Vandals Damage Cricket Pitch

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Vandals Damage Cricket Pitch: The pitch at Rainham Cricket Club has been vandalised by a group who took to the surface on motorbikes.

Tyre marks and skid marks were left on the wicket after a group of youths were seen on Thursday, August 16 on off-road bikes driving across the wicket.

The club was due to have a match yesterday afternoon but the bad weather meant it had to be rained off.

One member of the club was later walking his dog when he saw the youths, and saw the damage that they had left.

Fortunately other members have managed to save the day and have tried to repair the damage so that the games planned for the weekend can still go ahead.

Club captain, Jas Hothi, said that he was frustrated with what they had done, but praised club members for coming together to repair the ground.

He said: “It’s obviously really annoying but there’s not much we could have done about it.

“We see them hanging around on their bikes but you never expect this to happen.”

The captain said that member Ian Little, and his son Ben had been down to the ground to try and patch up the mess that the vandals had left.

Jas said that the club is still waiting for confirmation that the games planned for weekend will still be played at home, but said that the pitch was looking a lot better thanks to club members and the groundsman.

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Plastic Pitch Blamed For Injury

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Plastic Pitch Blamed For Injury: It’s feared that Jamie Murphy will face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after twisting his knee in Rangers’ 3-1 Betfred Cup victory at Kilmarnock.

James Tavernier blamed Kilmarnock’s artificial surface for Jamie Murphy’s injury hell – while Rangers boss Steven Gerrard called for plastic pitches to be outlawed in the Premiership.

The Ibrox club fear Murphy is facing several months on the sidelines after twisting his knee in yesterdy’s 3-1 Betfred Cup win at Rugby Park.

Skipper Tavernier was furious as the surface claimed another teammate after former Ger Martyn Waghorn was crocked on the Ayrshire astroturf two seasons ago.

Tavernier said: “I guarantee you that Murphy wouldn’t have the injury if it had been a grass pitch. He planted his foot, got a wee nudge and then just felt something go.

“If that’s on grass that’s not going to happen. That is twice now I have been to this stadium when a player has suffered a bad injury.

“First it was Waggy and now it is Murphy. These astroturf pitches are always a hazard and are always going to cause injuries to any professional.”

 Gers boss Gerrard was reluctant to put the boot in to Killie – but he insisted plastic pitches have no place at the top level of the game.

He said: “My opinion is elite football and we’re dealing with elite footballers, who earn an awful lot of money, and I think for every club worldwide it’s safer to have a grass pitch.

“Other people might have a different opinion to that but I think if you ask any manager worldwide they’d all prefer grass and I do.

“It’s difficult for me to comment, we all know that plastic pitches they are not as safe as grass, that’s fact, that’s simple.

“But I’m not here to disrespect Kilmarnock and their playing facilities. I know that it’s a big help to Kilmarnock having a plastic pitch, it helps support the running of their football club.

“But my opinion is elite football shouldn’t have any plastic pitches.”

Gerrard revealed Murphy was gutted at the crock agony that has left his season in the balance and the Gers boss admitted the pitch is an issue after his club suffered a serious injury on the surface for a second time.

He said: “I think it will be one of those things that will be up for debate.

“We’ll have to wait and see. I think if you ask Jamie right now he’ll say it was a pitch incident.

“I don’t think it’s the first time Rangers have had that type of injury here, I think Martyn Waghorn suffered a couple of years back.

“I don’t want to dive in too quick, we’ll wait and see what the examinations say but we’re all fearing the worst.

“Jamie’s sad, he’s upset, I think he’s fearing the worst. We’re devastated. That’s the only downer for us, we’re going away on the back of a fantastic victory at a difficult place but it’s come at a cost because Jamie looks like he’ll be missing for quite a while.”

Gerrard admitted the Murphy blow put a dampner on his side’s impressive win as in-demand Alfredo Morelos struck a hat trick – and had another strike wrongly ruled out despite crossing the line.

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Andover Groundsman Wins Award

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Andover Groundsman Wins Award: A groundsman is celebrating receiving a national award, fending off competition from over 650 rivals across the country.

Now retired Andover Town FC groundsman Chris White is celebrating after winning the FA National Groundsman of the Year competition for the 2017/18 season.

The awards ceremony took place at St George’s Park National Football Centre, the home of the England squads.

Speaking after the presentation, Chris said: “I am very surprised, honoured and so proud to have won the award. It is true recognition of what can be achieved at a grass roots level on a tiny budget but with lots of time and care.

“I was very pleased to represent not only Andover Town but also the Sydenham’s Wessex League.

“Hopefully I’ve left a legacy on which the club can build and a ground that others can aspire too.”

Following his retirement from the Portway at the end of June this year, Chris joined the Ground Grading team of the Sydenham’s Wessex League which is responsible for monitoring ground standards across all clubs in that league.

Andover Town FC also received a financial reward for Chris’s efforts from competition sponsors, Budweiser.

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Edgar Street’s Award Winners

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Edgar Street’s Award Winners: Ben Bowen, head groundsman at Edgar Street, has received an accolade for his dedication and effort in keeping the pitch in pristine condition.

His ‘dedication and hard work’ saw Bowen and his Highground Maintenance team clinch third place in the Southern League Groundsman of the Year award last week.

The last 12 months has seen the pitch covered deep in snow, subject to a deluge of rain and starved of natural water during the summer months.

Despite this all of the club’s Southern league fixtures were played on their original planned dates last season.

However, it was the televised FA Cup home tie against Fleetwood Town which had St George’s Park talking during the presentation day.

“If they knew Herefordians they would know that if ever something major comes about we all chip in,” said Bowen who attended the awards alongside Ben Millward and Morgan Lewis.

“Every game there is pressure as every game is huge and everything evolves around the pitch. If we can’t get the game on everything else suffers including the revenue.

“But the Fleetwood match was panic stations on the Monday morning and I knew how big that game was for the club and the big revenue involved. “I was quite speechless by the number of volunteers when I got to Edgar Street I just thought ‘how have we done this?”

Bowen arrives on a matchday at 6am to mow the pitch and volunteers at the ground until 7pm at night in addition to his contracted work for the club.

The Edgar Street pitch is mowed three or four times a week and fertilised.

“I’m called head groundsman but have a team of boys behind me and the force of volunteers,” added Bowen.

“Throughout the match I watch the ball the whole game and keep a diary so on Monday morning I know what to do.

“I might need to cut the grass shorter or see an area that needs more watering. I have brought that down with me from league one and two and treat the pitch as that standard.

“I know what the Edgar Street pitch can do and how she can alter. At the moment it’s not right in my eyes with the drainage lines which is down to the weather and come October it will be a totally different pitch.

“When it goes right I can just sit back and monitor it but when the pitch goes wrong I can be a grumpy bugger and one slight bobble can do my head in.”

Bowen’s nephew is Hull City midfielder Jarrod Bowen and the groundsman feels he wants to help the club in return for the help they gave him.

“I personally want to stick my head on the line for manager Pete Beadle because of what he did for Jarrod as he didn’t have to,” added Bowen.

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FA’s Groundsman Award Winners

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FA’s Groundsman Award Winners: It’s that time of the year when the FA hold their Groundsman of the Year Awards, and five clubs from the three National League divisions won awards.

Aldershot Town’s Colin Wilson was the overall winner as he kept the EBB surface is exceptional condition.

He not only did he received a trophy he also secured prize money of £12,500 to be spent on equipment.

Other award winners were Charlie Kerr from Dartford, Curzon Ashton’s Nick Wild, Daniel Hunter and Declan Robinson of Boreham Wood.

FC United of Manchester’s Graham Byrne was also honoured by the FA, with the support of award backers Budweiser.

Geoff Terrell, the chairman of the FA Facilities Committee, said: “Together we recognise the valuable contribution ground staff make up and down the country in all winds and weather.

“This was truly brought home when a Q&A session lead by the Head Groundsman from Wembley and St George’s Park discussed the trials and tribulations of the recent hot weather.

“This summer has been a testament to their fortitude and experience in ensuring teams have a good surface to play on.”

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