Magazine - Book Review - Sports Ground Management A Complete Guide

By Laurence Gale MSc in Best of the Rest on 13th Feb 2010 21:25

All sports persons and players, at whatever level, need quality surfaces on which to play, and constructing, preparing and maintaining surfaces are all essential tasks carried out by professional groundspersons.

However, although looking after the playing surfaces is of crucial importance, the modern sports ground manager requires a large range of other skills and knowledge. There are resources to manage, events to organise and run, and a myriad of legislative and regulatory requirements to cope with.

Sports Ground Management is a comprehensive guide to the Management of Sports Facilities focusing on several key areas of management. The book has been written by one of the UK 's leading Sports Turf Lecturers, Stewart Brown, a Senior Lecturer at Myerscouth College.

The Author:

Stewart Brown is Team Leader for Sportsturf at Myerscough College in Lancashire, England, which is one of the largest providers of sportsturf education in Europe. He has been employed within the sportsturf and amenity horticulture industries for over twenty-eight years and is a researcher, a consultant, a regular contributor to the trade press and a frequent speaker at events and conferences.

Introduction:

The book is divided into four sections:

Part One: Management

· Sports ground Management & Administration
· Procurement and Contract Management
· Strategy, Management plans / Performance
· Event Management
· Health & Safety

Part Two: Construction, Development and Resourcing

· Sports Ground Construction and Development
· Mechanisation, Materials and Equipment Management

Part Three: Sports Pitches and Surfaces

· Winter Games Pitches
· Bowling Greens, Croquet and Petanque
· Cricket Pitches
· Tennis Courts
· Horse Racing Tracks and Polo Fields
· Synthetic Turf Pitches and Athletic Tracks

Part Four: Ancillary Areas and Issues

· Landscape Management
· Environmental Management
· Waste Management

The book is in a paperback form with 377 pages of information, illustrations and photographs. The book is well laid out and contains a wealth of detailed practical information that will be invaluable to Groundsmen, Greenkeepers, Turf Professionals and Students.

This book provides a contemporary, comprehensive insight into the maintenance and management of sports turf and amenity grass land. The information is presented well, simple to understand and is beneficial to Groundsmen and gtreenkeepers at all levels. The book features useful tables, illustrations and pictures highlighting the most up to date information and current practices being implemented in our industry.

I am sure it will be a useful reference resource for all Groundsmen/Greenkeepers, and Students coming into our industry. 

The book is on offer in the Pitchcare UK Shop

Published by the Crowood Press

Read more articles in Best of the Rest, by Laurence Gale MSc or from February 2010.