Educational Establishments


University of Leicester


The ‘long’ employment journey...


Chris Long is now the Head of Grounds at the University of Leicester. But, as is the case for a surprising number, just to transfer from greens to grounds took serious time and effort. In this article, he explains his journey from a child admiring his grandfather’s lawn, through greenkeeping, and finally to where he wanted to be, managing grounds at a top sporting institution. As he explains, breaking into groundsmanship required tenacity and commitment


I


’ve always wanted to work on the football side of this industry, since I was young. I used to watch on in amazement as granddad striped his lawn, because it had to be perfect for him.


Growing up, I wanted to be able to do the same. At the age of sixteen, I wrote to Dave Barber, who was then the head groundsman at my local football club, Sheffield Wednesday, asking whether I could study on the YTS.


I didn’t get a reply to that letter, so I took what I could and went into golf maintenance instead. I worked my way through greenkeeping roles and, whilst at BTME one year, was lucky enough to bump into Alan Ferguson, who was the top guy at the national football training centre in Burton. I exchanged a couple of emails with him, asking how to break into this side of the industry. I was in my mid‐thirties at the time; I’m 38 now.


It’s rare I saw appropriate positions popping up on some of the jobs boards, and needed advice on how to find the opportunities when they were out there to be taken.


The jobs that were advertised always wanted direct groundsmanship experience,


which, technically, I didn’t have then. I needed one foot on the ladder or I wasn’t going to get in.


He told me that the best way to make a name for oneself is to start up at a large academy, as they have at the likes of Chelsea or Man City.


Living in Tamworth, though, there were none of these super‐clubs nearby. So, whilst flicking around for jobs one night on my tablet, I had the idea to check the Football Association website, which was of course Alan’s employer.


They were advertising a spot on the St. George’s Park grounds team, which is one of the most prestigious entry‐level spots around.


I applied, and made the final two candidates, but was beaten out by an older chap whose knowledge of turf science was immense by comparison. The Latin names of trees, weeds, plants, whatever would just roll off his tongue.


I put my case forward to Alan in a one‐to‐ one setting afterwards, showcasing my portfolio, including my NVQs and other courses I’d undertaken, and tried to be persuasive.


A couple of days later, I received a call PC APRIL/MAY 2018 I 71


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