Without e-bay, grassroots cricket would be stumped!
When Will Collins learnt that purchases from e-bay are a necessity for Alan Smith, Volunteer Groundsman at Bletchley Town Cricket Club, he had to find out how this grass roots groundsman manages to uphold standards with secondhand turf maintenance equipment
Alan Smith’s winning entry in the IOG Awards 2009 Grass Roots Sports Ground of the Year contains a wish list that volunteer groundsman up and down the country will sympathise with. New roll-on/-off covers, a new gang mower, a new tractor...the list goes on. “But I know it’s all is pie in the sky,” he says, “so, I guess, I’ll have to continue to make do with secondhand, ageing equipment and ancillary items from sources like e-bay – for example, a 25-year-old roller, an ancient aerator, lightweight plastic covers and stakes – as well as paint from B & Q and the occasional gift of pre-owned equipment.”
Like many clubs, an annual routine of fund raising events (including fancy dress and Sri Lankan nights), donations and subscription income helps meet the costs of maintenance and the occasional use of contractors for tasks like outfield mowing.
The situation at the club has been the same since postman Alan embarked upon his ‘career’ in groundsmanship three years ago. A keen cricketer (playing for club and county, and co-ordinating the club’s youth section for five years) he says he touched a lawn mower and “that was it, I caught the groundmanship disease”. Under predecessor Tony Clark’s mentorship, he spent the first two years “learning on the job” – complemented by training courses via his IOG membership – and found that his interest continued to grow.
“When you’re out here on the square, everything you do is down to you,” he reflects. “The training courses were very helpful but you really do need to get out here and, in many ways, learn by trial and error about what is best for your pitch. So much depends on its location, soil type, usage, and so on. I do keep a diary of everything I do on a day-to-day basis, and I find this indispensable in combination with the IOG maintenance calendars as well as the tips that I pick up at IOG Northampton Branch meetings.”
Located adjacent to a public park and allotments, and bordered by the River Ouse, the Manor Field’s site is owned by the local rugby club, of which Bletchley Town CC is a tenant, and because it is freely accessible to members of the public in the past it has suffered vandalism. Much of the larger equipment is ‘stored’ outdoors under plastic sheeting though, fortunately, Alan’s smaller (but equally treasured) kit is safely locked away.
Home to a series of senior and youth teams, as well as junior games on an Astro strip (secondhand), school games and Kwik cricket in the nets (“anyone and everyone of any age can play cricket here on any day of the week”, adds Alan), the two-square ground is gradually improving, Alan reflects, to such an extent, in fact, that this year it will host two county games.
“Having played on it and knowing how it behaved, I knew improvements were needed. Let’s face it, every player is a groundsman, especially when a bad shot is played, and I wanted strips that would be consistent for both teams’ bowlers and batsmen! After a chat with Tony I instigated a concerted programme of watering, rolling and seeding - effectively, lots of love and attention - and this, combined with correct winter preparation, seems to be doing the trick.
“Winter preparation is really the key period: get it right then and everything else tends to follow. That said, being so close to the river means timing is everything – especially when there are periods of heavy rain and the work put into winter preparation can literally be washed away if the river floods.”
Despite the lack of funds, Alan is grateful for the full backing of the club – players and committee – and the support given by his wife. “After a few hours walking the streets delivering letters, I then disappear to the club every afternoon/evening. For six months of the year she’s a true cricket widow, but she fully supports me and understands that I love being out in the fresh air and doing my own thing with no-one to answer to.”
The Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) sponsored the 2009 IOG Grass Roots Sports Ground of the Year Award. Visit www.ccpr.org.uk for details of the CCPR’s activities.
