Schools & Colleges D
iscussions over who will prove to be the true beneficiaries of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been bubbling away for some time.
For the venues outside the capital, hosting the world’s sporting elite will likely prove to be a big feather in their cap and, hopefully, bring a lasting legacy. Old Trafford is amongst a handful of high-profile sites selected in and around the North-western hub that will witness a share of the Games’ modest tally of football fixtures. Just a few miles south, in the suburbs, another venue is busy preparing for the Games’ football training programme. It’s one blessed with its fair share of prestige and a rich history but is, at first glance, a surprising choice to welcome Olympians on to its turf, some might say.
Come mid-July, The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) will become one of only nine schools to play any formal role in the Olympic and
Paralympic Games, when it welcomes a yet unknown (at time of going to press) number of world nations to train on two of the school’s football pitches. Each of the thirty-four training venues had to meet the requirement of being no more than thirty minutes’ drive from the Olympic and Paralympic venues. More than £17m has been invested in schools, universities, sports clubs and leisure centres across London and throughout the UK, to bring facilities up to world-class standards. For a school with nearly 500 years of history (established by Hugh Oldham in 1515), and a fine sporting pedigree, MGS’s task of delivering first-class playing surfaces was nothing new for its turfcare team, led by Head Groundsman, Brian Minshall, who has spearheaded a steadily improving sporting provision since he joined the staff in 1997.
“I spent six years as head
groundsman of the Northern Lawn Tennis Club in nearby Didsbury before coming here,” he tells me. “This was a
fresh challenge, catering for a much wider range of sports - and having to meet a new set of requirements - was all part of the appeal of joining, what is, one of the most prestigious schools in the country.”
He must have left the courts in prime condition, as then top-ranked player, Pat Rafter, had remarked on their quality. “A high point in my career,” the 58-year old confides. Head groundsmen worth their salt
recognise that success in turf management is rooted in a strong support network from both staff and employer. The awareness by educational institutions, that to achieve sustainable results on sports pitches requires investment, is growing steadily and, in the case of MGS, that commitment surely has played its part in the school being granted Olympic training status. Brian is one of a rising number of
grounds professionals being given the financial tools they need to deliver lasting results, and who are charged with more responsibility and influence
Olympic aspirations are being met at The Manchester Grammar School, one of the country’s premier educational institutions, as work continues to ready itself for London 2012, whilst also realising a long-held desire to deliver Test standard cricketing provision to students.
Tom James reports
Passing the ‘Test’ at MGS...
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