GETTING Personal... Winter Sports
Phil Kime - sometimes out of tune, which is probably why he is an admirer of John Lydon!
Who are you? Phil Kime, Head
Groundsman at Lincoln City FC.
Family status? In a relationship with a long suffering girlfriend.
Who’s your hero and why? I haven’t really got one as such. I admire people like John Lydon. Keith Alexander was a legend.
What would you change about yourself? My looks!
What’s your guilty pleasure? Days off!
What do you drop everything for? Work.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Getting this position.
Glass half full or half empty? I’m half and half on this question.
Climate change - fact or fiction? Fact, I think. What’s your favourite season? Late summer. What are your pet peeves? Pigeons and linesmen.
If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be? On holiday with my girlfriend.
What’s the best part of your job? People talking highly of our pitch.
… and the worst? Pitch covers!
Do you have a lifetime ambition? It is always nice to receive a bit of recognition for the work we do.
Who wouldn’t you like to be? A groundsman with few machines and no budget.
Favourite record, and why? Got a few. Probably the Love album by The Cult gets played more than most.
Who would you choose to spend a romantic evening with? My girlfriend.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Buy loads a fantastic machines!
If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? An electric guitar. Often loud and sometimes out of tune.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? It is what it is.
What’s your favourite smell? Cut grass. What do you do in your spare time? What’s that then?
What’s the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? Either the question above or - do we use a different seed for the different patterns?
What’s your favourite piece of kit? They all play a part. The Charterhouse Verti-drain has made a big difference though.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Thorough, busy, studious.
What talent would you like to have? Just to keep learning at what I do.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? Linesmen alternating their runs again.
62 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
Sincil Bank Stadium is, somewhat imposingly, overlooked by the magnificent Lincoln Cathedral
agronomy advice provided by Duncan Beall, who has helped the club for many years, along with many other sports clubs in Lincolnshire.
Last year the pitch was fraise mown to clean off surface vegetation, topdressed and seeded with Limagrain MM60. The pitch has a fully automated pop-up watering system - fourteen perimeter and six infield pop-ups - fed by the mains, that facilitates pre-match and halftime watering.
Phil’s feeding regime is
centred on a simple spring, summer and autumn granular programme plus some liquid iron to maintain colour during winter.
The current manager, Gary Simpson, is keen to play a passing game of football on the floor, so he instructs Phil to keep the pitch on the short side, mowing daily and keeping it at a height around 25mm.
As with any stadium pitches, the stands do cause problems of shade during the winter months. The South Park area of the pitch sees little sun during the winter months leaving the south side goal area prone to damage. So, while soil temperatures are favourable for seed germination, Phil will constantly keep sowing seed on the worn areas and use germination sheets to aid quick germination. Phil is hoping he can persuade the club to invest in a small goalmouth lighting rig to help with this, whilst a self- build project is also an option he is looking into.
“Having our own verti-drain means we can aerate as and when we like,” continues Phil,
“which we will try and do on a monthly basis, subject, of course, to the weather, fixtures and the condition of the pitch.”
“Having no undersoil heating means that the only protection we have from frost are the dreaded frost sheets, which are always a hard slog to manage, especially with limited resources,” bemoans Phil. “There’s plenty of optimism
around this season,” suggests Phil. “And there’s plenty of pride around the place too. The team are responding well to the manager, and the aim is to at least make the play-offs with a chance to get the club back into League 2.” With the prospect of more derby matches leading to increased revenue, there's plenty of excitement around the city, with the belief that this could well be their season. Phil Kime is certainly doing his bit to help.
What’s in the shed?
Allett Regal 42
Allett C34 with cylinder, verticut and scarification cartridges,
Hayter Harrier rotary mowers x 2 Kubota B2230 tractor Charterhouse Verti-Drain 7212
Plus a sprayer, pedestrian spreaders and a brush
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