Dave Lewis is the RFL Groundsperson of the Year
The Brian Cartwright Trophy is awarded to the Head Groundsman at Widnes Vikings
DAVE Lewis, Head Groundsman at the Halton Stadium in Widnes is the Rugby Football League Groundsperson of the Year for 2006. The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the
governing body for the game of Rugby League in the UK. It is responsible for all aspects of the game, from promotion and marketing to coaching and national development programmes. Three years ago, it decided there was a need to recognise the work of the grounds staff who work tirelessly preparing rugby league pitches for play. This culminated in the creation of the Brian Cartwright Trophy, named in memory of the RFL’s honorary groundsperson, who served for more than 20 years. Each year, a panel of judges visits the nominees and inspect their pitches before selecting a winner and two runners up. Dave has been with the Widnes Vikings for 17 years and has continually improved his skills and knowledge to the benefit of the playing surface. He's seen many changes during his
time with the club. The old stadium was modernized, with two new stands being built in 1996 and 1998 with funding from Halton Borough Council. In 1999, the club's remaining 40% share in the ground was sold to Halton Borough Council. Dave was then transferred to the council's workforce, which in fact has helped the club immensely as it now provides all the materials and resources to maintain the stadium pitch. 2005 saw the completion of the East Stand making the Halton Stadium an all- seater venue with a capacity of 13,350. The net result of this expansion has been increased usage of the pitch. Dave and his assistant (and son) Tony are kept busy preparing the pitch for more than 60 fixtures a year including Everton reserve matches. The stadium also hosts a number of high profile fixtures including internationals and cup finals. Dave said that the award was quite
unexpected and that it had come a bit “out of the blue”, and credits it to sheer
hard work, team effort and support from the council in providing the appropriate equipment to do the job. He also really enjoys his job and tries to make the best of the weather conditions in the North. “It’s 50% Mother Nature and 50% hard graft. There’s never a week without some sort of challenge to face”, he added.
finally, after all these years of dedication and toil, Rugby League grounds staff are getting recognition for the work they do.” 2nd place was awarded to Jim Morley
from The Recreation Ground, Whitehaven in 2004 and Graham Osbourne from The Shay Stadium, Halifax in 2005.
Plumpton College’s teenage initiative bringing success
College’s free ‘taster days’ give 14 year old students an insight into groundsmanship
It’s a known fact that the UK’s turf professionals are some of the best in the World, but how can we ensure that our sports pitches, golf courses, parks and estates are maintained to the same high standards in the years to come?
sportsturf and amenity horticulture courses have to address this matter first hand, and are responsible for recruiting school leavers on to their full time, part time and day release courses.
works with turf, school pupils are unlikely to have any knowledge of what the industry offers in terms of career prospects, let alone what the job entails or how to get involved. They may (wrongly) believe that the job is just about ‘grass cutting’ or that it’s not an industry for high achievers. To dispel these myths and to give them an insight into the many opportunities
4 Unless they have a relative who Colleges across the UK who offer
available to them in working with turf, Plumpton College in East Sussex has begun offering a series of free ‘taster days’ to 14 year olds from schools in the South East. They are designed to give pupils in
years 10 and 11 a day experiencing the subject of their choice, and they can attend as many taster days as they wish. Most of them take place on campus and at nearby Ivyland Farm. At that point in their schooling, some students may have disengaged with the education system and find that the classroom environment isn’t conducive to learning, preferring the practical, hands on approach. Land-based courses can reignite their enthusiasm for learning by combining classroom learning with outdoor tasks. Others may be unsure about their options post- GCSE and looking for some guidance as, undoubtedly, the choice of colleges, courses and careers once they reach 16 is mind-boggling.
“But, on reflection, I feel honoured that
from the Batley Bulldogs and 3rd place went to Tony Johnston & Stan Greaves at Whitehaven. Previous winners were Brian Mossop
Shan Dexter from the college commented: “The taster days are fun and free - we even provide lunch and arrange transport. We’re able to link our advice to their GCSE choices and suggest subjects which they may not even be thinking about logically. They go back to school with a focus for the future and motivated to achieve in their exams. Many return several years later to enroll on our full-time courses and go on to higher education and to have successful careers.” For more details, contact Plumpton College on 01273 890454 or visit
www.plumpton.ac.uk
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