Visitors
to this year's SALTEX (Sports Amenity & Landscape Trade Exhibition) have a
unique opportunity to gather best-in-class sports turf management advice from
world-leading and award-winning grounds professionals in the Institute of
Groundsmanship's (IOG) Ask the Expert advice centre.
The
extensive team of industry experts in the IOG Hub at the heart of the SALTEX
showground will include head groundsmen from Real Madrid, Twickenham, Wembley
and Wimbledon, plus IOG Award winners.
Also
in attendance will be national manager Jason Booth and the eight regional pitch
advisors from the Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme, the new £1.3
million programme funded by national governing bodies of sports, Sport England
and the IOG.
Adrian
Kay, head groundsman at York Racecourse and winner in 2013 of the IOG John Deere
Professional Horse Racing Groundsman of the Year and IOG Alex R Miller
DLF/Johnsons Groundsman of the Year, will be available for one-to-one advice,
plus Young IOG Board directors Will Graves and Iestyn John will advise younger
visitors about career prospects and industry
opportunities.
The
extensive list of world-leading grounds professionals taking part in the Ask the
Expert advice service include:
-
Paul Burgess, head groundsman, Real Madrid FC
- Darren Baldwin, grounds manager
Tottenham Hotspur FC
- Peter Craig, grounds manager, The Hurlingham Club
- Dan
Duffy, head groundsman, Liberty Stadium
- Keith Kent, head groundsman,
Twickenham Stadium
- Graham Kimpton, head groundsman, The Queen's Club
- John
Ledwidge, head groundsman, Leicester City FC
- David Roberts, grounds manager,
Charterhouse School
- Dougie Robertson, head groundsman, West Ham United FC
- Tony Stones, head groundsman, Wembley
- Neil Stubley, head groundsman, All
England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (Wimbledon)
- Chris Wood, ECB Pitches
Consultant
The
IOG award winners in attendance will be:
- Steve Ascott, head groundsman, St Albans School and member of the 2103 IOG
School, College or University Sports Club Grounds Team of the Year
- Rob
Bradshaw, head groundsman, One Leisure, winner of 2013 IOG Kubota/Redexim
Charterhouse Best Maintained Artificial Pitch
- Stephen Fidler, St James
Independent Boys School, winner of 2013 IOG Toro School, College or University
Sports Club Groundsman of the Year
- Ryan Golding, head groundsman, Leeds Rugby
and winner of 2013 IOG Rigby Taylor/Top Green Young Groundsman of the Year
- Neil Harvey, 2012 Professional Tennis Groundsman of the Year
- Rod
Heyhoe, 2012 Volunteer Sports Groundsman of the Year
- Mike Hitt, 2012 School,
College, University Sports Club Groundsman of the Year
- Susan Lawrence, 2012
Sherriff Amenity Most Promising Sportsturf Student of the Year
- Ian Smith, St
Albans School, and member of 2013 IOG School, College or University Sports Club
Grounds Team of the Year
- Andy Spetch, 2010 Volunteer Groundsman of the Year
- Martin Stephenson, Ashbrooke Sports Club, 2013 Most Promising Sports Turf
Student of the Year
