Sports & Recreation Clubs
On a bend in the River Thames, as it winds its way into central London, sit the pitches of Kew and Ham Sports Association. Groundsman Louis Maguire is responsible for delivery of the best surfaces possible on a tight budget
Kew and Ham Sports Association
Delivering high standards ...
“ K
Being mainly a voluntary run club, available budget for renovations always varies and is dependent on the income received throughout the season
44 I PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
ew and Ham Sports Association has some rather illustrious near neighbours; RFU Twickenham, the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the Royal Surrey and The
Richmond golf clubs are all a short ‘drive’ away.
Situated on the south bank of the River
Thames, opposite the infamous Eel Pie Island, which once accommodated the largest hippie commune in the UK and was also a famous venue for jazz and blues concerts, the sporting facilities at Kew and Ham provide an important community hub for the local area. The remit of the association, working closely with the London Borough of Richmond, is to promote sport and physical activity within the borough. They follow a detailed Service Level
Agreement (SLA) as part of this partnership, which ensures that the facilities are used all year round by a summer and winter sport,
and that there is a focus on the development of children and young adults as well as the community at large. One man who is certainly doing his bit to
ensure those objectives are met is the association’s groundsman, Louis Maguire. The site’s main users are Kew AFC, who
run various sections for mini football, girls, youth, junior, senior, veterans and walking football, so the demand on the pitches is constant, although recently completed 3G facilities have relieved some of the pressure. Additionally, the site is used by Richmond Baseball & Softball Club and Old Blues FC. Unlike its near neighbours, the budget for
pitch maintenance remains tight. “The club committee are responsible for the budgets,” states Louis. “I just tell them what I need.” Louis was always going to be a
groundsman; it’s in his genes. His father and his uncles are practising groundsmen. “My dad and uncle John are both very experienced groundsmen and they have
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