HAMPSHIRE FA EXTENDS DEALER PARTNERSHIP

What began as one Kubota tractor at one football complex in Eastleigh is blossoming into a prolific partnership between dealers Rod Gaskin Ltd and Hampshire FA (HFA).

In his day job as HFA facility operations manager, Pete Hussey (pictured above) puts their L2501 to task maintaining the five natural pitches at the Stoneham Lane Complex. This positive first-hand experience puts Pete in good stead when in his other guise - conducting Pitch Power surveys to provide valuable advice and machinery recommendations to benefit hundreds of grassroots facilities in the county.

“Hampshire FA acquired the Stoneham Lane facility in 2020, and while I already had two other venues under my remit, this was the first with natural turf pitches to look after,” explains Pete. “I started from square one, understanding what equipment we needed and working with local dealers to find the best fit for our site and our requirements. The first priority was finding the right tractor that would give us versatility, reliability and become the heart of our maintenance programme. For this, we opted for Kubota.” 

Pete continued, “Most of the jobs we do will take a number of hours to complete so it was very important for us not just to find a tractor powerful and durable enough to use with a wide range of implements, but that would also make for a positive all-round experience for the driver.

“In addition, we have enjoyed outstanding reliability with this tractor which is testament to the Kubota build quality and the regular servicing and maintenance conducted by the team at Rod Gaskin.” 

With the successes of this partnership bearing fruit for both parties, the tie-up became official in September 2023 with Rod Gaskin Ltd announced as Hampshire FA’s official supplier of grounds machinery. Pete explains, “This gives hundreds of grassroots football clubs and now schools and local councils as well, access to a fantastic range of quality machinery from brands like Kubota with an abundance of grants and funding available via the Football Foundation. The possibilities of this scheme are very exciting and can be the difference between bringing core, basic pitches up to a good or advanced level to benefit clubs and communities alike.” 

Tom Merritt-Smith, groundcare sales specialist at Rod Gaskin Ltd adds, “We have a great relationship with Pete and the team at Hampshire FA and are delighted to be working in partnership with them to support the growth of grassroots football. Being sports orientated, I know the importance of maintaining football pitches to the highest possible standards. We look forward to supporting Pete, Hampshire FA and clubs in the area with quality groundcare equipment and our aftersales facility for many years to come.”