Winter Sports - Football “
Every penny that has been raised for this whole project has been down to sheer hard work, so there was a big responsibility on all of us to get good overall value
County Turf dwarf rye Big Roll being laid - note the absence of the St Mary’s Road stand!
fellow fan owned club) Benfica, in the ‘Grand Opening’ friendly. As mentioned, such is Graham’s devotion
to the cause that he has given up the running of his own business to become the club’s Stadium Manager - a decision no doubt made easier by FC United’s commitment to become a living wage employer - the first football club at any level to achieve this. Like many groundsmen, Graham gives a balanced view of the activity behind the scenes. “I won’t lie,” he smiles, “the situation with the pitch has been difficult at times over the last year or so.” “Originally, we had hoped to be playing at
the stadium by Autumn 2014. Bearing in mind that work on constructing the pitch didn’t really get going until mid-summer 2014, we took a decision to turf rather than seed the playing surface. Obviously, most groundsmen would prefer to establish a new pitch from seed, however timescales dictated that we needed a surface quickly, so a dwarf rye mix was ordered from County Turf in Lincolnshire.” “In terms of pitch specification, the club
needed to strike a balance between quality and price. As much as I would have liked a sand based pitch to work with, every penny that has been raised for this whole project has been down to sheer hard work, so there
was a big responsibility on all of us to get good overall value. Further to that, we also needed to consider future ongoing maintenance costs and, in all honesty, I don’t think we will be in a position where we can afford to be throwing down fertiliser for twelve months of the year.” Being blessed with good quality indigenous topsoil, and in consultation with the appointed contractor - BPG Sports Ground Contractors of Oldham - the decision was taken to strip the top 300mm off and stockpile it for later use. Land drains were installed at 7m centres and the pipework for the irrigation system was also added. The original soil was then returned and
levelled before being overlaid and ameliorated with additional sand. Finally, the whole area was laser graded and the turf laid on top. By the end of August 2014 the pitch was
ready to play on, however the stadium construction had hit various snags - notably with the St Mary’s Road stand - and the completion date slipped further and further back. Standing on the pitch in early spring, it
looks ready to host a game at a moment’s notice - though when I suggest this to Graham he just shrugs his shoulders and says, “Listen, I’m a groundsman; we are never happy!”
To their credit, the club have invested in good quality kit, with a Dennis G860 mower, a 40hp Landini Tractor and various trailed implements, including a Sisis Multi-slitter 1200 and a Dakota 410 topdressing spreader. Listening to Graham’s story and seeing the obvious delight he takes in just about every aspect of the stadium build (did I mention the wildflower areas that have been created around the perimeter of the site?), it’s clear to see that this is a man who enjoys his work. Andy cuts back in with a dose of northern realism: “It’s not all perfect. There was some opposition from local residents to us coming here to this site in Moston and, in fairness, how many people would want to live cheek by jowl with a large football club?” “But, we believe our values and ethos as a
community social enterprise will ensure that we will attract and include the local community as much as we possibly can. The stadium has been designed to sit harmoniously within the landscape and we like to think that, rather than detracting from the area, we will make a positive contribution to this corner of east Manchester.” As I drive off into the drizzle, I
contemplate what I’ve witnessed. It’s something very special - due in equal measure to the intelligence of those steering
Pitch laid, but no ‘Northwich Victoria’ stand 82 I PC JUNE/JULY 2015
Old Northwich Victoria finds a new home and is renamed St Mary’s
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