Tag Archive for: groundsman

FA’s Groundsman Award Winners

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.

FA's Groundsman Award Winners

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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Lord’s Head Groundsman Honoured

Lord’s Head Groundsman Honoured: After 48 years of service, Lord’s head groundsman Mick Hunt has been recognised by the ECB and MCC for his work, with the MCC also awarding Mick with an honorary lifetime membership.

England recently became the first ever team to complete the milestone of playing 1000 Tests. They celebrated it with a 30-run win over India at Edgbaston in the first Test of the series. Youngster Sam Curran was the top crusader for the English side as they won a humdinger of a contest. As the hosts headed to Lord’s for the second Test, there was another milestone by an Englishman.

Lord’s Head Groundsman Honoured

For a change, it wasn’t a cricketer but a groundsman. Mick Hunt who has been the Head Groundsman was felicitated for his tremendous 48 years of service. The England skipper Joe Root presented him with an autographed bat at the Home of Cricket. The event took place just moments before play began on Day 3. The Lord’s Cricket Ground handle on Twitter posted a picture of the same.

It was indeed a busy morning for the groundsman. Not because he had a lot of ground related work but that the rewards didn’t stop coming his way. In what was a wonderful gesture by the England Cricket Board, Mick was also awarded the MCC honorary lifetime membership.

The first day at Lord’s was completely washed out. The second day saw just 212 balls being bowled. However, it was enough for the England pacers to bundle the Indian batsmen in overcast conditions. The ball swung like a snake out of James Anderson’s hands and all the bowlers took full advantage of the same. England don’t have a great record at Lord’s recently and they will be looking forward to changing that. They haven’t beaten an Asian team at the ground in their last five instances.

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Groundsman Wins Volunteer Award

Groundsman Wins Volunteer Award: The groundsman at Kingsbridge Rugby Club has been awarded the regional round of the Mitsubishi Volunteer of the Year.

Mike Shute, Kingsbridge Rugby Club, has won the regional round of the awards, which Mitsubishi and the Rugby Football Union organise to acknowledge the great work done by volunteers within the rugby community.

Groundsman Wins Volunteer Award

Mike has been a groundsman at KRFC for about twenty years, during that time he has used his own tractor to carry out the heavier side of the ground maintenance which includes; verti draining, earth-quaking and slit seeding.

He has also often been supported by having the use of machinery from KD Plant when bigger machines are required, and aggregates from his employer Jeremy Bishop Haulage.

Members and supporters of the rugby club will agree that the pitches have been improving year on year, there have even been comments made that they actually resemble a bowling gree!

This year with the dry summer we have had, this would normally have been a challenge to renovate the pitches but due to the bore hole installed two years ago the pitches have been irrigated since May and look in fine fettle. David Jarvis has been helping Mike to make sure that the pitches are watered and cut regularly.

Mike took two weeks of his own holiday in May this year to install some extra drainage on the main pitch and complete the annual pitch maintenance work.

He can be found at the club every Saturday morning, all year round, along with the small team ready to keep the rugby grounds in great condition be that match days or through the summer.

For the next round of the competition on Friday, September 7, Mike has been invited to a black tie dinner at Twickenham Stadium – England Rugby Headquarters.

He will be in competition with 42 other regional winners across the UK for the overall prize which is the use of any Mitsubishi vehicle for the next twelve months.

Kingsbridge Rugby Club wishes Mike the best of luck with the competition and greatly appreciates all the hard work he continues to puts in.

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Cricket Groundsman 50 Not Out

Cricket Groundsman 50 Not Out: A fun-filled evening of cricket was held at Duncombe Park Cricket Club on Friday, July 20.

A match between ex-players, known as The Legends, who were captained by Pete Humpleby, took on the current players, captained by Jonathon Leckenby.

Cricket Groundsman 50 Not Out

Following the match, a presentation of an engraved tankard was made to Alan Kent for 50 years as groundsman.

The chairman thanked Alan, on behalf of the club, for all his dedication and hard work over the years.

Thanks went to everyone who took part or supported the evening in any way.

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Work Of A Non-League Groundsman

Work Of A Non-League Groundsman: In the no-frills, grass roots world of non-league football, it’s possible the most important man on the pitch is the groundsman.

Sitting on a plastic chair, in muddy boots and paint stained jacket, David Page is every bit the non-league groundsman I was hoping to meet.

Work Of A Non-League Groundsman

“The day begins with a cup of tea,” he says, welcoming me into the cosy former shipping container, which serves as his office and general tea room. “You’ve turned up at the perfect time. Days like this provide a glimpse into real life non-league football.”

My journey to Crown Meadow, the home of Vanarama National League North side Lowestoft Town was old school. No out of town, bland stadium here, but a walk along Seago Street, past rows of terrace housing, eventually arriving at the metal gates. It feels like a proper football ground, steeped in history, rooted in the local community. I vividly remember watching games here, on dark winter nights with friends some twenty-plus years ago. Experiences like those stay forever in the mind.

The club has seen mixed fortunes – fighting bankruptcy, relying on supporters’ donations, then an FA Vase final at Wembley, successive promotions, play-off finals and now reaching the heights of National League North non-league football. By any standards, it’s been one heck of a journey for the Trawlerboys.

Sipping our tea, we stare out at the bleak conditions. Rain pummels the pitch with such force that I doubt today’s important match against one of the league’s biggest teams, Stockport County, will go ahead.

“It’ll be on,” says David. He should know. He’s looked after the pitch for 19 years. He takes off his deep blue baseball cap, which proudly bears the club logo. The previous night was a sleepless one, he says, worrying about the pitch and checking for regular weather updates.

“I never switch off. I can’t – I keep thinking about my pitch and what condition it will be in.” David is a Lowestoft man. He used to work in the fishing industry, spending days and nights out on the North Sea on one of the many trawlers that frequented this stretch of coast. But nineteen years ago, he was approached by the Lowestoft Town chairman to become their groundsman. He joined the ground-keeping course at Ipswich Town, learning from the best in the business, Alan Fergusson, now head groundsman at St Georges Park, home of the England international team.

Sitting in the press box, overlooking the ground, I chat to David. He is focused on the pitch, watching rain sweep across, soaking the already soaked turf. It’s like watching a chess player planning his next move.

“What you see is what you get here,” he says. “We don’t have the luxury of training pitches or elaborate facilities, this pitch sees a lot of action. Four of our sides play and train on the surface.” The first team, reserves, youth and women’s sides all regularly use the surface, making the groundsman’s job all the more difficult. It’s in remarkable condition, considering.

Despite the advancement of technology and pitch care, the job of a non-league groundsman has changed little, and the task of getting the pitch ready for match day is much the same as it always was, although, as David is keen to point out, there is a vast improvement in equipment.

“When I first came up here, the groundsman at the time took me to the shed, handed me the rechargeable drill and pointed to the lawnmower – that was it.” The Trawlerboys’ shed is now home to a host of ground improving aids – large and small rollers, slitter, mowers, rakes and no end of tools to help keep the surface in top condition. A combination of good equipment and superb knowledge means the club did not postpone one game last season, impressive for any club, but especially for a non-league side.

It hasn’t always been like that. David recalls one match day when he arrived to find three-quarters of the pitch under water.

“I could have cried,” he says. We head towards the home team changing room. George the kit man is already laying out the players’ match day kit. Rows of bright blue shirts hang from the hooks, while freshly laundered towels and other essentials are carefully placed at the ready for each player.

David checks the facilities, making sure everything is working. The job of a groundsman at this level is one of caretaker too. The club also has several volunteers who help with painting and maintenance.

On a match day David typically arrives around 6.30am and is normally the last to leave in the evening. He returns early Sunday morning to clean the stands and changing rooms, and see to the pitch if there is a women’s game on. “It’s a good job my wife works in the turnstiles, otherwise we would never see each other,” he says.

As the rain eases off, we head out onto the pitch. Holding his trusty groundsman’s fork, David begins slowly lifting the turf, allowing some of the standing water to disperse. The pitch feels spongy and I imagine it won’t take much for the surface to cut up, but David remains hopeful.

“We have the referee coming around 10am for a pitch inspection – I think we’ll be OK”. Heading back to the office I warm up by the heater while David, the referee and club secretary stroll across the soggy pitch.

“Is it on, mate?” asks a Stockport County fan, one of many who have stayed in town overnight after a six-hour car journey. The game is given the go ahead, preparations for match day continue, and as the rain subsides, the line marker is brought pitch side. It’s a job that can take a good hour and means walking miles over the course of a week. I head for the exit.

The next time I see David is at half time in the match. He’s out there, patting and lifting the turf, nurturing the surface. A last minute goal sees the Trawlerboys grab a score draw. The fans pour out of the exit, smiles on their faces. David is pitch side, staring out onto his beloved turf, pondering his next move.

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Groundsman Recommends TM1000

Groundsman Recommends TM1000: David Hodgson, groundsman and president at the Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club in Headingley, Leeds, believes that a lot more local cricket clubs would see significant improvements if they used a SISIS Rotorake TM1000 tractor mounted scarifier on their pitches.

Established in 1853, Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket clubs in the country. The club, which is based at the Field of Dreams on Queenswood Drive in Leeds, boasts two Saturday league teams, a Sunday 3rd team and a range of junior teams from under 9’s to under 17’s.

David, or ‘Hodgy’ as he is more commonly known in the local area, has been looking after the facilities for the past twenty years and president of the club for the past twelve. The compact ground surrounded by trees, hosts on average, between 85 and 100 fixtures per annum and David leaves no stone unturned when it comes to preparation.

‘Hodgy’ is passionate about sports turf and particularly cricket – he is a previous winner of a Yorkshire Cricket Board OSCA (Outstanding Service to Cricket Award) and was also commended by the West Yorkshire and Leeds branch of the Institute of Groundsmanship for his work in developing and presenting “Understanding of Groundsmanship” courses to Yorkshire’s cricket development groups and raising the profile of groundsmanship in the region.

When he is not tending to the pitch at Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club, David has his own groundcare business and applies his expertise at a number of sports clubs throughout Yorkshire. With his workload increasing, he felt it was time to invest in new machinery and specifically something that would make his end of season renovations easier.

“I’m getting no younger and I thought that instead of operating pedestrian machines it might make sense to have a tractor mounted machine. I have colleagues who have the Rotorake TM1000 and they gave me very good reports on it. I have known of SISIS for years and own a SISIS Variseeder (tractor mounted seeder), which has served me incredibly well for over twelve years now.

“As my business developed I made the decision to increase my machinery stock to make my life easier – hence the purchase of the SISIS TM1000.”

The SISIS Rotorake TM1000 is a tractor mounted heavy duty scarifier and linear aerator and is un-rivalled when it comes to removing and controlling thatch. It includes a collector box and floating unit to follow ground contours and its contra-rotating reel throws debris forward ensuring a clean, consistent groove resulting in an excellent finish. With interchangeable blades and a quick, simple depth setting without tools, it seemed to be the perfect machine for David.

“I’m highly delighted with the purchase – the strength of the machine and the durability is excellent. I’ve used it for all of my recent autumn/winter renovations at around 25 venues throughout Yorkshire already.

“It’s great for ease of use and I like the fact I can adjust the depth setting depending on the site and the level of thatch that is in the profile. It’s a great feature to have and you can adjust it very easily without any tools.

“I have the scarification reel and the fraze mowing reel – which I think is absolutely brilliant. I’m also now looking at purchasing the brush for cleaning the squares during the playing season.

“Personally, I think that a lot of local cricket clubs would benefit from using the SISIS Rotorake TM1000.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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Groundsman Wins Award Hat-Trick

Groundsman Wins Award Hat-Trick: Kidderminster Cricket Club’s top groundsman has been presented with his hat-trick trophy for producing the best ground in the Birmingham and District Premier League for the third year in a row.

Making the presentation to Chris Longmore in front of captain Neil Pinner and the rest of the team, Birmingham and District Premier league president Robin Viner said: “Chris is so consistent and Kidderminster is very lucky to have a groundsman with such knowledge and dedication.”

Groundsman Wins Award Hat-Trick

Mr Longmore, who has been associated with the Chester Road outfit for 58 years, said he was “delighted” to the win the award again.

He added: “There is hardly a day without cricket at Kidderminster this season and, as always, to make that work requires an awful lot of time as well as investment.”

Mr Longmore’s hard work was acknowledged by the club, which presented him the Denis Jones Award for outstanding contribution behind the scenes in 2017 at the annual presentation last autumn.

The league’s umpires also marked the club’s 1st XI team fifth in the Fair Play table for 2017.

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Groundsman Nets County Award

Groundsman Nets County Award: A football groundsman involved in the sport for over 60 years has won a county award.

Gerry Williams, head groundsman at Collingham’s Station Road base, received several nominations for Nottinghamshire FA Groundsman Of The Year.

Groundsman Nets County Award

He has now been put forward for the national title.

“Reading comments about how people appreciate the work you put into the ground is very nice,” Williams said.

“It is hard work, especially with the number of matches we have on these pitches, but I would not be doing it if I did not enjoy it.”

Both Collingham and Newark Town play home games at Station Road in the Central Midlands League North.

Around 90 matches have been played there this season.

Ricky Stevenson, business development manager at the Nottinghamshire FA, said: “The weather has been unprecedented and it is people like Gerry who help keep football being played.

“He is one of those who work incredibly hard behind the scenes. He thoroughly deserves to be recognised.”

Williams won a Kombi line-marker and Super C paint from sponsors Fleet Line Markers.

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Award For Council Groundsman

Award For Council Groundsman: An award has been presented to a member of Tendring District Council’s Open Spaces team for his work maintaining a popular cricket pitch.

Chris Russell won the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Cricket Championship Groundsman Award at the annual general meeting of the Essex Cricket Board Groundsman Association.

Award For Council Groundsman

Chris was given the award for his work preparing pitches at Clacton Cricket Club’s Vista Road ground during the 2017 season. The pitches received top marks from a panel of umpires right across the season.

Stuart Kerrison, head groundsman at Essex County Cricket Club’s Chelmsford ground, presented Chris with his award.

Barry Dunwell, the outgoing chairman of Clacton Cricket Club, said the club was fortunate to have such a hard-working, dedicated and conscientious groundsman preparing their pitches.

“It was not a surprise that Chris received this accolade for his efforts,” he added.

Chris works at a number of recreation grounds right across the District in his role with Tendring District Council.

Trevor Mills, Open Space Manager at Tendring District Council, added his congratulations to Chris.

“We all know how hard Chris works to look after our open spaces, and his sterling efforts at Clacton Cricket Club are just one example of his year-round fine work,” he said.

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Groundsman Nominated For Award

Groundsman Nominated For Award: A member of staff from Colwyn Bay Football Club has been nominated for a prestigious award.

Elfyn Jones was nominated for the Evo-Stik North Groundsman of the Year, and his sterling efforts throughout the season have seen him reach the final three.

Groundsman Nominated For Award

The 52-year-old Rhyl resident will now attend at glitzy award ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in Blackpool on Saturday, June 16 where the winner will be announced.

Jones is in his second season volunteering with the Seagulls after previously holding a position with Warrington Town, and he has also assisted at National League side Chester at times during the campaign.

He spends between 25 and 30 hours a week working on the pitch at Llanelian Road, combining his time at the club with the tanning salon he runs in the area, where he spends 35 hours a week on average.

Jones, said: “I didn’t expect to get this far and I am surprised, but having praise off referees and home and away fans regarding how good the pitch is looking is so nice to hear.

“This makes all worthwhile and the players also have a good surface to play on. I sometimes work longer when we’re playing at home as there’s preparation in brushing, slitting and aeration work needs doing. Also fertilising when required.”

This recognition is even more significant when you consider the terrible weather conditions that have blighted the domestic game over the winter months, which has made the preparation process extremely challenging for Jones and other groundsmen in the region.

“This season has been the worst ever, the amount of rain we’ve had has made life difficult,” he added.

“I was unable to put the tractor on the pitch for three weeks due to it being simply too wet. The last few months I’ve been more busy on my sponge roller collecting water off the pitch than I ever have before.”

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