Notts County Grounds Manager Matthew Hallam Hails Dennis ES-34R as a Game-Changer for Performance, Sustainability and Matchday Presentation

At one of the oldest professional football clubs in the world, expectations run high -not only on the pitch, but on it too. For Notts County Football Club, delivering elite playing surfaces is the responsibility of Grounds Manager Matthew Hallam who has been maintaining the club’s pitches for the past seven years. Managing a team of four staff across two sites and four pitches, Matthew brings both experience and clear purpose to his role.

His journey into turf care began at just 17 years old at Nottinghamshire Golf and Country Club, where he started as a greenkeeper and completed his Level 3 qualification. He then moved into football, spending time at another club before joining Notts County. Driven by a desire to progress his career, he later completed his Level 4 qualification and has remained at the club ever since.

“I’ve been here seven years now,” Matthew explains. “I manage four staff over two sites looking after four pitches. I started in golf, moved into football, and then took the opportunity to join Notts County. I wanted to progress, so I went back to college, got my Level 4 and I’ve never looked back since.”

A Longstanding Relationship with Dennis

Dennis mowers have always been part of Matthew’s working environment at Notts County.

“We’ve always used Dennis,” he says. “They’re incredibly reliable and they’re just around the corner from us, which makes a massive difference. We work closely with Russells as well and Pete Baguley -if anything ever goes wrong, they’re straight on it. The customer service is second to none.”

Notts County now operates three Dennis cylinder mowers and two Dennis rotaries, with further investment planned in the future.

“They’re not the first Dennis machines we’ve had and they definitely won’t be the last,” Matthew adds. “The quality is brilliant, the service is bang on and we’d recommend them to anyone.”

Transitioning from Petrol to Electric

The club previously operated two petrol rotary mowers for around 3–4 years but made the strategic decision to move over to Dennis electric mowers, specifically the ES-34R Battery Twin Rotary.

“The move to electric was mainly for sustainability – being greener and more environmentally responsible,” Matthew explains. “But it also made a massive difference operationally.”

One of the biggest improvements came on matchdays.

“After games, we use the mower to clean up the debris — all the dead grass and material moved around by players’ studs. With the old petrol machines, we had issues with the media asking us to turn them off because they were too noisy.
With the battery machines, that problem has completely gone. We can clean up without any disruption.”

Health, Comfort and Environmental Benefits

The switch to electric has also improved the working environment for Matthew and his team.

“They’re a lot quieter, which is a huge plus. The lads still wear ear defenders, but the noise level is far lower. There’s less air pollution for them to breathe in and the vibration on the machine is much lower too.”

Beyond staff comfort, the club has also benefited in terms of sustainability and running costs:

-Huge savings on fuel

-No engine servicing costs

-Reduced emissions

-Lower long-term maintenance costs

-Significant reduction in vibration exposure (HAVs)

-Lower noise pollution for both staff and stadium staff/media teams

“From a budget point of view, the club is really happy. There’s no engine, so a lot of costs are gone straight away. Over the years, financially, it makes total sense.”

Dennis ES-34R: Built for Stadium Performance

At the heart of Notts County’s electric transition is the Dennis ES-34R — a battery-powered twin blade rotary designed for fine turf and stadium use.

The ES-34R is a 34” (860mm) battery mower, built using the latest 48V lithium-ion battery technology with a British-made 111Ah / 5.76kWh battery pack.

It features:

-Contra-rotating hardened steel twin blades

-Low chute design for maximum collection

-Strong tubular framework for motor protection

-Two-section aluminium rear roller for ease of turning and superior striping

-Click system for quick height-of-cut adjustment

-Fully adjustable handlebars

-Slow take-up speed for smooth starts

-Simple lever-operated mechanical parking brake

-Emergency stop function

It is designed for:
Football, rugby, cricket, ornamental lawns and fine turf, including local authority environments.

The machine delivers:

-Full pitch coverage on a single charge

-Rapid 2-hour recharge

-15mm–50mm height of cut

-Excellent debris collection in wet or dry conditions

-Ultra-low noise and vibration levels, allowing use all day in sensitive environments

The weatherproof colour LCD screen is central to the daily operation.

“We absolutely love the screen,” says Matthew.
“We can adjust walking speed, blade speed and choose exactly how we want to clean up or cut. We can also monitor battery life, so the lads know exactly how much charge is left. You can even see distance covered. It just makes everything more controlled and more professional.”

Matchday Clean-Up and Surface Health

The ES-34R plays a vital role in Notts County’s matchday routine.

“We mainly use it to clean up after games — all the dead grass and debris caused by player movement. It does a great job of hoovering everything up and keeping the surface clean. That’s vital because if you leave debris, you increase the risk of disease on the surface.”

Thanks to its contra-rotating blade system and vacuum-like collection, the ES-34R ensures the playing surface remains clean, presentable and healthy.

Looking Ahead

For Matthew and the team at Notts County, the ES-34R isn’t just a machine — it’s an essential part of their daily operation and long-term plan.

“It’s not just about cutting grass. It’s about sustainability, staff wellbeing, matchday efficiency and protecting the quality of the surface. Dennis’s electric range has changed the way we work - and in a really positive way.”

As Notts County continues to modernise its operations and move towards a more sustainable future, Dennis remains a trusted partner at the heart of pitch performance.