TWENTYQuestions
Andy Mackay - flogging for non pooper scoopers, tax free earnings for groundsmen ... AM for PM?
Who are you? Andy Mackay, Head Groundsman at Sussex County Cricket Club.
Family status? Married to beautiful wife, Sarah with an eight month old daughter, Amelia.
Who’s your hero and why? That bloke with the shopping bags who stood up to the tanks in Tiananmen square - because he had more courage than I ever could, plus I think he just snapped, and you have to give the guy credit for having such a bad temper.
What is your dream holiday? A repeat of my honeymoon in the Maldives - wouldn’t change a thing.
What annoys you the most? People who won’t accept responsibility for their actions and look to blame others.
What would you change about yourself? I’d like to lose some weight. Well, quite a lot actually!
Who wouldn’t you like to be? That bloke with the shopping bags who stood up to the tanks in Tiananmen square.
Favourite record, and why? The Pearlfishers Duet (Bizet). Just because.
Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? My wife.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Faint. Then go on holiday while I worked out how we were going to divvy out the cash.
If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? A lyre - get it?
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? Never eat anything bigger than your head.
What’s your favourite smell? My baby daughter.
What do you do in your spare time? I don’t have any spare time anymore but, when I’m not at work, I’m busy being a dad and helping out at home. If I ever get any spare time I will go fishing - preferably in the Lake District.
What’s the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? Well, we use the Met Office rainfall radar on the internet to keep an eye on the weather and, due to us mentioning that we’d ‘checked the radar’ when people asked about the likelihood of rain etc., they began to believe that we actually had some sort of big radar equipment in the shed. Someone once asked me if it had cost a lot of money!
What’s your favourite piece of kit? Our new Jacobsen SLF 1880 fairway mower with groomers. Greens quality cut for the outfield - shame we have no irrigation and it is currently straw coloured, but you can’t have everything. I also love the Lloyds Paladin because it is easy to mend, easy to adjust the height while out on the square, they go forever and they give a brilliant cut.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? That would be horrible if I did that, wouldn’t it?
What talent would you like to have? I’d love to have a world class singing voice in order to make my morning showers more entertaining.
What makes you angry? People blaming the wicket for their own/team’s poor performance.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? 1) Time in the stocks for those who don’t pick up after their dogs. This should be increased to public flogging for those who let their dogs foul on playing fields, playgrounds or sports grounds. 2) I’d like to see us embrace the European Working Time Directives. 3) Tax free earnings for groundsmen!
The company that has been instrumental in the development and improvement of the facilities at Sussex CCC, at both Hove and the Academy ground at Broadstone, as well as a the major changes at the Preston Nomads ground at Fulking, is Keighley based JMS Cricket.
Spen Cama’s generous legacy to both the county and his local club provided the funds to introduce major improvements and for much of this work on the grounds and practice areas they relied on the expertise of Jonathan Smith of JMS Cricket.
Managing Director Jonathan Smith has been a groundsman at international venues for cricket, rugby and football and the company has an on-going working relationship with most of the groundsmen of the County Cricket Clubs. This provides constant feedback to enable the company to develop and refine products that make use of the latest hi-tech materials for greater efficiency and to make them quicker and easier to deploy.
At Hove JMS worked closely with the Head Groundsman to
develop an artificial net area that would replicate the performance they are hoping to achieve on the natural turf wickets. Mobile covers, traditional semi-translucent sheets and the JMS Pitch Protector have also been purchased, as well as JMS’s unique framework around the net area. The Academy also use JMS covers, sheets and sightscreens at their Broadstone ground.
Problems with the new square at Preston Nomads eventually led to JMS consulting, specifying and overseeing the complete re-build of the main square. They also supplied the covers, sheets, screens and artificial areas to guarantee that the quality of the cricket facilities matched the stunning natural beauty of one of the most delightful grounds in the country.
“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Sussex CCC on these projects and we are confident that their professional approach to the undertaking of these initiatives will continue to produce the first class results they deserve”, comments Jonathan Smith, MD of JMS Cricket.
Web site:
www.jmscricket.com Tel: 01535 604777 15
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