Club Brugge and the art of perfect greenery

Greenkeepers' Association of Belgium - 'When Football Meets Golf' 2024

On Thursday, March 28, Club Brugge's Jan Breydel Stadium hosted the "When Football Meets Golf" event, organized by the Belgian Greenkeepers Association (GAB) and sponsored by Covermaster. This informative networking event drew a full house from the early morning, with groundsmen from almost all the major soccer teams in the league, supplemented by some golf greenkeepers and leading figures from the green industry. The event proved to be another huge success. GreenPro took the opportunity to thoroughly inspect the hybrid turf, which is carefully worked on every day.

As usual at a good networking event, early attendees were welcomed with coffee, tea and butter cookies, a welcome treat for those who had to hit the road early.

Groundsmen Club Brugge

Because Gertjan Hilarius (Head Groundsman sc Heerenveen & Fieldmanager Of The Year 2023) was not present, Axel Geerinck (Head of Greenkeeping Club Brugge) was allowed to talk for an hour. The man has something to say then. He manages a very competent team that is responsible for all soccer fields related to Club Brugge and co. We then soon speak of some thirteen fields, spread across the Jan Breydel Stadium, the Belfius Basecamp and The Nest. We learned that the main field is a hybrid grass pitch, and all the rest a combination of hybrid, natural and artificial grass. 

We learned that the fields are equipped with modern technologies such as irrigation systems, field heating and grow lights, which has proven essential due to climate challenges and strict product regulations. Geerinck stresses the need for constant vigilance, especially in extreme weather conditions. And since he is a top grass expert, it quickly turned to mowing, sanding, cribbing ... No doubt very interesting for the professionals present!

Covermaster pitch covers

Next up, the main sponsor of the event: Covermaster. The presentation was in the capable hands of the company's Canadian vice president, Ken Curry. We learned that Covermaster specializes in manufacturing and supplying a wide range of protective covers for sports facilities. These covers allow facilities to be used for multiple purposes without damaging the playing surfaces. Their product offerings include covers for gymnasiums, baseball fields, soccer fields, and more, as well as specialized equipment for handling and storing these covers. 

Covermaster strives to increase the usability of sports facilities while providing protection, allowing, for example, additional revenue to be generated by hosting non-sports events at these venues. Ken Curry also emphasized the fact that the covers not infrequently provide energy savings because the field heating does not have to be turned on as much under the covers. An interesting presentation.

Sharing knowledge across the globe

To conclude, we were allowed to listen to a comprehensive talk by Briton David Roberts (former grounds manager of Southampton and Liverpool, Training Unlimited and ISTMA). David Roberts has an impressive career in sports grounds management. He began his career in soccer at Southampton, where he worked for 12 years before moving to the prestigious Charterhouse School in Surrey as head of grounds staff. In the spring of 2016, he joined Liverpool FC.

His approach combines advanced technology with scientific understanding of turf care, such as soil analysis and nutrition programs, to ensure optimal playing conditions. One of his notable projects was the installation of a new turf at Anfield for the 2017-2018 season, made up in part of synthetic fibers to increase durability. 

Quite an accomplishment!

Today, the ambitious Brit primarily teaches groundsmen around the world with ISTMA (International Sports Turf Managers Association).

From Jan Breydel Stadium to Belfius Basecamp

This was followed by a - very amusing! - tour of the Jan Breydel Stadium, as well as on the holy ground itself, where we could see Covermaster at work. After a tasty sandwich lunch we then left, under the expert guidance of Axel Geerinck, for Club Brugge's practice center in Westkapelle, Belfius Basecamp. After the tour of just about all the fields, there was plenty of time to catch up and network at the Basecamp bar. Another successful day, and flawlessly organized with the help of a top blue-black team!