SISIS does the job at the Principality Stadium

Lee Evans uses the SISIS Z Brush to keep the synthetic surface in Cardiff in perfect condition

©SISIS

 

The Principality Stadium in Cardiff has a 3G synthetic surface that surrounds the hallowed turf and for head groundsman Lee Evans, he had no hesitation in opting for SISIS equipment for its maintenance.

Evans' own journey began when he started maintaining school pitches in the South East, before moving to Fulham FC and then Aston Villa FC.

Twelve years ago, he got the chance to return to his native Wales and take up the role of head groundsman at the Millennium Stadium - as it was then called. He went on to become the youngest head groundsman to prepare a pitch for an FA Cup final and now on his horizon is the 2017 UEFA Champions League final.

The award of European club football's biggest match is testament to the work that Evans and his team are carrying out, as they strive to become one of the most modern and elite stadiums in the world.

It was the first venue in the UK to install a fully retractable roof and in 2005 installed a partition drape system to allow the bowl of the stadium to be used for different concert configurations and to stage exhibitions. In 2015, a brand new Desso pitch with a 4.5 metre wide synthetic surface all the way around the pitch was installed.

"When the synthetic surface was installed we needed a machine to maintain it. I didn’t look at anything else – SISIS are well known in the industry and they manufacture reliable machines," Evans explains.

"I’ve used SISIS before for different things: when we needed a one-off piece of kit to solve a problem we were having, they even tailor-built a machine to meet our requirements," he added.

He opted for the SISIS Z Brush, also known as the Zig Zag Brush. Available in 6 or 8 feet widths, the brush units comprise four or five brush sections that are 2 feet in length, which are mounted on a main frame meaning each brush operates at an angle to the forward motion of the towing vehicle.

This type of brushing improves the movement of top dressing material down to the base of the grass sward with few passes. It is also ideal for 'working in' the rubber crumb on synthetic surfaces such as the one at the Principality Stadium.

"We use the Z brush and it keeps the synthetic surface in pristine condition," Evans details.

"We use it once a week and the best feature is that it moves the rubber crumb around and it stands the fibres back up excellently.

"For me, the SISIS Z Brush certainly ticks all of our boxes."

© Cricket World 2016