FOOTBALL Getting Personal
Dale Stephen - I think he likes Tom Hanks!
Who are you? Dale Stephen, Head Groundsman at Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club.
Family status. Married to Amanda and father to Lily and Bella with a dog called Lola.
Who’s your hero and why? My old man; (Stumble) he’s always there when I need him.
What’s been the highlight of your grounds career so far? Last year’s Scottish Cup semi- final at Hampden Park. Reaching there made the three games and one penalty shootout on the pitch worthwhile. We were only drawn at home in the competition once!
If your younger self saw you now, what would they think? I’d hope they would be proud of what I’m doing and the family I have.
Which famous people wind you up? Various people. Most of which are from reality TV.
What job would you love, other than your own? I love being a groundsman so it’s a hard question.
What was the most embarrassing moment in your life? I once cycled into the back of a parked van on my way to school! That was pretty embarrassing in front of a group of other kids and a couple of people walking past.
What is your favourite film? Anything with Tom Hanks. From Turner and Hooch to Saving Private Ryan - he’s a class act.
What scares you? The future ... when boyfriends become the topic at the dinner table.
What would your autobiography be called… and who would play you in the film? Grass; grows by the inch and killed by the foot! Hopefully Tom Hanks would be keen for a starring role.
What is your favourite sport? Football. I can’t play it but I like watching it.
What would you cast into Room 101? Seagulls because one chased me all the way to work when I was younger. It was terrifying. One also recently stole a chihuahua from a garden.
Which historical time and place would you most like to visit? The 1980s. I think the decade I was born in looked pretty cool. Being an Aberdeen fan I’d love to go back to the glory days of 1983.
Do you have a lifetime ambition? No particular ambition, other than being the best
64 PC December/January 2020
dad I can be to my daughters.
Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party? Tom Hanks and Freddy Mercury for the entertainment value. Plus Rita Ora - just because.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given? It’s not really advice, but I was told by my mum and dad I wasn’t allowed to leave school without a job. It gave me the drive to go get one. I’ve been lucky enough to be in work ever since.
What’s your favourite piece of trivia? Reindeer like to eat bananas. Absolutely useless info and no idea if it’s true.
What’s your favourite smell? Suncream. It reminds me of summer.
Which three albums would you take to a desert island? Queens greatest hits, Blink 182’s Take Off Your Pants & Jacket and Big Country’s The Crossing.
What’s the daftest work-related question you have ever been asked? Can you do my garden next. Happened on the golf course and now working the stadium.
What’s your favourite piece of kit? Got to be my Dennis G860. Great bit of kit that leaves a nice finish.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? Tall, dark and handsome. The wife told me to write that!
What is the single most useful thing you could tell a 16-year-old groundsperson/ greenkeeper? Keep things simple. Do the basics and do them as best you can. Have pride in your work.
What talent would you like to have? To be a talented singer would be good.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? I’d love to get back to common sense prevailing in aspects of the workplace and life in general. I think some people take health and safety too literally these days.
time with me working on my own at the stadium I will use the triple, but I do try my best to alternate between them to balance out the weight. If I have a tight schedule with a game Saturday then Tuesday, I will divot the pitch on a Sunday and pick up any debris with the Toro Timemaster rotary on a Monday. In summer, I will cut with the triple as I can double cut the pitch in the same time that I can single cut with the Dennis, but I will use it before a game. When I have more time between games, or in winter, I do tend to use the Dennis. With the pitch being koroed off, I plan on making use of the scarifying cassette I have for the Dennis to lightly scarify the pitch once a month to help keep the surface clean.”
Since I visited, Dale has reported that the pitch has come on leaps and bounds. “The weather has been rather rainy; I can’t remember a week without at least a day or
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
