Hard Porous Pitch Maintenance: 14. Renovation Work

Scarification, which was primarily a metal tine raking implement, was occasionally used to open up the surface profile of the hard porous material, being careful not to disturb the underlying ash blinding layer.

This raking helped to keep the surface well drained, produce a profile with a well-mixed range of particle sizes to ensure adequate binding continued to take place. Over time the fine particles could be washed through the profile or blown away from the surface in dry windy situations; disturbing the surface by scarification and reincorporating the material into a suitable homogenous mass helped to reduce this from occurring.

If scarification and suitable remixing did not take place then a fine layer can develop within the profile; this reduced drainage, increased surface ponding and reduced the playability of the pitch.

The immediate surface would then become poorly held together and rapidly dry out leaving coarser loose particles on the surface. This would increase the chance of players slipping, as grip was reduced, and also contributed to increasing the number of minor injuries.

Once the surface had been well-disturbed, by scarification, then it was necessary to work the material, so it was redistributed evenly; this being carried out with a lute. The different sides of a lute – one for moving and redistributing relatively large quantities of material, the other for cutting and relocating high spots and moving the material into depressions – can be used to great effect on a hard porous surface.

Once an even, but relatively loose, surface was produced it would then need to be firmed with the use of a roller.

The main uses for scarification were
• To open up the surface to aid water infiltration.
• To alleviate surface compaction.
• To aid the incorporation of additional top-dressing.
• When loose material was present, scarification would help open-up the surface allowing for a remixing to occur by luting and additional top-dressing applications.
• In one direction only, otherwise severe loosening and disruption of the surface would occur.
• Care was needed when scarifying to ensure it wasn’t carried out too deeply. It was important to know the depth of the hard porous layer so as not to disturb the underlying, coarser, ash layer. If disturbed the ash would contaminate the hard porous material and would also increase the likelihood of becoming present near the surface, increasing risk of injury to players.

The use of a scarifier was not all that frequent on a hard porous pitch and should only have been needed every few months or so, and in some cases just twice a year – in spring and early autumn when top-dressing was applied across the entire surface.