Winter Sports
Stuart has his hands full
through the winter months. Cutting height is set at 75mm.
The stadium pitch is a heavy clay soil. with an old primary drainage system installed at five metre centres. Over the years, the drainage potential of the pitch has diminished and, although there have been several attempts to repair it, this year’s constant rainfall has compromised the system in that the heavy soil between the drainage runs has remained in a saturated state, thereby slowing down natural infiltration rates.
Martin linemarking This has left the modified rootzone
profile (installed in 2006) not able to drain freely and become waterlogged, resulting in reduced soil strength. The club are aware of the issues and Martin is currently seeking costs to replace the drainage system.
Back to the matters at hand. After tea, we went back out on to the pitch to see how the the pitch was coping with the drills and warm up routines. To Martin’s delight it was holding up well, but he knew the test would come when the
GETTING Personal
Martin Knight - would like to lose weight but, with kebabs on the menu, maybe a lottery win is more likely!
Who are you? Martin Knight, Head Groundsman at Worcester Warriors.
Family status? In a relationship with Lisa.
Whos your hero and why? Ian Botham, a great cricketer and called a spade a spade.
What would you change about yourself? I’d like to lose some weight.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Kebabs.
What do you drop everything for? A kebab!!
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Visiting the WACA in Perth and Newlands in Cape Town.
Glass half full or half empty? Half full.
Climate change - fact or fiction? Fiction.
What are your pet peeves? Players training on the stadium pitch when the training pitch is only 100 yards away!
If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be? Somewhere hot!
What’s the best part of your job? Being out in the fresh air.
… and the worst? Divoting after a game.
Who wouldn’t you like to be? A cricket groundsman now we seem to keep getting wet summers.
Favourite record, and why? True by Spandau Ballet, it brings back some good memories!!
Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? My girlfriend Lisa.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Resign!
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
What’s your favourite smell? Fish and chips.
What do you do in your spare time? Go for walks, watch TV, nothing too exciting.
What’s the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? Is the pitch wet? After we had torrential rain for two hours.
What’s your favourite piece of kit? Verti-drain.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Happy go lucky.
What talent would you like to have? To be able to play a musical instrument.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? Tighten up immigration control; because we simply don’t have the resources in the UK to cater for them all.
Post protectors in place
match started and the first scrummage took place.
Martin and Stuart made their way to the VIP boxes in the East stand to watch the match and were delighted when, in the ninth minute, David Lemi scored a stunning opening try for the Warriors, (his ninth of the season), and the accurate boot of former Leicester legend, Andy Goode, kicked Worcester into a 14-0 lead. However, Scott Hamilton hit back with a try for the visitors before the break as Warriors then lost Goode to the sin bin.
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