Saints Bring In New Turf Machinery At Training Ground
Plans have recently been approved to add six new pitches to Southampton Football Club’s Staplewood training ground, increasing the total number to 11.
With more than double the number of pitches to manage going forward, Saints have invested in new Toro turf machinery at the facility as part of a recent £85,000 order placed with distributor Lely UK.
Saints’ grounds manager Andy Gray and his team with their new Toro machines.
Saints’ grounds manager Andy Gray says: “The demands and expectations surrounding pitch preparation, maintenance and presentation for both the stadium and training grounds are rigorous and high.
“I’ve worked here for 15 years and we’ve always used Toro. There’s a reason why I stick with Toro time after time and that’s because I know I can trust it to get the job done to the highest standards. And even though I rarely, if ever, need it, the back-up and after-sales service you get from Lely is reliable and efficient, and a reassurance to have.”
In particular, Andy had been so impressed with a Reelmaster 3100-D he bought a year ago that, when the club came to choosing its new machinery fleet this time round, he put another of the units at the top of his list.
“The Reelmaster 3100-D is known for its superior performance on all types of turf and the fleet we’ve put together works for us and allows us to maintain the pitch for Premier League status. The fact that the machines are red and black is a bonus!
“Usually we do ask in a few machinery makes to demo but this time we didn’t. We decided to go like for like or for newer models of the Toro machines we already had.”
His RM3100-D, a firm favourite with many professional football clubs, has been joined at the Staplewood site by other Toro equipment comprising a ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator and Workman MDX-D utility vehicle, together with a TYM T503 compact tractor, also from Lely, to help with aerating, brushing, spraying and application of fertilisers.
