Some good luck at Croke Park...
As I counted up the days I had left to explore Ireland, I realized that the chances of getting up to Croke Park in Dublin to see the field and a game of Gaelic football were dwindling. But, just as I was losing hope, I saw a Facebook post from the GCSAI about open slots for volunteers for the match day on Saturday. Immediately, I contacted the organizer of the volunteers and I got a spot on the volunteer crew.
That was the easy part.
Getting to the stadium on game day proved more difficult. After missing a bus, taking another one twenty minutes too far, and walking around the entire stadium twice to find the right gate, I began to think I'd missed my opportunity. The Irish hospitality, however, came through in the clutch.
A security guard pointed me in the right direction of the gate, a gentleman in the ticket booth gave me a wristband pass after hearing my story, and then directed me to the tunnel under the stadium, and a stadium garda showed me the ramp to the field. A human map if you will.
I arrived a bit late, but the other volunteers received me warmly, nonetheless. From there, the day flew by! I got a small tour of the main office for Pitch Management, I got to finally see the grow lights that I hear so much about on European fields, and I met Stuart Wilson, head superintendent, or, Pitch Manager here overseas.
The grow lights at the ready, under the stadium.
Stuart set me up with my job for the day of fixing divots between matches and at halftime of each match. This gave me the perfect opportunity to see the field up close, and get not only pictures, but divots to study. I can't imagine a better way to see a field than to be on it, working the turf by hand.
Between matches, I got to talk a little turf with Stuart. He was the assistant manager at Emirates Stadium (Arsenal F.C.) and Aviva before coming to Croke Park. So we talked a little about both operations at Croke and at Emirates.
Croke Park is home to the Gaelic Sports in Dublin, and hosts over 75 different events during the year... from hurling to Gaelic football, to concerts like One Direction next year. With this kind of intense schedule, Stuart is not just maintaining a pitch for one game a week, he sometimes only has a one day turnaround to take the field from post-match condition to game-ready shape.
Gaelic football.
Upon seeing the pitch up close, you can hardly tell it goes through such a rigorous season. It's a pristine stand of four different varieties of ryegrass that all work in harmony to bring out the best in the field no matter the weather. The turf however, doesn't do all the work, Stuart has three full time crew members, and ten 'divoters' who all work to keep the field in prime condition.
After going over the turf and the business of keeping up with a busy schedule, he shared a couple of the tricks he has implemented to have the pitch in top shape. A regular fertilizer program balancing slow release granular applications and spoon-fed foliar applications is the foundation, but a seaweed treatment with Seanypth brings out just the right color. A natural look.
On concert days, a plastic flooring called Rola Trac is vital for preserving the turf. Concerts take a heavy toll on fields, but the Rola Trac not only takes the brunt of the traffic, but acts as a small greenhouse for the turf underneath. He said it keeps a little warmth for the stand, like a grow mat for the field.
I eventually had to leave the stadium, but I didn't leave empty-handed. I met Johnny, Brian, Trevor, and Paddy... all superintendents in the east of Ireland, and great guys to volunteer with for a match day. And I had the opportunity to meet Stuart, a great mind in the field of turf, who manages one of the great pitches in Europe. Hopefully Ill get to come back up to work another match and soak up a little more of the hallowed ground.
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