Study Tour in Great Britain

Stadiums, football pitches and golf courses

9th - 11th November 2011

Participants

Franci Jagodic, Head of maintenance, JGZ Brdo Protocol Services of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Macedoni, Head of stadium maintenance, Public Institution Sport Ljubljana, Marjan Štimec, General Manager, Public Institution for Sport Slovenska Bistrica, Matjaž Ukmar, General Manager, Sport and Youth Center Piran, Dušan Zalokar, Head of stadium maintenance, ZPO d.o.o. Celje, Mavro Vatovec, Head of stadium maintenance, Public Institution for Sport Koper, Boštjan Roblek, Maintenance department member, JGZ Brdo Protocol Services of the Republic of Slovenia, Danilo Lončarič, Infrastructure Manager, Public Institution for Sport Slovenska Bistrica, Janko Germek, Manager, Center for Culture, Sport and Events Izola, Dražen Vegel, Manager, Public Institution for Sport Brežice, Jožef Lebar, Manager, Cons 1 d.o.o. Lipovci, Luka Vukosavljević, Manager, Public Institution for Sport Brežice, Miha Mihelič, Maintenance department member, JGZ Brdo Protocol Services of the Republic of Slovenia, Dimitrije Šamsal, Manager, Sport and Youth Center Piran, Andrej Bohinc, Maintenance department member, JGZ Brdo Protocol Services of the Republic of Slovenia,
Dalibor Crljenković, Advisor in Public Institution KTRC Radeče, Robert Rozman, Maintenance department member, JGZ Brdo Protocol Services of the Republic of Slovenia, Aljaž Štimec, Manager, Public Institution for Sport Slovenska Bistrica, Martin Novak, Maintenance department member, KTRC Radeče, Tomaž Čadež, Maintenance department member, JGZ Brdo Protocol Services of the Republic of Slovenia.

Lecturers and presenters: Scott Forrest, International Business Development Manager, Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd, Ben Connell, Head Groundsman of Ipswich Town Stadium and Football Academy, Simon Andersen, International Product Support Manager, Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd, Uroš Zvonc, Manager, Zeleni inženiring U.Z. s.p. Ljubljana, Jure Božič, Director, AB d.o.o. Žirovnica, Course Manager at Ipswich Golf Club and Jože Jenšterle, Secretary General of IASLIM.

Program

The program has included:

1. Turf care industry and innovations
   Presentation and visit of the company Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd with presentation of production, different types of machines with attachments and state of the art machines for maintenance of the natural grass surfaces.
2. Turf maintenance machines and equipment
   Presentation and practice of turf maintenance machines and equipment for sports stadia, golf courses, parks, country estates and other green surfaces. An electrical machine for maintenance of grass at football pitch... Consulting and services.
3. Managing grass surfaces for sport and leisure
   Types of fertilizers and methods of their usage at turf surfaces. Methods for monitoring the growth of grass on football pitches. The adjustment of fertilizers selection based on the monitoring of grass growth on football pitches. Presentation of the products and services.
4. ITFC's Ipswich Town Football Clubs - Football Academy
   Presentation of Football Academy infrastructure, football pitches and mechanization for maintenance of natural grass surfaces. Football hall with artificial turf. Presentation of management and maintenance of the football hall and football pitches with natural grass.
5. Football Stadium
   Planning and building of football stadium. Stadium infrastructure and auxiliary facilities. Management and maintenance plan. Playground maintenance. Requirements for quality grass surfaces and maintenance criteria. Special methods of grass growth and maintenance. Winter maintenance.
6. Golf Center
   Ipswich Golf Club infrastructure. Design of golf course and its specialities. Planning of golf course. Organization of golf club. Maintenance plan. Sustainable management and maintenance of golf courses. Iirrigation systems. Introduction of technological systems and methods of their use. Ecological approach in building, managing and maintaining of the backyard of golf courses and other grass surfaces for sport and leisure.

Realization

Three day’s study visit in Great Britain was organized from 9th to 11th November 2011. The program has included the flight Ljubljana - London/Stansted - Ljubljana, local transport, hotel accommodation, meals, study program, visits of company, Football Academy, city stadium and golf center. The costs of the visit have been covered partially by the companies – partners and participants of the study visit. There were 23 participants in the study group. Organizer provides consecutive translation.

Certificates

Participants have received certificates for attending three day’s professional training program in Great Britain with topics including management of stadiums and golf courses, maintenance of natural grass and artificial turf and usage of machinery and equipment. The program was part of educational program „International school of sport and leisure infrastructure management“, subject 12213 study visit of sport and recreational center.