What types of projects have you worked on?

My job is to create the perfect pitch or surface for sport no matter where I go. Last year I seeded my 300th pitch and have worked on pitches for three World Cups and two European Championships. I have also consulted on many club and county GAA pitches, rugby pitches and equestrian arenas both in Ireland and the UK. This year I have led the project to design, develop and deliver the pitch at the Saint Petersburg Stadium for the World Cup in Russia.

What makes for a perfect pitch?

I have never built the same pitch twice. It is a huge responsibility, where pitches are now used for more than playing games including hosting concerts. We look for a uniform colour which has good strength and consistency. To achieve this it must be firm, level and have good rooting. It must also be divot-free with good stud penetration.

What is the most important factor in achieving this?

Soil is at the heart of everything we do and soil science is 80% of the work. The soil needs to be stable under force from athletes, retain enough nutrients to sustain healthy grass, while draining well.

What type of grass is used?

We use a perennial ryegrass or Kentucky bluegrass depending on the client. As pitches need to grow and function in the extremities of weather, we need to be able to control the grass in temperatures that hit more than 40°C in some countries all the way down to -30°C in others such as Russia. We achieve this by using heating and cooling technology to control the climate. We feed most nutrients through the leaf as we want to control the plant development as much as possible. We use similar fertilisers, bio-stimulants, micronutrients and growth regulators to conventional agriculture.

How complex is this type of work?

There are only about seven people in the world who do this type of work. I live from a suitcase five days a week travelling around the world. It is extremely complex yet rewarding.

What are the challenges ahead?

We are currently losing a lot of chemicals to control diseases. I am now working much more on preventative measures which includes reducing plant stress through good soil science and the use of boi-stimulants such as seaweed.

How did you get into this work?

It was a kind of accidental. When in UCD Ag I worked at Mount Juliet golf course in Kilkenny and despite initially doing soil analysis for farmers when I graduated, I kept finding myself back in grass turf.

Profile

Title: Sports turf adviser.

Company: Hayden Turfcare.

Selected projects: World Cup Russia 2018, Euro France 2016, World Cup Brazil 2014, World Cup South Africa 2010, RDS Horse Show.

Based: UK – worked on projects in 52 countries.