Tottenham Hotspur FC grounds manager Darren Baldwin has chosen a SISIS tractor mounted brush combination of a Zig Zag brush and Flexibcomb which have been fitted to a Twinplay frame for use on both the synthetic and natural surfaces at the club’s new training ground in Enfield.
As grounds manager, Darren is responsible for both the training ground and stadium pitch at White Hart Lane, overseeing a team of over 20. Part of his day-to-day duties include the maintenance of both the one and a half outdoor and one 70 x 50 metre indoor synthetic pitches at the training ground, which are used 7-days-a-week.
With that amount of activity; it is vitally important a regular maintenance programme is followed to keep the synthetic surfaces in tip-top condition at all times. This involves a combination of light or heavy brushes to even out the distribution of rubber crumb on a daily basis.
The SISIS Flexicomb has 52 sets of polypropylene bristles which can be made stiffer or softer by simple adjustment of the crossbar. On synthetic surfaces the Flexicomb grooms the pitch, standing up the carpet fibres and returns the surface to a perfect playing condition ensuring an even distribution of infill material. The system is also justas effective on natural turf and can, depending on the chosen setting, be used as a brush or as a rake – versatility which has impressed Darren.
“The main reason for our use of the Flexicomb is its versatility. Not only do we use it on the synthetic pitches but also our natural pitches. We find it useful to use after training sessions where we will go over the area with the brushes which stands the grass up ready for us to hoover up any debris.”