Magazine - Alan Ferguson scoops top groundsman award

15 Sep 2004 by btb

we love you alan

16 Sep 2004 by Anonymous

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

17 Sep 2004 by Anonymous

This is the second press release I have seen on this, it is a poor do when they dont acknowledge all of the other runners up-for example the omission of Hull City-this is also the case on the SAPCA website press release. If the FA/IOG think that these awards are so worthwhile then why not acknowledge everyone and not award the overall award to someone who is not up the IOG's backside and also 'just happens' to be a regional president-allegedly!!!

24 Sep 2004 by Alan Ferguson

I find it very sad that small minded people think like this. If more people came forward and helped the IOG then my involvement would not have to be so great. Where will these people be this next month when I have to travel hundreads of miles to deliver courses and work on the IOGs behalf because other s wont help out. For what it is worth I think all winners and runners up should be mentioned and I feel it may have been an innocent over sight. The sad people may want to know that I have been one of the driveing forces behind taking the awards into Scotland and Ireland bringing all groundsmen involved in football the chance of recognition they deserve.MAYBE WHEN ALL THE SMALL MINDED PEOPLE CAN SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE OUR INDUSTRY WILL MOVE FORWARD.

24 Sep 2004 by Brian

Please elaborate....WHAT IS THE BIGGER PICTURE?

If there is one then nobody is sharing it with us,,,,,,,,,,,,!

25 Sep 2004 by Anonymous

You really shouldnt call the IOG small minded.....!

25 Sep 2004 by Anonymous

As you have replied 9 days after the article was posted, do we assume that you are so vain that you had nothing better to do than trawl the internet for things that had your name on?

Dont forget next week that when you are driving your 'hundreds of miles', that you are getting well paid for it and someone else at Ipswich is doing yojur job and will not get a look-in at the end of season if awards come your way again-you mentioned after winning the div 1 award that a lot of what was done was down to your senior groundsman-why didnt you follow the lead of both cardiff and manchester city and share your award???

25 Sep 2004 by jason p

well done alan. how it going?
you still owe me a haggis!!!!!!

25 Sep 2004 by Alan Ferguson

In reply to the above. The bigger picture is the threat coming from the synthetic industry and if we dont watch many jobs will be lost. look out for UEFA results to wards the end of the year.
On the second one about my staff the club presents all the groundstaff with an award in front of the fans at a home game in recognition of their contribution. Remember their is no I in team.

Yes I get paid for delivering the training courses but believe me its a long day. I do it because I want to put some thing back in.

I dont read the pitch care site every day but I do log in usually once a fortnight. When I talk about small minded people I certainly do not mean anyone at the IOG. The constant knocking of the institute is a bit tiring and depressing after a while. As a director of the IOG I would one of the first to admit that we have a lot to do but I am prepared to give up alot of my time to try and do something about it. Remember any fool can criticise.

26 Sep 2004 by Anonymous

You still didnt say why your div 1 award wasnt shared with your senior groundsman, as other clubs did this year?

26 Sep 2004 by bentgrass

This inane bickering is pointless, I believe that as a director of the IOG Alan, you should know better. More important questions to answer are:-

Why is education, as it is currently set out, in total dissaray?
Why has SALTEX come away from its roots?
Why isn't the Institute working closely with the NTF, Pitchcare and others that appear to be going in the right direction?

It seems to me that the directors need to ask themselves some serious questions about their involvement in major decision making.

26 Sep 2004 by Anonymous

As we are made aware that plastic is a threat, why do the IOG say that they oppose it, though continue to publicisea lot more than saY, Pitchcare does? Why havent we seen any features on stadiums now being designed to aid grass growth or the light systems at both Sunderland and Man City-these are the people who you say are not small minded, though are they really aware of what is going on out there at all?

26 Sep 2004 by Alan Ferguson

Dear bentgrass. i dont mean to be petty I feel it is more borne out of frustration. You raise alot of valid points. The education policy of the IOG has not been the best in recent years but alot of good work has been done over the past twelve months to turn this around. I believe in the near future the IOG will have an education policy to be proud of but their is still a bit of work to be done. On Saltex I believe the changes have been driven by the changes across the industry. Saltex is the vechicle that drives the IOG financially and as such has to refelct all the industry changes. I feel the attendance figures and exhibitor numbers reflect that Saltex is delivering what the industry as a whole want. The IOG are now involved with the NTF and will this year chair a session at the NTF conference in Southport. The NTF provides a fantastic weeks education. One regret personally is that due to games I have not yet been able to attend but I know from others if you can get there it is a week well spent. The directors of the IOG are working groundsmen. We are looking all the time for professional guideance to help us make the right decisions.
To other replys. The div I award made to me was and is a refelction on the whole crew. The club have recognised this as I have with awards made to the crew prior to our game with Wolves earlier. The award I feel is recgonition for everyone at Portman Road and is seen like that.
The plastic issue will rumble on for a while yet Im afraid. I hope the groundsman magazine continues to report all the issues that surround it to keep everyone informed. The idea is not to publicise it but rather to raise awareness. Finally I hope that people like bentgrass come forward and take an active role in the IOG. He makes valid points and is in tune with current issues.
Alan Ferguson

26 Sep 2004 by Anonymous

Alan, You said you only logged inonce a fortnight......!

You must also agree that Pitchcare is leading the way forward, as you do articles for the IOG, why not do some for Pitchcare?

26 Sep 2004 by jasonp

how comes the people on this site who slag others off , always remain nameless!!
if you got something to say , have the balls to put your name on it!!!!!!!

5 Oct 2004 by Darren Baldwin

I have had plenty to say on this subject in the past, but one final point i would like to make. Just how can the IOG give such a prestigious award to a part time groundsman!!!