Orpington groundsman wins top award

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Orpington groundsman wins top award: Orpington Football Club’s Paul Wade has been named groundsman of the year.

He beat 50 others shortlisted for the national award and was chosen by a national panel as the Grounds Team of the Year at the FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards.

Greenkeeper retires after 47 years

Greenkeeper retires after 47 years

Mr Wade said: “There is lots to do. You only get back what you put into it. I do it out of love for the football club, I don’t do it for any other reason.”

A volunteer at the club for over 15 years, he has fulfilled several roles, including club secretary and welfare officer.

As groundsman, he dedicates up to 15 hours a week over three days to single-handedly maintain 16 pitches at Goddington Park for over 450 players. He also helps maintain the pavilion, toilets and changing rooms.

The judging panel paid homage to his intuitive knowledge of the park and its drainage systems, the relationships he has built with park users and the local borough council and his ability to make tough decisions when it comes to calling games off.

Chairman of the club Richard Kettle said: “Orpington Football Club are extremely proud of our groundsman Paul for winning this award. Paul has been a wonderful servant of the club for nearly two decades and is the lifeblood of the club and the community we serve.

“We couldn’t offer football to the amount of people we do without Paul, so it really is wonderful to see all his hard work rewarded. We would like to once again thank Paul for everything he does for the club.”

The club’s head of football Simon Morris added: “I’ve never seen a man work so hard and give so much back to the community.”

Under-10 manager Dean Francolini added: “You take Paul out of the club everything falls apart.”

Darryl Haden, Kent FA chief exec, said: “The team at Kent FA would like to offer our congratulations to Paul Wade and Orpington FC.

“Grassroots football would not exist without the commitment and dedication of volunteers like Paul and we are pleased that he has been recognised for his service to the grassroots game at Orpington FC.”

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Painswick targeted by vandals

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Painswick targeted by vandals: Painswick Golf Club has been inundated with offers of help after its third hole was targeted by vandals.

The hole was badly damaged by a vehicle being driven over the course and repairs are underway to enable this weekend’s annual club competition to go ahead.

Club professional Mark Cottrell said: “We got in on Monday morning and discovered the third green, third fairway and third tee had been driven over and damaged. It’s horrendous.

“Basically they have done doughnuts on the green around the flag and then out on the fairway. They stopped at the top of the hill around the tee so they’ve just targeted the one hole.”

A road runs behind the third green, but Mr Cottrell said access is far from easy.

“The access to the golf course has been blocked off with metal poles and we’ve got boulders from the quarry which runs alongside the third hole,” he said.

“There’s high banks which they have come over and a car wouldn’t be able to get in there so it is some form of off-road vehicle.”

Since word of the discovery spread, the club has received a succession of offers to help.

“I’ve never known a response like it,” said Mr Cottrell. “Local golf clubs have offered equipment, manpower and whatever help they could give.

“Greenkeepers from six or seven courses have been in touch with our head greenkeeper who has been out working with the club captain and members who volunteered to help out.

“It’s been lovely to see that support.”

The club is working to make the hole playable for the club championship but Mr Cottrell believes it will be a long job to repair fully.

“It will need attention for months,” he said. “It’s a case of letting nature take its course.

“Thankfully we have what we call the old 18th we can use to make the course up to 18 holes while the third is out of action.”

The par three sixth hole at Painswick was described by golf writer and commentator Henry Longhurst as one of the best 18 holes in the world.

And golfers old and new have been flocking to find out why since lockdown restrictions enabled them to return to action at the start of July.

“It’s been absolutely manic,” said Mr Cottrell. “We’ve been four or five times busier than this time last year – it’s such a shame that it has been abused like this.

“People seem to have realised the importance of getting out and about and being healthy.

“It’s sort of kickstarted golf. There are a lot of beginners and revenues from visitors and new members have been exceptionally good.”

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“Bio-mowers” yield big haul for golf course

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“Bio-mowers” yield big haul for golf course: A family of water buffalo greenskeepers are helping maintain interior of Laguna Golf Long Co and feed local community.

Laguna Golf Lang Co’s family of famous water buffalo greenskeepers have helped the club reap a record rice harvest: the fruits of which are going towards feeding members of the local community in Central Vietnam.

The bovine brood has been bolstered by the birth of Lulu, a new baby daughter, who joins fellow recent arrival Luna, eldest calf Bao and father and mother Tu Phat and Chi Chi in the workforce.

And the extra sets of hooves have dramatically boosted productivity with the club gathering 28 tons of rice from the 7 hectares of fields right in the middle of the Sir Nick Faldo Signature layout — a record harvest-time haul.

The buffalo “bio-mowers” have been vital in helping to maintain the elevated status of the layout, which winds its way through tropical jungle, ocean sand dunes and ancient rice paddies.

They help to manage the 7 hectares of rice fields located right in the middle of the course by eating excess weeds, crops while tilling the soil in the area that would otherwise require machinery and additional manpower to maintain.

The rice-fields, though, are not just for show. Harvested twice a year, they have previously yielded up to 20 tons of rice that are used to support the organic farm at Laguna Lang Co and donated to families and seniors in the area who are in need of extra support.

This winter’s record haul, however, surpassed previous harvests by some way. Additionally, the bumper crop could not have come at a timely juncture, with Vietnam’s economy taking a hit on tourism as the international borders remain closed to combat the spread of the global pandemic.

“The communities that have limited economic means have been hit the hardest by the economic downturn that has resulted from the global pandemic,” said Adam Calver, Director of Golf at Laguna Lang Co. “The fact that we are able to donate even more rice to locals who need it most this year was a really positive outcome for our edible golf course.”

The utilization of water buffalo as greenkeepers is part of a wider push by Laguna Golf Lang Co to be the most sustainable course in Vietnam. It has completely eradicated the use of single-use plastics in almost all aspects of its operations, scrapping items made of plastic such as on course garbage bags, locker room accessories, plastic cups and straws and replacing them with ones made from materials such as bamboo, paper, steel or natural grass.

Laguna Lang Co Resort has just finalized the installation of its own water bottling plant to allow the resort to completely eliminate plastic water bottles and utilize reusable glass bottles.

The club is also one of only three golf courses in the world to achieve EarthCheck Gold certification, a status it earned at the end of 2019.

“Continually mowing the fields to maintain vast rice terraces can consume a large amount of labour and fuel,” Calver added. “The water buffalo act as bio-mowers and help us protect the natural feel of the landscape; they give a true sense of place.

“Since we introduced the buffalo we have seen a number of birds such as egrets, moving in as they feast on the insects as the buffalo till the soil. We are currently building a new home for our family of ducks which will be used next year as part of our ‘Integrated Rice-Duck Farming Program’.”

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Gwernaffield student grabs award

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Gwernaffield student grabs award: Mold Golf Club’s newest greenkeeper has scooped a top award in a virtual ceremony celebrating success.

Jake Edwards, from Gwernaffield near Mold, works as a full time greenkeeper at Mold Golf Club and has been presented with the Horticulture Learner of the Year Award 2020 by Coleg Cambria where he has been studying for the past two years.

The 18-year-old started out as an apprentice at Mold Golf Club in August 2018 and has developed his skills under the watchful eye of his dad, Colin Jones, who has been Head Greenkeeper at the Club since 1998.

Learning while he worked and spending a good deal of time studying at home, Jake has completed his Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship in Work Based Horticulture, specialising in Sports Turf Greenkeeping.

Maria Thwaite, Coleg Cambria’s Horticulture Assessor, said: “Jake has proved himself to be an excellent greenkeeper. He always works safely and completes all the work that is requested of him in a timely manner.

“His knowledge of machinery is exemplary and he is always keen to complete work on the golf course to a high standard.”

Debbie Barton, Mold Golf Club Manager, said: “We are all very proud of Jake. He has worked so hard and is a great asset to our greenkeeping team. His dad Colin has a fantastic reputation as a brilliant greenkeeper and is a great teacher and mentor.

“Jake is already following in his footsteps and we wish him every success in his career. We have a wonderful course to be proud of which is thanks to Colin’s vision and the skill and dedication of our terrific greenkeepers.”

This year, winning students were unable to gather together for the College’s usual annual glitzy awards ceremony, however Jake, along with all the other winners across different subject areas, received a certificate and a £50 voucher, as well as the good wishes of Coleg Cambria Principal Sue Price.

Sue said: “We received truly amazing nominations this year across all sections of the College and our winners were chosen by a panel of judges for their hard work, commitment and achievements.

“I would like to personally congratulate our award winners. Our learners have met the challenges of adapting to the current situation and we are extremely proud of them. We wish them the very best for the future.”

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Tributes paid to Boldon legend

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Tributes paid to Boldon legend: Tributes have been paid to a ‘cricket legend’ who dedicated himself to Boldon Cricket Club for over 60 years.

Michael Fitzsimons died at the age of 79 on July 11 after a brave battle against a long illness.

He joined the club as a batsman aged 16. He would become first team captain, before taking over duties as groundsman years later when he stopped playing. His work there was entirely voluntary.

He did play for other teams for a while on Teesside. But his heart most definitely belonged to Boldon. He was also a scorer in local leagues, as well as being a fan of Sunderland AFC.

As well as his life in his beloved cricket, Michael was an electrician, most recently for South Tyneside Council.

He was also an accomplished musician, playing keyboards in folk band Seganainm, which is a Celtic word meaning “Untitled”. He performed alongside his wife Trish, who played accordion and fiddle. The couple were married in 1974.

As well as his sporting and musical achievements, he was renowned for a tremendous sense of humour. He was known as something of a king of the one-liner.

One of his other great loves was for travel. He was especially keen on Gran Canaria.

Trish said: “He was an absolute legend. He was a great character and very funny.

“Sometimes you could be horrified by some of the things he came out with. But people would still see the funny side – even umpires and the opposition.”

Club member and former player, Steve Golightly, said: “He was a really funny man and a great servant to the club. Fiti will be a huge miss in the community and to his many friends around the cricket and folk music scene.”

Michael’s funeral took place at South Shields Crematorium on July 20. His ashes have since been scattered over the Boldon cricket pitch, which he tended to with such distinction.

Boldon Cricket Club’s over-60s are staging a game against Yorkshire in Michael’s memory at their Sunderland Road ground at 1pm on Tuesday, August 25. A JustGiving page is also to be set up to create a memorial.

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