IOG Awards and Sports Turf Conference 2009

15th October 2009, The Emirates Stadium London

'Recognising the very best of our industry'

Generously Sponsored by:

Click here to view press releases from the IOG Conference and Awards

Click here to view presentations from the IOG Conference 2009

IOG Awards evening view the highlights of the evening

IOG Sports Turf Conference Sponsors

Harrod UK are the UK’s leading manufacturers of sports posts, goals, nets and sports ground equipment. Manufacturers for over half a century and active contributors to sports safety, Harrod UK products have been designed and independently tested by accredited test houses to ensure they conform to the very latest standards.

Over the years Harrod UK equipment has been specified wherever performance is required. From the Manchester Commonwealth Games, The Millennium Stadium, Twickenham, Premier League Clubs and academies, to Wembley and the Emirates Stadium, Harrod UK goals and nets are the showpiece of the venue

British Sugar TOPSOIL is the largest selling TOPSOIL in the UK producing and selling over 200,000 tonnes per year. Derived from prime arable soil British Sugar TOPSOIL is sustainable, consistent, friable, clean and safe. Produced to an ISO 90001:2000 accredited quality system British Sugar TOPSOIL is fully analysed by a UKAS, GLP and MCERT accredited laboratory to BS3882:2007. British Sugar TOPSOIL is not screened “Muckaway”

British Sugar TOPSOIL's products Landscape20 and SPORTS10 are widely used, with great success, on new build and brownfield sites, in landscaping and sports pitch construction and maintenance projects. British Sugar is also accredited to Environmental Audit ISO 14001 & H&S OHSAS18001

Rigby Taylor was formed in 1919 by Herbert Rigby and Robert Stanley Taylor. It's product offer was soaps and greases to the textile industry. In those days the town of Bolton was renowned as a major Lancashire Cotton Town.

The company diversified in the mid 1930's into a wider commercial base - entering the new markets of fertilizers and paints. Our fertilizers and chemical company trading under the name of Rigby Taylor Ltd, is now the number one UK amenity supplier. It offers football, cricket, tennis and golf clubs and local authorities a wide range of products including fertilizers, chemicals, grass seed, top dressings and sports equipment.

Manufacturers and suppliers of quality Cricket Loam, Turf Dressing, Growing Medium & Natural Topsoil to the Sportsturf, Landscape and Construction Industries. Boughton, a company that pride themselves in the service and commitment given to each and every one of its many customers over the last 24 years in business.

Syngenta produces world leading turf management products, including a range of fungicides, the revolutionary growth regulator, Primo MAXX and the innovative new selective herbicide, RESCUE. All supported by the pioneering web-based turf management support system – www.greencast.ie

Syngenta Turf Products are distributed in Ireland by The Scotts Company

Fineline are a long established UK based company specialising in the production of low energy LED solutions. FineLED, our recently developed grow light system makes it possible to achieve a high quality playing surface throughout the entire year. The cost effective system can be expanded on a modular basis providing a flexible and highly effective pitch growth and repair solution. The system incorporates LED technology which uses substantially less energy than conventional lighting systems, offering typical energy savings of up to 80%. With a life span of up to 50,000 hours, maintenance costs are also significantly reduced.

Bourne Amenity Limited, serving London and the Home Counties Construction and maintenance of quality sport and recreational surfaces.

Manufacturers and suppliers of premium ranges of top-soil, top-dressing and landscape products to sporting and educational establishments, groundsmen, landscapers and local authorities.

Bourne Amenity is part of the John Bourne Group of companies established in 1947 and is dedicated to raising standards.

Prospect is an independent, thriving and forward-looking trade union with more than 102,000 members in the public and private sectors.

Who we represent - Our members are engineers, scientists, managers and specialists in areas as diverse as agriculture, defence, energy, environment, heritage, shipbuilding and transport. We are the largest union in the UK representing professional engineers.

IOG Annual Awards:

IOG Awards and Sports Turf Conference Sponsors

Sponsoring the Groundsman's Groundsman of the Year Award 

DLF Trifolium Limited is the largest and fastest growing grass seed company in the UK. As part of the Danish International grass seed organisation, DLF-TRIFOLIUM, with over 100 years experience in plant breeding and seed production, the company is strategically positioned to ensure the success of its various brands.

With the best material available and the ongoing development of products and production processes, customers’ requirements are always at the forethought of the organisation. Quality and efficiency, throughout every link of the chain, is achieved through the strict adherence to regulations and the employment of well trained, professional and highly motivated personnel. 

Johnsons Sports Seed puts success at your feet. The Johnsons Sports Seed range of grass seed and wild flower mixtures represents excellence in turfgrass. Consistently improving and setting new standards is only possible when you care passionately about what you do. At Johnsons Sports Seed our passion is for quality sports turf and its near perfect production. We understand that people appreciate sport and the emotion it generates. Whatever their sport, players deserve a surface that can absorb all they dish out and bounce back for the next fi xture. From rugby pitches to golf courses, our grass playing surfaces are designed to cope with the best of British sport and the worst of British weather.

For over 175 years Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures have been helping us to produce quality sports turf with an unequalled reputation for technical excellence, reflecting the standards set by the people who use them - men and women who lead the way in sports turf management.

Sponsoring the Spectator Sports Ground of the Year Award      

The England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body for all cricket in England and Wales. The ECB provides support for the game far beyond the boundaries of just international and first class cricket. During 2008, there was an increase in participation across the recreational game of 24 per cent, with a 49 per cent increase in the number of women and girls taking part in cricket; a 137 per cent increase in disability cricket participation; and a 30 per cent increase in black and ethnic minority participation.

The FA was founded in 1863 as the governing body of the game in England. The FA is responsible for all regulatory aspects of the game of football in England. Its activities are many and varied and include the following:

Promoting the development of the game amongst all ages, backgrounds and abilities in terms of participation and quality. This also involves promoting the availability of the sport to the greatest possible number of people.

Regulating the game on and off the field of play through the "Laws of the Game" and the "Rules of The Association".

Sanctioning, either directly or indirectly, all matches, leagues and competitions played in England Overseeing the administration of the disciplinary system, which is applicable to all participants in the game (each club, player, competition, match official and any other person involved in the game in England is bound by the Rules) and the administration of refereeing throughout the game. Organising a number of senior men’s, youth and women’s national competitions (including most notably The FA Challenge Cup) and the participation of England national representative teams (again, senior men’s, youth and women’s teams) in international matches, most notably the men’s senior team in the FIFA World Championships and the UEFA European Championships and friendly fixtures.

The Premier League is the world's most watched league and the most lucrative - attracting the top players from all over the globe. Hard to believe then that the first ball kicked in the Premier League was a relatively recently as 15th August 1992. Like every other league in England, the Premier League comes under the jurisdiction of the Football Association and must submit its rules each year for approval and sanction.

The Rugby Football League is committed to managing, developing and promoting Rugby League in order to provide excellent, high quality customer services for the whole Rugby League family.

The vision of the RFL is:

To be recognised throughout the world as a leading Governing Body of sport.

The four strategic aims of the RFL are:

a) To create the best elite level Rugby League competition(s) in the world

b) To create the best, viable and competitive semi-professional competition possible

c) To maximise the numbers engaged in our sport and the enjoyment derived from participation in Rugby League

d) To be successful internationally on a sustainable basis at all levels The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) was formed on 2nd December 1907 and is the world’s longest established professional sportsperson’s union.

The aims of the PFA are to protect, improve and negotiate the conditions, rights and status of all professional players by collective bargaining agreements. The PFA has successfully achieved its aims since its formation and has continued to grow in respect and stature through a number of notable successes throughout its history.

Sponsoring the Best Maintained Artificial Pitch of the Year Award 

Charterhouse Turf Machinery has something for all Grounds Care Professionals!  Manufacturers of the trend-setting range of 14 Verti-Drains, including the 7626, ideal for contractors, sports grounds and local authorities. The company’s revolutionary Soil Harmony division offers special biodynamic materials which invigorate turf in tandem with aeration by the famous Verti-Drain machines. Charterhouse also prides itself on its popular seeders, core collectors and Rink top-dressers.

Their complete range of trusted synthetic grass maintenance machines for cleaning and rejuvenation work includes a basic synthetic tool kit.

The Verti Groom not only brushes but also loosens and decompacts the hardest infill leaving the fibres plush and upright for a soft and level playing surface.

Sponsoring the Public Sector Sports Ground of the Year Award

The purchase of the Vitax fertiliser business in 1988, along with the move to larger purpose built premises in Coalville, Leicestershire, heralded a next stage in the Company’s development. The Synchemicals name was replaced in favour of the Vitax brand and through the 80 ’s and 90’s we built a substantial port folio of garden and professional products.

In 2005 Vitax acquired the business of Supaturf, whose leading brands in professional sports amenity compliment and enhance our existing products in this growing market both in the UK, Europe and worldwide.

Sponsoring the Grass Roots Sports Ground of the Year Award

CCPR is the national alliance of governing and representative bodies of sport and recreation. Our 290 members - organisations as diverse as The Football Association, British Water Ski and the Ramblers' Association - represent 150,000 clubs across the UK and some 8 million regular participants.

CCPR provides these organisations with a single, independent voice ensuring that their interests are represented and that they have the skills and capacity to deliver high quality sport and recreation across the country.

Sponsoring the Volunteer Sports Grounds Management Team of the Year Award

Through Barclays Spaces for Sports, we know we can use sport to make a difference to people’s lives. We are building on the success of the UK programme, and extending this support to other local communities where Barclays operates – this means taking Barclays Spaces for Sports to other countries around the world, starting in South Africa, Zambia and the United States of America

Sponsoring the Volunteer Sports Groundsman of the Year Award 

Mark Harrod Ltd. is a manufacturer and supplier of high quality sports equipment direct to schools, colleges, local authorities, contractors and sports clubs of all sizes. The company offers an extensive range of competitively priced equipment which includes football goals, rugby posts, hockey goals, badminton and netball posts, nets, balls, bats, racquets and training equipment. A wide selection of specialist products designed for use on synthetic surfaces are available, ranging from self-weighted football goals with easy lift wheels, fence fixed football goals, team shelters and pitch dividers to boot scrapers, corner poles etc.

Sponsoring the Young Groundsman of the Year Award  

Sherriff Amenity are the specialist amenity division of Agrovista, we are committed to customer service, research driven advice and technical innovation. Working in partnership with our local, national and international suppliers we aim to offer and unrivalled range of products and services. Our established team of BASIS qualified Amenity Specialists, located throughout the UK, are able to give independent 'on site' technical advice. Individual recommendations are based on specific requirements.

Sponsoring the Environmental Project of the Year Award

Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd is a Textron (NYSE: TXT) company which manufactures and markets a range of turf maintenance equipment for the golf course, municipal and local authority and professional lawn care markets that include the following

Ransomes municipal turf maintenance equipment Jacobsen golf course maintenance equipment Iseki compact tractors

Ransomes can trace its origins back over 200 years to 1789 at the end of the first industrial revolution. In 1832 Robert Ransome acquired the license to manufacture the first mechanical lawnmower. In 1902 Robert’s grandson, James Ransome added a petrol engine to one of their mowers, changing forever the way the world would cut grass.

Here in the UK, Ransomes Jacobsen turf maintenance products are used by many local authorities and contractors, major sporting venues as well as on almost every recognised Open Championship golf course. Ransomes Jacobsen is delighted to be a sponsor of the IOG Annual Conference and Awards.

Sponsoring the Lifetime Achievement of the Year Award 

We aim to give you the best value for money over the life of the equipment you plan to purchase. So please take a look at what we have to offer before committing your hard earned budget. Lloyds have always worked closely with turf professionals responsible for the maintenance and general upkeep of a whole range of sports surfaces, including those used for golf, rugby, football, cricket, tennis and bowls.We manufacture and supply quality robust products some well established, some new, all engineered to give outstanding performance and trouble free service.

Sponsoring the Most Promising Sports Turf Student of the Year Award 

For over 50 years Fleet has rigorously followed the quest to fulfill their objective - "Continuous, cost effective, innovative, quality solutions, for all grounds people"This would not have been possible without the assistance received over the years from you, our customers, who demand the best. Your help has been invaluable, and we would like to express our thanks to you.

Fleet prides itself in being an environmentally responsible company, who are worldwide market leaders in sports line marking. We are keen to build on this success, together.