Data-driven turf management leads to significant water savings at Port Vale F.C.
At Port Vale F.C., smart decision-making extends beyond the pitch. For Head Groundsman Steven Alderson, integrating SGL’s TurfPods and TurfBase Sports into daily pitch management has delivered measurable results, both in turf quality and financial savings.
Since installing the TurfPods at Vale Park six months ago, the League One club has seen water savings of more than 1.5 million liters, proving how small innovations can make a big impact.
A groundsman driven by progress
Steven’s path to Port Vale has taken him through golf courses, Premier League training grounds, and Europa League matches. After years at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he joined Port Vale to lead a complete redevelopment of the club’s pitch and facilities.
“It was an opportunity to build a whole new project from scratch,” Steven says. “We’ve gone from one and a half staff members to a full team, and now we’re introducing technologies that help us make better decisions every day.”
That focus on improvement led Steven to implement the TurfPods, a data collection tool that measures six key pitch parameters including soil moisture, temperature, and humidity, and to connect them with TurfBase, SGL’s data management dashboard for groundskeepers.
From instinct to insight
Working with a soil-based pitch brings unique challenges, especially when balancing moisture retention and disease prevention. Before using TurfPods, Steven relied primarily on experience and intuition. “We used to blanket-water the whole pitch,” he explains. “Now we can see exactly which areas need attention and which don’t. That makes a huge difference.”
By measuring soil moisture below the surface rather than relying only on surface feel, Steven and his team can now fine-tune irrigation. “We had a stretch of ten dry days where we normally would’ve watered every day,” he recalls. “But the TurfPods showed the soil was still holding enough moisture, so we skipped five full watering cycles of 40 minutes each.”
Those adjustments quickly translated into savings. “Looking at this year’s figures, we’ve spent £4,885 less on water compared to last year,” Steven says. “That’s a big amount for a League One club, and it shows how quickly the investment pays for itself.”
Convincing the club through data
For many grounds teams, gaining management approval for new technologies can be a challenge. But in Steven’s case, the results spoke for themselves. “At first, there was some scepticism,” he admits. “People wondered if all that data was really necessary. But when they saw the savings and how well it worked, that changed completely. Now the club wants to expand the system with more TurfPods next summer.”
The introduction of TurfBase Sports has also helped strengthen communication within the organisation. With live moisture, temperature, and humidity readings available on-screen, management can see exactly how decisions are made. “It builds trust,” Steven says. “When you can show real data to back up your choices, it makes every conversation about investment easier.”
“The TurfPods changed completely how we work. We’re saving resources, improving quality, and building the case for future investment. They have already paid for themselves, and that’s just the start.”
A smarter, more sustainable operation
Beyond water use, TurfBase Sports also supports the team with early disease detection. “One evening, I noticed humidity was much higher in one of the goalmouths,” Steven explains. “The next morning, I checked and found disease just starting there. That alert helped us act quickly and avoid a bigger issue.”
Port Vale FC continues to advance its pitch management strategy, expanding the set-up with two LED10 and one LED60 grow light. “The data we collect helps us secure these investments, we can present clear numbers and build a strong, evidence-based case.”
A bright future for Port Vale’s pitch
For Steven, the move to data-driven groundskeeping has been transformative. “It’s changed how we work completely,” he concludes. “We’re saving resources, improving quality, and building the case for future investment. The TurfPods have already paid for themselves, and that’s just the start.”
Port Vale’s story is a clear example of how modern pitch technology can empower grounds teams to work more efficiently, sustainably, and confidently, with measurable impact for the club both on and off the field.
TurfPod: next level pitch data
TurfPod tracks six essential growth factors of your playing surface, both soil and surface conditions, to give you detailed insight into the microclimate. This enables you to make objective decisions about your maintenance to get your playing surface in top quality before every game. TurfPod measures both above surface and below surface growth factors, to give a very accurate insight into the microclimate: air temperature, soil temperature, PAR light, salinity, humidity, soil moisture.
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