Winter Sports With the money
generated from the FA cup run expected to approach £100,000, Stourbridge have been thrown a financial lifeline in these difficult economic times
realistic.
As with any small club on a cup run, the whole town has become consumed by cup fever - suddenly everyone is a Glassboys fan. The nickname - derived from the once thriving local glass industry - harks back to a time when the area prospered from
manufacturing. These days, glass production in the town is considered more a tourist attraction than the backbone of the local economy, however, the football club is certainly central to the community in terms of its importance. First time visitors are often bemused by the ‘three sided’ appearance of the ground. When it is then explained that Stourbridge Cricket Club also call the War Memorial Athletic Ground their home, then things start to make sense. Logistically, sharing with the cricketers can create problems - for example, the two clubs opportunities for home matches are severely reduced at the beginning and end of the respective seasons. However, these issues are usually overcome amicably - it’s very much a case of share and share alike around these parts. Formed in 1876, the original occupants were Stourbridge Athletics club (hence the name of the stadium), and the legacy of the original cinder running track still exists today - albeit covered over with several inches of topsoil. As you can imagine, maintaining a football pitch that has a cinder running track running underneath it can
provide its own unique set of maintenance issues. Head Groundsman Mark
explains that, in an average season, the main pitch hosts seventy plus matches, from Stourbridge First XI right down to youth sides and even charity matches. Add to this a pitch sharing agreement with local team Causeway United, as well as the aforementioned cricket club, and you soon understand that the ground simply never gets a close season.
As far as pitch preparation goes, it was very much business as usual for the visit of Plymouth Argyle - largely at the behest of team manager and former West Bromwich Albion star, Gary Hackett.
“Our philosophy is that the pitch, in its current condition, has served us just fine up to now, so why change things for one game?” reasons Mark. And, looking at the quality of the pitch, you would have to agree with him - good grass coverage, nice colour and true ball bounce and roll, all evident on the day of my visit.
The pitch was vertidrained as part of the annual maintenance programme three weeks before the F.A cup replay and, five days prior to the game, was sprayed with a liquid iron to dress things up for the big occasion.
The club employs the services of Amenity Land Solutions for technical advice, procuring products, and for a number of the larger contract services, such as spraying and
Ian Pilkington
Temporary stands over the cricket square DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012 PC 71
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