Winter Sports
“It can been a slow process, but I am fully aware of the financial constraints at the club. It’s a case of being patient and putting a good case forward”
tasking due to financial constraints is the norm. No more is this evident than with their present Head Groundsman, Phil Kime, a lifelong fan of ‘The Imps’ who spent nine years helping out at the club as a volunteer, undertaking such duties as videoing the matches and working on the grounds, before finally being offered the full time paid position of head groundsman five years ago. Phil confesses that he learned a lot
from the previous head groundsman, Mark Reeve, and stadium manager, Nigel Dennis, before taking on the role. Phil has an assistant, Paul Ash, who joined the club as an apprentice before being offered a permanent position. Between them they share a significant role in looking after the pitch, stands, changing rooms and toilets. Phil and Paul are also the kit men, spending many hours washing, cleaning and setting out the kit for the players and coaching staff. Paul is currently undertaking NVQ level three at Riseholme College and, says Phil, has settled in really quickly at the club and enjoys the skills he is learning; “he his very keen to get on and make something of himself in the sportsturf industry,” comments Phil. Match days tend to be the busiest day of the week, with Saturday games requiring a 7.00am start to get everything ready - mowing and marking out, watering the pitch and getting the kit ready, along with other duties that include inspecting and opening the ground and ensuring the toilets are clean and ready for use.
Marking out is done using a transfer wheel linemarker, in both directions to get a bright line.
Once the game has finished they spend
some time divoting the pitch, whilst waiting for the players to leave the changing rooms prior to them going into get the kit sorted and into the washing machines. Their day usually finishes around 8.00pm. On Monday, the duo will be back at the
ground to divot the pitch and run the rotary mowers over the surface. The afternoon will be spent cleaning up the stands and litter picking. Throughout the week they will alternate working on the pitch with their other duties. There is also a 3G artificial pitch to maintain that runs adjacent the stadium pitch. Maintenance is limited to sweeping and brushing two or three times a week along with regular litter picking. Phil liaises closely with the stadium manager on securing funding for new machinery. “It can been a long, slow process,” he confesses, “but I am fully aware of the financial constraints at the club. It’s a case of being patient and putting a good case forward.” Phil’s patience has been rewarded with the purchase of two new Hayter Harrier pedestrian rotary mowers, an Allett Buffalo cylinder mower and a Charterhouse Verti-Drain. “They’ll make a huge difference to the quality of the playing surface,” says Phil, “which, in turn, should see the team responding on the pitch.”
The stadium pitch is a typical soil based construction with primary drainage at five metre centres and sand bands running at one metre centres. Over the years the surface has had repeated topdressings of 70/30 rootzone to improve the soil profile, reinstate levels and enhance surface infiltration. End of season renovations are carried out by a local contractor, with any
A germination sheet is used to encourage growth at the south end goalmouth
A 3G pitch is adjacent to the stadium
Phil with his assistant, Paul Ash DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014 PC 61
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