Optimization of sports fields - networking event

Greenkeepers' Association of Belgium - 'Football meets Golf'

On November 24 of last year, the Association of Belgian Greenkeepers (GAB), together with its sponsors Belrobotics, Cofabel, Firma Thomas, Pols, Reesink Turfcare, VGR and Turf Tank, organized a round of 'When football meets golf'. The informative networking event in the AFAS Stadium - 'Achter de Kazerne' - of KV Mechelen immediately turned out to be a resounding success: the hall was packed from early in the morning with greenkeepers of just about all major teams from the soccer league, supplemented with some 'golf groundsmen' and notables from the green sector. GreenPro was there.

As befits a good networking event, the early birds were rewarded with a wet and dry snack, in the form of coffee/tea and butter cakes. For some, this was also necessary, because at that hour, Mechelen is the other side of the world for some, due to the usual very busy Belgian traffic.

Dean Gilasbey was allowed to take center stage and smoothly spoke throughout the morning. As such, the Englishman has a story to tell. Dean is an award-winning International Pitch Consultant, Pitch Consultant for UEFA, Training and Mentoring Groundsman through the FIFA Pitch Improvement Programme & Pitch Quality Initiative. He has also been Lead Pitch Consultant for the Champions League Finals for the past five years. 

Natural Grass: thirty years of experience

With more than 30 years of working experience in a stadium environment, he naturally understands better than anyone any difficulties that may arise on sports fields of all kinds. He was able to tell us that - due to his time as a rugby groundsman - he adapts to any environment. No matter how extreme. Whether it is cool season grass, warm season grass or transitional fields, having to work with all types of budgets, lighting and soil heating, to limited fertilization and equipment, manual aeration, manual scarification... The Pitch Consultant realizes that nothing is impossible and everything is achievable. As long as you know that root development is the most important factor in ensuring a good playing surface. 

With his company Natural Grass, the man literally traveled around the world to optimize sports fields, often under very extreme conditions. There are obviously some very fascinating stories to tell about that. A hit, then. By the way, Dean Gilasbey is currently also active in Belgium, among other things as support for the greenkeepers of Club Brugge!

Enduring and combative

After a nice lunch with sandwich buffet, the groundskeepers of KV Mechelen kicked off the afternoon. They spoke with enthusiasm about the evolution of the job and the fields in recent years. And of course the way in which they would face the challenges of a future with an increasingly busy field and changing weather conditions. Sustainable and combative. A bit like Malinwa, quoi!

This was followed by a tour of the stadium and several dealers presented their machines on the practice field. Finally, there was plenty of time for catching up and networking at the bar. A successful day, Greenkeepers' Association of Belgium.