Andy Cole BSc (Hons), MBPR, Chief Technical Officer
Andy has been involved in the sports turf industry for thirty-seven years, since graduating from the University of Leeds. His career has taken him to six continents, providing consultancy and project management for sports governing bodies, Municipalities, and the private sector.
The International Fédération of Football Association (FIFA), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have all utilised Andy’s skills for pitch improvements and tournament delivery at the highest level. He has also provided technical support for the Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R&A) as well as the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Andy continues to work with many golf clubs, advising on course condition as well as supporting committee decisions and recruitment. Andy has contributed to magazine and book publications and is frequently invited to speak at Professional and Club events on all aspects of sports turf management. Developing and presenting workshops for tournaments and governing bodies has been a key part of developing consistency and continuity.
Noteworthy projects :
- FIFA World Cups: South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022
- FIFA Confederation Cups: Brazil 2013, Russia 2017
- FIFA Women’s World Cup: Canada 2015, France 2019
- FIFA Clubs World Cups: Qatar 2020, Morocco 2023
- FIFA U20 Men World Cup: Chile 2015, Poland 2019
- FIFA Pan Arab Cup: Qatar 2021
- FIFA U20 Women World Cup: France 2018
- UEFA Euro Championship: Poland & Ukraine 2012, France 2016, Europe 2020
- Olympic Games (Football): London 2012, Brazil 2016, Tokyo 2020
- FIFA U17 Men World Cup: Brazil 2019
- FIFA U17 Women World Cup: Trinidad & Tobago 2010, Costa Rica 2014, Jordan 2016
- Asian Cup: Australia 2015
- African Cup of Nations: Equatorial Guinea 2015
- CONCACAF Golf Cup: 2021 & 2023
Dr Ian McClements BSc (Hons), PhD, MBPR, Senior Consultant
Ian is a highly experienced and well-respected sports turf agronomist with over 30 years’ experience gained within varied sporting arenas. He has built up a wealth of knowledge and contacts during his career; this, combined with his academic background means that Ian provides unbiased practical advice based on both experience and science.
Ian has worked globally, advising on the maintenance and construction of both natural and synthetic sports surfaces across a range of sporting codes including, football, golf, rugby and hockey. He has been lead consultant on numerous prestigious sports complex development projects.
He was part of a team who developed the natural turf guidelines for rugby and was involved in the writing of the IRB guidelines for natural turf as well as the pitch quality guidelines for UEFA, FIFA and the GAA.
Ian has delivered tournament consultancy for football including four FIFA World Cups, and for golf including two Irish Opens and four R&A Amateur Championships.
Noteworthy projects :
- FIFA World Cups: South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 202
- FIFA Confederation Cups: Brazil 2013, Russia 201
- FIFA Women’s World Cup: Canada 2015
- FIFA Clubs World Cups: Morocco 2013, 2014, 2023
- FIFA U20 World Cup : Turkey 2013
- FIFA U17 World Cup : United Arab Emirates 2013
- African Cup of Nations : Equatorial Guinea 2015, Gabon 2017
- UEFA Euro 2012: Poland and Ukraine
- UEFA Champions League Final 2022
Olivier Emond, Head Groundsman
Olivier has been based at Stade de France since 2015. Here he has been able to show his true skill and dedication and add Desso GrassMaster pitch maintenance to his impressive repertoire. He also shares his knowledge and skills with the pitch maintenance team at the Marie-Marvingt stadium in Le Mans, at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice, and at the Matmut ATLANTIQUE stadium in Bordeaux. He also acts as a consultant to the Stade de Reims.
Olivier has developed a wealth of knowledge in maintenance techniques and was instrumental in the success of the UEFA Euro 2016 matches at the stadium. He contributed to the preparation and supervision of pitches during the FIFA Women Football World Cup 2019 in France, the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021 in the USA, the CAF African Nations Football Cup 2022 in Cameroon, the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 in Morocco, before being involved in the preparation and the supervision of the coming Rugby World Cup to be held in France in 2023
With French as his mother tongue and his excellent level of English, Olivier is a valued member of the team and able to communicate with personnel from a wide variety of cultures.