STMA 214 - European Field Maintenance at Real Madrid and

Campey Turf Care Systems

Simon Gumbrill Sales Director

European Field Maintenance at

Real Madrid CF and

Manchester United Football Club.

• The two most famous soccer clubs in the World.

• The style of play requires smooth, fast and

consistent playing surfaces.

• Unique mechanical methods of preparation are

used on the playing surfaces at the two clubs

and throughout Europe.

Paul Burgess

The key to a good pitch?

Being strong at points of stress!

Paul Burgess Summary of Career History

• Aged 21

Head Groundsman at Highbury and Emirates Stadium,

Arsenal Football Club, UK.

• Aged 25

Advisor for;

Union of European Football Association (UEFA) for Euro 2004 and 2008.

Champions League.

Football Federation.

• Aged 30

Head hunted by Real Madrid CF for the position of Grounds Manager.

Steve Braddock and Paul Burgess

Paul Burgess Summary of Career History

• 6 times, out of his 9 years as a Premier League Groundsman,

Paul has been nominated and won the Premier League Groundsman.

• Paul has won the prestigious Institute of Groundsmanship Award.

• 7 re-turfs

• 3 artificial construction.

• 5 under-soil heating installations.

• 7 full natural pitch constructions.

• Various constructions on top of this as a consultant.

• 1 stadium from scratch – Emirates Stadium, Arsenal Football Club.

• 1st to introduce lights to TREAT A WHOLE PITCH.

Paul Burgess Grounds Manager - Real Madrid CF

Real Madrid Santiago Bernabeu Stadium pitch and a further 11

football pitches at the training ground, including various projects we

have around the World.

Where is Real Madrid CF? • Located in central Spain at 2,133ft above sea level = officially a mountain.

• Madrid is the 3rd largest city in Europe.

• Maritime climate – warm summers / cold winters.

• Summer temperature 100+F (average).

• 15.1” of rain a year (average).

• 58 days of rain a year.

• 2,691 hours of sunshine a year.

Real Madrid

• Is the richest football club in the world generating

$632 million US dollars in 2011, for the seventh year running.

Paul Burgess Real Madrid CF

• 85,000 capacity at Bernabeu Stadium

Bernabeu Stadium

• Diversity

• Unique situation

• Versatility


• €160m training complex

• 6 ½ natural pitches

• 4 ½ plastic pitches

• 43,000m2 of gardens (5 pitches worth)

• 17 teams – hire

• 8 stadiums in training centre

• 4 heated pitches

• Fully automated pitch covering system

• 6 – 9 hours play a week on each pitch

• 10 – 15 plastic


• 2 / 3 people at Stadium

• 6 – 6 people and a mechanic at training ground

• 6 gardeners

• 365 days p/a

• 6 – 10mm per day

of irrigation in

the summer

(grey water)

Grass Species

• Rye and Poa Pratensis (Blue)

• Transitional zone – cool season

• Heat is a problem – Rye

• Bermuda not popular with the players

• Rye preferred

• Winter

• 2 renovations per year,

1 x Spring – aggressive

1 x Autumn

• Challenges – altitude and a transitional region


• Light Koro 60 – 100% removed

• 30 tons of sand spread with a Dakota Turf Tender

• Koro Recycling Dresser – used in 2 directions and is Paul’s favourite machine

• Refresh

• Level with Koro Harrows

• 3 passes with the Vredo overseeder

• 1 pass with the Raycam Aeraseeder

• 30 tons of sand spread again with a Dakota

• Aerate with a Imants Shockwave

• Fertilize - seaweed

Paul Burgess Spring Renovations – Bernabeu Stadium / Training

Ground

Paul Burgess Spring Renovations - Bernabeu Stadium

Training Ground • The condition of the pitches at the training ground

pre April 2009 to …….

Training Ground

• Scarify 30 – 40%

• Koro Recycle Dresser – one pass

• Overseed with a Vredo or a Raycam Seeder

• 30 tons of sand with a Dakota Turf Tender

• Aerate with a Imants Shockwave

• Fertilizer - seaweed

Paul Burgess

Autumn Renovations – Training Ground

Training Ground

Paul Burgess

Machinery used at Real Madrid

Decompaction

Paul Burgess


Surface removal

/ hygiene

Paul Burgess


Paul Burgess


Topdressing

Paul Burgess


Paul Burgess


Scarification

Paul Burgess


Seeding

Paul Burgess


Pitch marking

Paul Burgess

Unique working practices at Real Madrid

• Imants Root Pruner – adapted to pull 30 kilometres of

under soil heating pipes into training pitch 3!

Night Time Turf Job

Night Time Turf Job

Stadium is “An Event Hall”





• Swimming Pool

Celebrating Winning the Spanish

League

Celebrating Winning the Spanish

League

Press Criticism

Alternative Events

Tennis

Alternative Events

Tennis

Alternative Events

Tennis

“The key to a good pitch?

Being strong at points of stress!!”

Always True Professionals

Manchester United Football Club

“Reaction and awareness is key to create and

maintain quality playing surfaces”.

Joe Pemberton

Where is Manchester United FC? • Located in Trafford, near Manchester in the North West of England.

• 14th largest city in Europe

• Maritime climate – warm summers / cold winters

• 32” of rain a year (average)

• 140 days of rain a year

• 1399 hours of sunshine a year

Manchester United FC • Is considered the best supported football (soccer) club in

the world with an estimated 660million followers

worldwide - nearly a 10th of the 7billion global

population.

• 110million in China, only 3% in UK.

I offer advice and guidance to

Manchester United on team

performance. Manchester City Football Club

Manchester United

Training Ground

• Manchester United 1st team training facility, reserves and academy

Joe Pemberton

Training Ground

Manchester United FC

• 16 fields

• 2 plastic

• 14 staff

Manchester United

Key Objectives • A playing surface to replicate Old Trafford, and other surfaces within

the English Premier League.

Manchester United

• “The standard of playing surfaces in the English Premier League in

my opinion as a whole is one of the best group of winter surfaces in

the world” – Simon Gumbrill.

Emirates Stadium, Arsenal Football Club, UK.

Manchester United

• A very tough target when;

1st team Training Pitches get used for 11 months of the year.

The pitches are trained on twice a day, between 3 and 3 ½ hours.

• The Reserve Team also use the areas on certain occasions,

so in total used 7 days a week.

Manchester United

• In the season, the pitches are trained on each morning from

10.30am until 12.30pm.

Manchester United

Manchester United

Renovations

Manchester United

Manchester United

Renovations

Manchester United

Renovations

Surface removal

Manchester United

Renovations

Sand spreading

Manchester United

Renovations

Reseed

Manchester United

Renovations

Grow in – 7 days from seeding

Manchester United

Renovations

Grow in – 10 - 14 days

Manchester United

Renovations

Grow in – 21 - 28 days

Manchester United

Renovations

In play – 6 weeks later

Manchester United

1st team pitch

Manchester United

January 2010

Manchester United

January 2010

Manchester United

Campey-Imants booth 343

Documents

STMA 214 - European Field Maintenance at Real Madrid and