MULTI-SPORTS
He’s a wealthy guy, but he’s here today. He’s been taking tickets and holding the doors for people. He’s a very good chap and we call this ground his ‘train set’
”
Head Groundsperson Robert Sprigg had only good things to say about John: “He’s a wealthy guy, but he’s here today. He’s been taking tickets and holding the doors for people. He’s a very good chap and we call this ground his ‘train set’.”
It has been used annually as a Notts out- ground for the past five years, always in the Royal London One-Day Cup, although the club’s decision-makers seem as though they would be enthusiastic about extending this relationship to include more matches. It seems this wouldn’t be a bad move for Notts, as the venue is fantastic. It has decent-visibility standing room for several thousand, with space for the odd lawn chair or beach towel. There were also a host of premium food and drink vans set up for this county one-day game. Its eleven year caretaker (since the ground’s inception) is Rob, a Notts local, whose grounds career has been somewhat unusual, in that he has spent almost its entirety as a sole-or-head groundsperson, including Mansfield Town FC and Clipston Welfare Sports Ground. He passed NVQ Level 3 via Myerscough College having previously completed Level 2 through Slick
We’ve just had some root and moisture tests done.
”
The roots have gone several inches down on the cricket square and the bounce is up to the ECB’s standards
58 PC August/September 2018
Training. And, with an apprenticeship served at Notts County FC, you could say Rob has been around the block. At 58 years old, this could be his last appointment (although, he didn’t say so himself). He has, however, only just stopped playing cricket, his joint-favourite sport, due to a knee injury. Paul Hunt volunteers at the complex four days per week - every weekday but Tuesday - and also plays for Welbeck. He had worked at their previous ground and committed to continue. The Welbeck Cricket Club has four teams who play on Saturdays and three on Sundays, five youth teams who play weekly, as well as Notts Ladies CCC, who play twice per month, and the Notts 7-18 age groups also play there.
Thirteen football teams of various team sizes and ages rent the pitches regularly. The bowling green is used every day but Friday.
“Because there’s no path around the bowling green, we can struggle with wear at the edges. It’s robust enough around here to avoid that being a problem anywhere else.” “We’ve just had some root and moisture
tests done. The roots have gone several inches down on the cricket square and the bounce is up to the ECB’s standards.” “It’s a couple of years since we had the other soil tests done but, again, everything was spot on and didn’t affect our processes.”
“When we’ve used a wicket, we’ll water it down, clean the surface, overseed it with a SISIS dimple seeder, topdress it and we usually get a month before we have to use the same wicket again. The teams don’t have to train on the square, because of all the practice facilities.” At the time of the complex’s build, John decided that it should be self-sufficient and injected large amounts of capital to purchase most equipment which could prove necessary, including a disc seeder, a Verti-drain, a tractor, mowers - triple, bowling green and wicket - and more. This means Rob can lead his own full renovations, i.e. seeding, topdressing and verti-draining, rather than having to depend on outside agencies.
The equipment is always purchased outright and sometimes brand new. Rob is a fan of Dennis and Allett machinery, calling
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