FOOTBALL


We’re not earning millions with our job and we never will. But, it’s the passion to produce something for the players to get the most out of their skills


T


he club is famed for its home ground: Keys Park, but most importantly for its outstanding pitch at non-league level. However, David Bates had never intended to manage a pitch. His goal had always been to play on a pitch, a cricket pitch that is.


A hidden talent was found


It’s been nearly fi fty years since David decided to enter the world of turf. It wasn’t particularly a well-considered choice at fi rst. As a talented cricket player, his dream was to break through in professional cricket but, fairly early in his sports career, he suff ered from a chronic back injury. This left David no other choice than to quit the sport he


loved. He even feared that this injury would keep him from ever getting a job at all. He thought his life was wasted, until his brother in law asked him to become a supervisor in general parks maintenance works. After only one month on trial his boss told him: “You have a bit more in your can than most people. Would you like to go back to college? We will fi nance it for you”. David was astonished by the news and it did not take long before he found his hidden talent during his horticultural studies: Turfgrass management. “There must have been a natural


I never win anything, so I was dumbstruck when they called to tell me I’d won


PC February/March 2021


63


“


“


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