Under John Escritt’s leadership, STRI was involved in a number of pioneering ventures which placed the Institute at the forefront of the turfgrass industry. Advisory work was very much focused towards sports surfaces, including construction and drainage for soccer and winter games pitches. In July 1978 support from the Sports Council enabled STRI to extend and improve its education and information services, especially to Local Authorities and schools. This support meant for the first time in its history the future of the Institute seemed guaranteed.

In October 1981 after 38 years of service, Escritt retired and Dr Peter Hayes was appointed. Under his directorship STRI continued to expand. Major research funding was secured from the Sports Council, Football Trust and the R & A. The significant contribution from the R & A gave new impetus to the advisory service and a number of new initiatives were made available to golf.

He joined STRI from Northern Ireland where he held a joint appointment between the Department of Agriculture and the Queen’s University of Belfast.

In January 1975 The Duke of Norfolk, Honorary President for 10 years, died. The Rt Hon Lord Luke, Chairman of the National Playing Fields Association, accepted the position in 1976.

Lord Luke demonstrated his commitment to STRI by paying a visit with his wife in August 1976, to make himself familiar with the work in progress.

Also in March 1976 Carl Bretherton, former Chairman and President, died aged 85, after a life long service to the Institute going back to 1947.

Advisory

Throughout the 1970’s STRI completed a number of prestigious projects with an emphasis towards sports pitches.

1975

• Drainage and improvement work at Ibrox Stadium, Dundee United FC and Sheffield United FC
• 5 grass pitches and one non-turf pitch for the FA’s National Sports Centre in Nottingham
• An extension at York Racecourse
• Conversion of allotments to public spaces for Thurmaston Parish Council
• Consultants to F W Hawtree, Golf Course Architect, for a new golf course P.L. (London) GC owned by Fuji.

1976

• A year with one of the driest summers on record. Staff were inundated with advice on drought issues.

1977

• Reconstruction of the pitch at Westfalen Stadium in Dortmund. Work was completed in 17 days.
• Sports Council work at the National Sports Centre at Lilleshall and Bisham Abbey.
• School playing fields at Gateshead and in the Western Isles Island.
• A new golf course in Morocco.

1978

• Slit drainage work at Aston Villa FC.

In the early 1980’s the economic climate restricted the availability of construction projects. This was offset by a steady increase in golf work. Work was undertaken at Sale and Conwy golf clubs.

Other sports included work for

• Sheffield Wednesday, Arsenal and Rangers Football Clubs
• Leeds Grammar School
• The Metropolitan Police at Imber Court
• The States of Jersey

In June 1982 Bernard Clayton retired from the advisory service after 34 years. Bernard served the Royal Tank Regiment in North Africa during the war and was later to advise his commander, Field Marshall Viscount Montgomery, on his lawns.

Research

1974 The national Environment Council (NERC) provided funds for research into merit trials on grass cultivars and mixtures. Initial funding was later extended to 1981 and then with assistance of the Sports Council through to 1983.

This funding had major implications for the future course of STRI. Three research staff were appointed to the work, including Mike Canaway who went on to become Head of Research and then Chief Executive in 1994.

An important facet of the NERC work was the attention to wear tolerance including methods for measurement and simulation. Mike undertook this pioneering work. In April 1975 “Tomorrow’s World” ran a story on hard wearing pitches featuring Mike and the artificial wear machines still in use on our trials grounds today.

With office accommodation already stretched the only space available for the new team was in the Coach House block, which housed ‘The Permanent Implement Exhibition’. Sadly the exhibition had to close.

Another consequence of this work on amenity seed testing, enabled John Shildrick to produce the first booklets in 1977 on “Buying Turfgrass Seed”. These were to sow the seeds for the popular annual publication now called “Turfgrass Seed”, which began life in 1983, financed by 7 members of the UK seed trade: British Seed Houses, Goldsmith Bros (now Barenbrug); Hurst Gunson Cooper Taber; WW Johnson & Son; Momersteeg (now Advanta), J Picard & Co and Pope & Chapman.

1983 Under Dr Hayes new and important research contracts were secured in 1983.

• The R & A covenanted research funding for four years. Work would cover irrigation, construction and fertiliser nutrition, fairy rings, dry patch, earth worms and European standards for golf.

• The Department of the Environment awarded a 3 year contract in May to assess cultivars of perennial ryegrass for low maintenance and recreational provision.

• The Football Trust provided funding for research into the wear tolerance of ryegrasses and the nutritional requirements of turfgrass grown on sand.

• In September on behalf of the Sports Council work began to clarify performance standards for national turf surfaces for football, rugby, hockey, bowls, cricket and tennis and the development of test equipment. Also a joint FA/Sport Council investigation into the playing characteristics of football league pitches and various artificial surfaces, to establish guidelines for the performance factors required for artificial turf surfaces.

The Golden Jubilee 1929 – 1979

In 1979 the Institute celebrated 50 years in the industry. The official celebrations ran from 20 – 22 June. Fifty five trade companies took exhibition stands and the trials grounds were opened for inspection including 14 demonstration areas manned by STRI staff.

A large marquee housed a display of the Institute’s work and achievements over the 50 years. In the centre of the marquee were demonstrations of laboratory techniques using actual equipment from the soil physics and chemical laboratories. A large map illustrated the Institute’s world connections and a bookstall showed off the full range of STRI’s publications (then 8 in total), including the new “Turfgrass Diseases” first produced in 1979.

A ‘Golden Jubilee Research Fund’ generated £10,000.

The National Turfgrass Council

The idea to form a council to represent the Turfgrass Industry and present a national voice to government departments was generated from a meeting led by John Escritt during the “Golden Jubilee Celebrations” at Bingley. The National Turfgrass Council was inaugurated in October 1980, with 20 representatives from across the industry including the Sports Turf Research Institute. The new council would provide a forum for discussion and reinforce and assist in the areas of research, education and the provision of information. Its first conference was held on 2 February 1982 in Solihull.