certain occasions,
so in total used 7 days a week.
Manchester United
• In the season, the pitches are trained on each morning from
10.30am until 12.30pm.
Manchester United