Winter Sports Lee Jackson surveys his ‘patch’
For a life-long Manchester City fan, being Head Groundsman at the Etihad Stadium is a dream come true for Lee Jackson, but with it comes the responsibility of providing a playing surface for some of the most valuable players on the planet.
Laurence Gale MSc joins up with the groundstaff team on a Premier League matchday
O
ne of the most enjoyable parts of my job is getting out and about to meet the groundstaff and greenkeepers working on their ‘patch’, taking the time to
exchange views about our industry and, more importantly, finding out what makes them tick.
So, when I got a call from Lee Jackson, Head Groundsman at the Etihad Stadium asking if I wanted to help out, as he had a man down for their home match against Tottenham, I jumped at the chance. I arrived at the ground at 9.30am on Sunday morning after a traffic free journey up the M6 and into Manchester. Lee had arranged to meet me at one of the club’s car parks to get me through security.
Lee and his assistant, Darren Farnell, had already been at the ground since 7.00am, cutting the pitch with their Allett Buffalos and marking out. I got there in time to see Lee marking out the very last touchline.
Kick-off was scheduled for 1.30pm, and all that remained to be done was to take off the small lighting rigs from the goalmouths, set up the temporary practice goals and water the pitch. Lee explained that much of the pre- match preparation had been done following the last home fixture; a UEFA Champions League match against Dutch side Ajax the previous Tuesday evening, which ended 2-2 and left City in danger of missing out on the knock-out stages, much to Lee’s chagrin as he is a life-long supporter.
The weather had been kind in the run up to the Tottenham game, with very little rain. Immediately after the Ajax game, the pitch was divoted and then cleaned up
The City Slickers
Lee Jackson, Roy Rigby and Darren Farnell
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