FOOTBALL


I


have known Roy Rigby since 2002, when he gave me the role of assistant groundsman at Manchester City’s then training base at Carrington, where he helped me develop my skills and knowledge and gave me my first management role, during the six and half years we worked together. We have kept in touch ever since, and Roy has always been on the other end of the phone whenever I have needed some advice. Only recently, in my role at Oldham Athletic AFC, he gave up his time to try and help me out. I have the utmost admiration for a man who has inspired me throughout my career so far, and I’m honoured to be in a position now to share his story.


Roy was first inspired into the industry through his love of crown green bowls when he was a young lad. “I played at a bowling club in Blackburn called Highfield Park, where I got to know the greenkeeper, George. At the age of fourteen, I was asked to play for the club in the lower leagues; that’s how it all started.”


Whilst Roy was playing bowls, his dad got friendly with George who told him he was looking for some help watering the green. “There was no automatic watering system at the cub, so my dad let me stay out until nine at night, watering the green with a hosepipe, If I needed a rest, I would lay the hose in the middle of the green and let it run down the crown. When I was done, my dad would pick me up.” Over time, Roy began helping with maintenance on the green and it was this that helped develop his passion


for looking after grass surfaces. Whilst still at school, Roy was asked by his dad what he would like to do when he left school, and his answer was; “I want to work in grass on bowling greens”. At the age of sixteen, when Roy left school, it was time to try and find a job doing what he loved, but this wasn’t an easy task in the 1970s. “I used to walk seven miles to Corporation Park on Peace Park Road, Blackburn - my parents didn’t have much money at the time - to see Norman Thompson in the council offices, and ask if there were any positions available.” “I will always remember one particular Friday he told me to come and see him and he would see what he could do, but he wasn’t there. I came home and was ringing wet through, and I ended up with a bad cold which put me in bed for four days. My mum wasn’t happy, so she went to the corner shop to use the phone and rang Norman Thompson up. She told him that her son has been up to see him several times but, if you feel you don’t want to take him on, then let him know.”


Norman told his mum to ask Roy to “come to Corporation Park and he can start Monday. Tell him to bring steel toe cap boots and a bait box”. This is where Roy’s journey began, and it just shows, with determination, what can be achieved. Roy’s first job, for the first three weeks, was picking up litter around Corporation Park, a 3-acre site with bowling greens, landscaping and a big glass house. After this, Roy was given his official role


PC February/March 2019


57


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148