Norwich City Football Club is reaping the benefits of the latest Hunter Industries irrigation technology after new systems were installed at both the Carrow Road Stadium and the Club’s training ground; the Lotus Training Centre.  

The system, which was purchased through KAR UK – a distributor of Hunter Industries irrigation equipment, consists of a variety of G995, I-40 and I-80 rotary sprinklers, ICV valves, an ACC2 controller with Wi-Fi, a Roam remote and the ST1600 system for synthetic turf. 

The Lotus Training Centre Grounds Supervisor, James Randell explained that the new technology was much needed: “We had to change our old irrigation system because we just didn’t have enough stations. Previously we used to get by but when we launched the Lotus Academy there was no doubt about it that we needed to upgrade.  

“We spoke to KAR UK about the situation and Mike McDonnell (KAR UK Sales Manager) came to visit and advised on what would work best for us. The systems were installed in April last year and we’ve noticed some huge improvements.” 

As James says, Norwich City FC has just seen the completion of a £5m project which saw the construction of new state-of-the-art Academy facilities at the Lotus Training Centre. With the addition of new natural and synthetic pitches along with the increasing demand for better quality playing surfaces, it was imperative that the club invested in a superior irrigation system.

With this in mind the club opted for the most technologically advanced commercial rotor on the market – the all-new Hunter I-80 gear-driven rotor. 

Engineered specifically for sports turf, the I-80 is built with a robust, dirt-tolerant gear drive that offers the highest torque output of any rotor in the commercial sphere, and extends a radius range from 11.3 to 29.6 meters. The I-80 features a wide range of highly efficient, dual-trajectory, wind-fighting nozzles for highly efficient performance in a range of applications. It also provides total top serviceability (TTS) via its integrated, surface-mounted snap-ring for no-dig easy maintenance. 

“We had 32 I-80’s installed and they are phenomenal,” said James. “Prior to these being installed we couldn’t get the grass to grow around the pop-ups. But with these new I-80 heads, with the nozzles and the spray pattern, they are a lot better and the growth this year has been amazing.”  

With the I-80’s working wonders on the pitches at the training centre, James has also been blown away with the results from using the ACC2 controller which is ideal for delivering advanced water management to meet the demands of large-scale commercial projects and the Roam remote – which eliminates the need to go back and forth to the sprinkler controller. 

“The controls are very easy to use and the remote allows you, no matter where you are onsite, to activate any of the sprinklers at any time. If for example, one of the coaches wanted to irrigate one of the pitches just before the players came onto the pitch then we can easily do that at just the click of a button.  

“Overall, this new system has signalled some huge improvements. It has given us greater flexibility, is more accurate and because it is more accurate, we have seen a lot less water wastage. We have really enjoyed the Hunter Industries experience and KAR UK has provided an excellent service – they are always on hand to offer advice and are incredibly reliable.” 

www.hunterindustries.com