MULTI SPORTS


The current ‘situation’ may have put many hopes and dreams on hold but, at Towcestrians Sports Club, it’s just another minor challenge in the progress of an ambitious development designed to bring several of this Northamptonshire town’s sports together and raise standards, whilst enhancing an established community facility. Jane Carley meets the club’s Head Groundsman, Tom Waldock, to find out more


The 3G pitch in development (background) seen from the renovated existing rugby pitches


ground also offered facilities for cricket - the outfield made up from the rugby pitches - tennis, softball and netball, plus a gym in the clubhouse. The local hockey team have played offsite at Northampton for a number of years.


O


Plans drawn up in 2018 include two more rugby pitches, a state of the art sand filled synthetic pitch for hockey and training, new tennis courts, of which two would be indoors, and for the first time, a dedicated cricket pitch. When Tom Waldock was recruited from


Wasps’ Ricoh Arena for the role of head groundsman at Towcestrians last October, the project was still in its infancy. “I could see it was a tremendous opportunity and the proposals looked exciting. It was also much needed - the pitches were in a poor state from the amount of use they were getting. Together with the committee, I drew up a five year plan for the development and improvement of the grounds, but of course much of it has gone out of the window with Covid!” Plans that were scrapped included scarifying and topdressing the existing pitches after the abrupt end of the 2019/20


n the outskirts of the town, Towcestrians Sports Club has hosted twenty-five rugby teams from minis to the 1st XV on two pitches, whilst the


season, although limited renovations were possible. Meanwhile, the two new rugby pitches were constructed and the 3G finished by this summer, allowing the hockey team to come home.


“Pitch three will be heavily used for training and, to counteract the clay soils - the fields were originally ridge-and-furrow farmland, a full drainage system has been installed at a cost of £105,000. It will be very useful for taking the strain off the other pitches,” he says. For Towcestrians Cricket Club, a new ground offers the opportunity to move up a level, with its dedicated outfield. Construction has been a mammoth task with 20,000 truck loads of soil brought in to level the undulating land, which will be encircled by a new perimeter road. Tennis courts are amongst the final pieces of the jigsaw, the three outdoor hard courts relocating to increase car park space and being joined by a new sports hall with two indoor courts. An outdoor gym and ‘trim trail’ will also be developed, following the site’s attractive tree-lined perimeter.


Social distancing measures have brought many changes for clubs as sports have returned to training this summer, and online booking of training slots has produced an unexpected benefit for maintenance regimes, Tom explains:


“Members are required to book a slot for a PC October/November 2020 67


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