“Marcus has had to hit the ground running - it’s coming at him thick and fast”
are just behind the manager’s dugout and technical area. This shows we are very much part of his team. We have our own seats with ITFC Grounds Staff on them, nine seats reserved just for us. It’s good to feel appreciated.” “At half-time we’re out on the pitch again with our forks doing the necessary repairs and, although it’s 15 minutes, it just flies by. We’re back in the technical area for the second half and then, once the game ends, which hopefully we’ve won, and when the players and officials have left the pitch, we’re out with the forks for the really intensive divotting and repairs. This can take anything from 40 minutes to an hour depending on the weather conditions and how well the pitch has stood up during the game.” “We hang the goal nets and remove the corner flags and that’s just about it. We leave the stadium between 6.00pm-6.30pm and I get home around 7.00pm. It’s a long day, but it’s great fun and you feel you have really contributed to the occasion.” I met up with Alan Ferguson later in the day and asked how he felt Marcus was getting on.
“He’s doing fine,” Alan said. “This is his first venture into work, post school. He’s got a very definite idea in his mind what he wants to do; he wants to be a groundsman at the professional end more than in the
amenity sector.” “He’s a bit short on choice of clubs
around here, so it has been very good that we’ve been able to set up the scholarship programme with Ransomes Jacobsen. I think he’s a very lucky young man to have that sort of opportunity. He’s not only getting experience here in the stadium on a match day but he’s working with pitches and with the players on a day-to-day basis at the training centre.”
“Being able to build up a rapport with professional coaches and players is not always easy, even for adults, far less a young lad straight out of school. It’s a unique environment, as you know, but he’s a confident boy and he’s certainly not stage struck, which is good. He’s not afraid to approach the players and, provided he does it in a proper manner, they will work with him. They like him, which is good, and he has that manner and rapport building up now that he’ll be able to take away from here beyond his scholarship and go on and put into any other professional club.” “Marcus has had to hit the ground running. He has a year with us and it’s coming at him thick and fast. He has to pick things up very, very quickly, so I’m really pleased with the progress he’s made.”
Alan Ferguson, Head Groundsman, Ipswich Town FC Marcus sets up the watering system
Full time divoting
The ‘divoted’ groundstaff
Contract spraying services for all sports facilities requirements
Fertiliser applications
Chafer Grub and Leather Jacket control
Supply and
Amenity Contract Services Ltd Catchdale Moss Farm, Eccleston, St Helens Merseyside WA10 5QG Tel: 01744 885098 Fax: 01744 886001
Email:
richard@amenitycontracting.co.uk
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Linear and spike aeration
Nationwide coverage 25 Specialist Green spraying equipment
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