Winter Sports - Rugby


“


Sometimes, turfcare staff can be undervalued, but that’s not the case here. And all the good things like this stem from that community feel


although there is no suggestion of this from the staff, and could simply be speculative. Its necessity may also have been mooted in 2014, when stands were purchased from Scarborough FC’s McCain Stadium and installed into the previously terraced Railway End.


This was so unusual, because it was a task


undertaken by a group of fans nicknamed ‘The Stand Gang’, who did so unpaid, purely due to dedication to the club. The effect this also had was that more


ground was now available due to the lengthening of the stands, which meant the pitch could also be extended. So, at last, the turf was upgraded from a 70-metre stretch to a full and appropriate 100 metres. Luckily for the club, this would be expected anyway were they to achieve that promotion. The 2017 squad looks good. This club has


It won’t be long before we take on our first full-time apprentice, because that way you get people who care about the job first, and the sport


second, rather than the other way around


The Fev grounds team l-r: Chris Drury, Michael Knowles and Jordan Sayles (Rob Smith was off sick on the day of our visit)


88 I PC APRIL/MAY 2017 ”


always had some pull to players of certain ages, being the once-home of names such Paul Newlove and Vince Farrar. Anthony Thackeray currently provides a


firm base in the spine, whilst they’ve brought in pacey ex-Super League talent in the form of Frankie Mariano. This is all complemented by the influential presence of ex-England coach and ex-Huddersfield Head Coach Jon Sharp. And for some of the most successful


teams, come the end of the season, the Million Pound Game awaits - the play-off final named after the vast sums of money it can bring to those who earn promotion through it. A club can buy more than a few grass cutters with that kind of cash. The club has strong ties with those nearby. Chris, the Head Groundsman, stresses to me that his hometown club, Leeds Rhinos, do


everything they can to support the smaller clubs in the area. They provide Featherstone (or ‘The Fev’) with dual registration options, for example. And, even closer, Wakefield Trinity use The Fev’s training facilities. Chris runs a team of three others: Rob Smith, Jordan Sayles - on a work experience placement from his nearby college - and Michael Knowles. Michael, in the spirit of small town sports, is both a player and groundsman. At the very least, he has a good familiarity with his playing surface. Jordan, meanwhile, is undertaking the


NVQ Level 2 in Sports Turf Management, and all of the youngsters are completing spraying certificates, and Chris says this is important to him as an employer: “We will be doing this sort of thing


moreso from now on. It won’t be long before we take on our first full-time apprentice,


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