Andy Dixon has had a few ‘issues’ to deal with since taking over as head groundsman at Bournemouth University’s Dean Park Cricket Ground. As he tells Peter Britton, sod’s law brought about a combination of unfortunate timing, bad weather and a


congested fixture list that led to season long problems in 2009


The D


The last thing I want is people giving me their opinions whilst I’m trying to get on with my job!”


Andy Dixon, Head Groundsman, Dean Park


ean Park is an iconic ‘little’ cricket ground that nestles in a leafy suburb of Bournemouth. Okay, not iconic in the


Lord’s sense, but certainly for followers of cricket on the south coast. Now part of Bournemouth University it was, for many years, a Hampshire County Cricket Club outground and, for anyone old enough to remember the last time Hampshire won the county championship, it was at Dean Park that the deciding victory was achieved. That was back in 1973, just one year before Bournemouth swapped counties in the Government’s ‘reorganisation of local government’ becoming Dorset’s largest town in the process. In 2007, a First Direct Bank survey found the town to be the ‘Happiest place in Britain’.


But, all has not been happy in recent years at the home of Dorset County Cricket Club. When long serving groundsman, John


Fazackerley, retired in 2008, his replacement was sought via the Pitchcare website jobs


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