Turf Talking with the Head Groundsmen at Lord’s and St. George’s Park

15th Nov 2019

It’s been a busy few weeks for The Slatter Group, with representatives from S&C Slatter and White Horse Contractors exhibiting at some of our industry’s biggest events, including the Sports Amenities Landscaping Trade Exhibition, aka SALTEX 2019!

Scott Brooks, Head of Grounds and Estate, St. George’s Park
Karl McDermott, Head Groundsman, Lord’s

Exclusive Q&A with Karl McDermott and Scott Brooks

We were thrilled to be joined on stand by two of the industry’s finest Head Groundsmen. Scott Brooks of St. George’s Park (England Football) and Karl McDermott of Lord’s (England Cricket) took part in our exclusive live Q&A, moderated by Martin Smart of Turf Business.

The Q&A drew in a sizeable crowd, with questions coming in from the audience, twitter, email – and even overseas! But that’s not surprising given there were magnums of champagne on offer for the top 3 questions…

Keeping it Real

Even Real Madrid’s Director of Grounds and Environment, Paul Burgess, got in on the action with an impromptu phone call midway through the Q&A. He took the opportunity to ask Scott and Karl their thoughts about environmental responsibility at their respective clubs.

The industry giants discussed everything from environmental issues to advances in technology, how to take on criticism and even how best to follow your turf management dreams!

Missed the Q&A at SALTEX?

We’ve got you covered. You can watch the Q&A in full below:

You can also skip to a question of your choice by selecting one from the full list below!

00:12 Are both of your organisations fully organic now? If they are, have you seen any benefits yet?

 

01:30 Karl McDermott, do you have a plan of action for tackling fairy rings on the cricket square at Lord’s?

 

02:08 Could the whole industry benefit from steam sterilisation?

 

03:02 Should you let your work speak for itself or should you be banging down the door for your next opportunity?

 

04:09 Paul Burgess, Director of Groundsmen and Environment, Read Madrid: “Do you think that groundsmen should take a bigger role in the environmental policy of the club as a whole?”

 

05:02 (Continued) Should you let your work speak for itself or should you be banging down the door for your next opportunity?

 

07:21 Groundsmen and Greenkeepers are under more scrutiny these days. For example, Karl –  England won the Cricket World Cup but the pitch received some criticism from Joe Root, how does that affect you?

 

09:28 What’s the best feedback you’ve ever had from a player?

 

10:40 Scott Brooks, the status of turf care professionals is something you’re keen to raise, how can others in the industry do the same?

 

12:23 Advances in technology have helped you, but do they also force you to raise your game when looking to the future?

 

A huge thanks to Scott, Karl, Martin and everyone who attended the Q&A or got in touch to ask a question. SALTEX was a huge success and we look forward to doing it all again next year!

If you missed us at Saltex and want to learn more about The Slatter Group offerings, get in touch on 01635 345 21 or email info@theslattergroup.com

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