Belstone FC, a football club based in Radlett, formerly part of the Herts Senior Country League Premier Division and now this season members of the Combined Counties Football League, is now reaping the rewards of automation, following receiving a gifted Husqvarna Automower 550 EPOS, thanks to Husqvarna’s new ‘Get Your Pitch Right’ initiative.
The club received its mower in April as part of Husqvarna’s grassroots initiative, which was launched in partnership with the Grounds Management Association (GMA).
Throughout the remainder of 2024, the joint venture with the GMA will see a further 9 grassroots sports clubs across the country benefit from free of charge professional robotic installations alongside access to expert training and guidance on how to achieve the perfect pitch.
Since April, Belstone FC has been enjoying a host of benefits following its installation. Husqvarna spoke with Glynne Cherrington, founding member and groundsman at Belstone FC, about the positive impact robotics has had on their football pitch and overall club operations.
When did you first hear about robotic technology for pitch maintenance?
“I first heard about robotic technology for general grass cutting from a friend who had a large garden, but I wasn’t familiar with its use for pitch maintenance until Husqvarna introduced it to us, we haven’t looked back since.”
How does your Automower® 550 EPOS operate?
“Our Automower® 550 EPOS covers the main pitch which is 100m x 64m in size. It operates every night from midnight and completes the pitch around mid-afternoon, except on match days, when it isn’t in operation. It’s a really efficient system that ensures our pitch is consistently well-maintained.”
What challenges did you face beforehand with pitch maintenance?
"Our main pitch sits on London clay, which has limited drainage, making it quite soft and challenging for traditional cutting methods, especially with small garden tractors. While we still face issues like disease and worm casting, the Automower® has eliminated the worry of compacting the ground during our autumn and spring cutting schedules."
What has your robotics journey been like so far?
"The journey has been nothing but positive. The grass on our main pitch is kept shorter and healthier because we only cut small amounts each day. It’s been a big change for the club and has freed up around six hours a week during the growing season and roughly two hours a week in the late autumn.”
What differences have you seen at Belstone since switching to robotics?
"From an aesthetic point of view, the grass is noticeably shorter, tidier, and healthier. The consistent cutting schedule has contributed significantly to the overall quality of the playing surface too, and we’ve had positive feedback from the players so far about the enhanced look and underfoot training and playing quality.”
What have been the key benefits?
"The main benefits we’ve noticed so far are reduced compaction, healthier grass, and more time for me to focus on other important maintenance jobs around the club, such as spreading fertiliser, divotting, weeding, forking and spreading sand.”
What has the response been like from the players?
"The players have shown a lot of interest in the new technology. They’ve been intrigued by how the Automower® works, and they’re pleased with the improved quality of the playing surface – it’s given them a much better surface to play on."
Currently, Husqvarna has sold over 50,000 professional autonomous mowers worldwide, with many of its professional products and machines installed across golf courses and sporting facilities in the UK. Husqvarna’s advanced solutions provide several benefits including significantly reducing overall costs for sports clubs and facilities, improving the quality of the turf, and allowing staff to focus on more rewarding tasks.
