Tag Archive for: Swindon

Swindon boss praises groundsman

Swindon boss praises groundsman: Richie Wellens revealed the work of groundsman Marcus Cassidy and his army of matchday volunteers played a big part in his decision to accept the Swindon Town manager’s role little under a year ago.

Last week, Town scooped the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year accolade at an awards ceremony hosted at the Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham.

Swindon boss praises groundsman

It’s the third time that Cassidy and his volunteers have been recognised for their efforts at a major awards ceremony in three years.

Last season, Town won the EFL’s League Two Grounds Team of the Year award. And the season before, Cassidy scooped the highly commended award.

With next Wednesday marking a year since Wellens was confirmed as Phil Brown’s successor at the Energy Check County Ground, Wellens took the opportunity to applaud the efforts of Stonehouse-based Cassidy – who is midway through his 19th season at the club.

Wellens said: “It’s great Marcus is winning these awards – it’s a big part of why I came here.

“A lot of pitches at this level are small – 12 or 15 yards shorter than ours and a lot narrower.

“For me, it’s difficult to play good football on those pitches and that’s why teams score a lot of goals from set plays and long throws.

“Everyone knows how good Marcus is. It’s probably better because he never lets us train on it. I half let him off with that.”

Town’s ground staff were tested during last Saturday’s home game against Walsall when heavy rain at the conclusion of half-time saw underfoot conditions deteriorate.

Puddles gathered, although Town weathered the literal storm to record a 2-1 win.

The pitch will now be rested for more than two weeks with no game scheduled until Mansfield Town visit in League Two on November 23 – although that could change if this weekend’s FA Cup first-round clash at Cheltenham Town is drawn.

Despite the praise, Wellens made no secret of his desire to train more frequently at the County Ground to boost players’ home awareness.

He said: “It will get loads of rest. Next time we turn up here, I expect the grass to be cut the exact length and expect it to look pristine because no one is allowed on it for two weeks.

“And it should be that way. Marcus is a groundsman is paid to keep the grass looking brilliant – and he’s doing a great job.

“The pitch was difficult last Saturday. When you sit in the stands, it looks green and flat.

“But when you walk on it at the end, there were a lot of puddles – mainly because of the sheer amount of rain.”

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Pitch Perfect At Swindon Town

Pitch Perfect At Swindon Town: Long summer hours, ensuring a pre-planned fertiliser programme is on target and achieving the right aeration balance – you could consider all of the above to be traits required by one of Wiltshire’s many farmers.

But it also applies to Swindon Town’s chief groundsman Marcus Cassidy, who is midway through his 18th season at the club.

Pitch Perfect At Swindon Town

It’s a job that started for the Stonehouse-born groundsman by chance after he landed the role through a friend before completing various courses to expand his qualifications.

He now works alongside apprentice Conor Collins – who spends his Saturday’s working on Southampton’s pitch – while using an army of 10 volunteers to ensure the pitch is prepared to perfection ahead of matchday.

A fortnight ago on Saturday proved a rare occurrence for Cassidy as Town’s home game against Forest Green Rovers was postponed due to heavy snowfall.

But it was only dangerous conditions around the perimeter of the Energy Check County Ground that forced the game off – with the club deeming the pitch as fit to play on.

“Snow is a great insulator,” explained Cassidy. “So if the ground isn’t frozen, the snow will keep the frost out – and vice-versa.

“Our pitch is a very old pitch, it’s essentially a sand and soil pitch. Premier League, Championship and even some pitches in League Two are hybrid – they are three to five per cent plastic.”

assidy has every right to claim the County Ground as one of the truest pitches in League Two, and he pinned that down to the investment provided by chairman Lee Power and chief executive Steve Anderson.

While he accepts he is a way off having the tools Premier League staff have to their disposal, Cassidy revealed the club is more than half way there to being home to world-class equipment used by top teams including Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

He added: “The club has invested in the machinery that I can use in the last three years.

“That makes things a lot easier. When you’re waiting on contractors, they might not be able to get there or might be on another job.

“With the tools I’ve got, I can go out and do what I want, when I want.

“That’s why the pitch is holding up well, because the club has invested.

“I’m always asking for more equipment. In the Premiership, they get what tools they want.

“We try and improve a little bit each year. I’m under no illusions, when you get relegated into League Two budgets will be cut.

“But Steve Anderson and Lee Power do try and keep the pitch to the standard it is. They expect a good pitch, and they want a good pitch.

“It’s a slow process – I’ll always ask for more than I can get. They can only say no.”

Watching the game often comes second on Cassidy’s list, who has his eyes on the ball more than anything else come 3pm on Saturday.

And you can rest assured he and his hard-working team of staff will be putting the hours in ahead of Town’s next home game against Grimsby Town on February 23.

“You try and watch the game, but I’m watching the ball more than anything,” said Cassidy.

“I want to see the ball rolling well. When I watch the highlights, I’ll watch them twice – I study the pitch first and then the goals.

“It’s pretty sad, but that’s my job.

“We do less hours in the winter – sometimes you just leave it alone. You can do more damage by overworking a pitch.

“Less is more in the winter.”

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Swindon Pitch Up For Award

Swindon Pitch Up For Award: Groundstaff at Swindon Town are among those being recognised by this year’s by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards.

Town’s head groundsman Marcus Cassidy is contesting the SISGrass Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year Award with now-Championship side Rotherham United after his County Ground playing surface surpassed the the average rating for a League Two surface for the 12th year in succession.

Swindon Pitch Up For Award

Cassidy’s surface was nominated for League Two pitch of the year, with an average score of 4.29, compared to the league average of 3.890, despite heavy usage last season when hosting Town training sessions as well as matches.

The award is open to grounds teams in the English Leagues One and Two, National League, National League North/South, Scottish Championship and Leagues One and Two, Ireland and Wales professional leagues.

Bath Rugby’s Recreation Ground is also nominated for an accolade – the National Governing Bodies’ Professional Multi-Sports Ground/Facility Team of the Year Award – with Calne’s Beversbrook Sports Facility a finalist for the SCH Supplies Best Managed Artificial Surface of the Year Award.

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