Multicore MC15 behind ageing Tym tractor


“I suppose you could say that we were two years into a five-year plan, and it’s stayed that way for the last three”


transform the facility soon, Mark reports, adding wistfully, “I suppose you could say that we were two years into a five-year plan, and it’s stayed that way for the last three.” With only two first-team


Fibresand pitches, and basic soil ones for the reserve and academy sides, Palace are keen to upgrade further. “The first stage in the plans will be to replace the soil pitches with Fibresand ones. I’d like to have another two, giving us four in total, but I’d settle for one if that’s all I could get - a part


construction of the surface only would cost around £80,000 per pitch, as drainage is already installed.” Most of the work at the training ground is left largely to Phil, with Mark visiting a couple of times a week. The machine story is a similar one at Beckenham, with a Jacobsen 250 five-unit ride- on fairway mower and a Kubota L46 the two main machines at his disposal, plus an SR-72 soil reliever. The critical financial position that Palace found themselves in, and the resulting process of


administration, had left many at the club anxious for the future. Yet, for Mark, the whole sorry saga was alleviated for him by one or two important figures at Selhurst Park, whose stance allowed him time to reflect on the job and his position at the club. “That whole period helped focus my mind far more on


48


what my role is here, and where I want to be in the future,” he says candidly. “During the worst time, we we were all in the boardroom waiting to hear our name called out for redundancy, then breathing a sigh of relief when it wasn’t - that was stressful.”


While former Palace chairman, Simon Jordan, reportedly was viewed, by some, as being part responsible for the downfall of the club, his brother, Dominic Jordan, who ran the club day to day, prior to administration, was praised for his work through the turbulent times. Mark, for one, was grateful for the support he and his team were given. “Dominic was a crucial influence on our position; he always recognised the value of a head groundsman and the importance of what we did. He also understood that being a groundsman, like any position of responsibility, involves taking ownership of it, not just being someone who receives and issues orders.


In turn, Mark appreciates


his role in maintaining a tightly-knit, albeit small, turfcare team. “You have to treat staff like men, not children. The one benefit to having a small team is that we are like a family. We’ve all bonded much more now, with the financial troubles bringing those of us that have stayed on, closer together.” If he ever moved away from Palace, he’s certain it would


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