Magazine - Head Groundsman verbally abused at ICC Cup clash

23 Aug 2006 by Anthony Asquith

Hi

What a dissapointment that a so called "pro" player reacted in this way

Without ken and his staff they wouldn`t have a bloody pitch to play on !

Although 90% of players do appreciate what we do a small minority don`t ie this case

No doubt they`ll be other similar stories (sadly) to this one and as the saying goes...

"The groundsman is as important as the best player on the field as without him the player wouldn`t be able to show his skills" !

Just about says it all !

23 Aug 2006 by Grassman2011

Unlucky Ken,
Perhaps this player should suffer a ban, especially as he is a pro county player.
Mind you, there was the incident a few years back when the England captain of the time called the HG at headquarters something you would not want your mother to hear, for so called preparing a wicket to suit the Indian opposition.I believe England won the game handsomely and that the incident was hushed up. After all what do players know about wickets, nothing, they only play on them.
Ken you obviously did your best and the weather beat you, something that happens to us rec boys all the time, and do not forget, no play at Taunton on Thursday last week, run ups considered to be to wet, perhaps this player should be reminded of Boscastle or the sunami.
I will speak to you soon,
Gordon.

24 Aug 2006 by wicketdevil

As a groundsman in kent i think that young man should be made to do some work on grounds with the pay we get. he may soon realise what ever we do the weather has the last laugh. After the driest spell in decades in kent it now wont stop raining but all cricketers expect to play. We all get frustrated over the weather but swearing at the groundsman doesnt help.

Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!

24 Aug 2006 by Collie

I live in Dublin and surprisingly this is the first I've heard of this. Our cricketing circle is quite small, so word usually gets about quickly. The I.C.U. are probably too afraid to upset the little diva prior to next years World Cup.

25 Aug 2006 by mario

Many thanks for your support guys both written and by phone.

I know that this lad has had run-ins with various players in the past, I suppose the one of note was Shane Warne.

As I said to him at the time: it was a bit silly of him to vent his frustration at me with the Umpires and members of the Press only 6 feet away. My intention was to speak to him privately at an opportune moment. Unfortunately, with officials having overheard and with no play for that day being predicted, the Press were already intimating "well that's us got our headline!". So an official complaint route was always going to be in the offing.

Abuse to any official or player cannot be tolerated.

I just hope for his sake that he will learn to control his frustrations before he commits a more serious offence.

Kenny...........

I know no boundaries.

25 Aug 2006 by wicketdevil

Well done ken ! ive just pulled my covers off to find yesterdays cloud burst got under the covers luckily for me although kent are playing here tomorrow its the u17 girls in the county championshipsemi final v somerset and no abuse will be heading my way just pleasure at still being able to play. a lesson to be learnt mr o'brien.

Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!

25 Aug 2006 by Anonymous

This was in the Kent news this week!!!

KENT'S understudy wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien may yet find himself in more disciplinary troubles, this time with the International Cricket Council.

It follows allegations that he verbally abused a groundsman while playing for Ireland in an Inter-Continental Cup match in Scotland.

The four-day game at the Mannofield Club in Aberdeen last week ended in a rain-ruined draw, but not before O’Brien had apparently expressed his views to groundsman Ken McCurdie, who is considering filing an official complaint to match referee David Jukes.

O’Brien has already incurred the wrath of the ECB this season after picking up penalty points under the board’s disciplinary system, also for using foul and abusive language.

The 24-year-old from Dublin is in the process of looking for another county after Kent indicated he may not be offered a new deal for 2007 come October.

25 Aug 2006 by Anonymous

25 Aug 2006 by wicketdevil

The only thing i would say is that he may be under strain as geraint jones is back playing for kent and he may not have a job soon. That however does not excuse his outburst.

Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!

27 Aug 2006 by Zippy

I am sure most cricket groundsman will agree that is their worst nightmare turning up in the morning to find water has seaped under the covers.

When you think about it you only need less than a one degree slope for water to run in that direction. on a square and how many squares in the country are totally flat - look a Lords !

I'm just glad i'm not in charge of a first class ground because if things go against you weather wise, you are always the first to get the blame.

As for Mr O'Brien above I just hope he's got some serious qualifications because he certainly won't be following Simon Jone's footsteps down the cat walk when Kent stop renewing his contract.

30 Aug 2006 by Gary Slinn

I wonder how this bloke would like it if every time he got a duck or dropped a catch someone verbally abused him.
I bet he would not be in the game long.
The groundsman had not even made a mistake for him to have a go.
Perhaps he should take up tiddly winks as the weather is most unlikely to affect that game .

30 Aug 2006 by wicketdevil

Hear hear. I agree i have a slope and its a real pain sometimes even if we use all our covers water has crept under the covers. The sky team were moaning about the pitch in northampton getting wet last night and the poor groundsman got it in the neck. Prehaps the old players need to behave better so the newcomers learn better manners.

Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!

30 Aug 2006 by Gary Slinn

The poor old groundsman at Northampton did not even have a spiker so tight are they with the funds there so he would never have half decent covers would he.
Thats another point moaners should bear in mind is do the groundstaff posses the right equipment in the first instance provided by the committees?

31 Aug 2006 by rooster69

hello kenny, it sad that one individual acted in that way, most pro's apreciate the job us groundsman do and when it has rained and got under the covers in the nets or the pitch they are disapointed and disappear in to the indoor school knowing we will be doing our best so that they can play or practice.
i now work as a contractor looking after a big sports association which has just become private, it was all council maintained and to say was in a sorry state, since i took over the 7 football pitches have improved, the cricket square is better(although thatch and continued use of lawn sand affect's the binding qualities) i ve also built a new cricket square. new state of the art club house, flood lights going in at the end of the season, floodlit artificial for tennis and football, a club you would say are very much on the up, any way to the point a couple of members were in the bar and said i think the new groundsman does'nt know what he is doing it was far better when the council did it, just another norrow minded idiot. i ve worked in county cricket,& i trained on one of the best football grounds in the country

31 Aug 2006 by wicketdevil

I wouldnt worry they proberly are footballers who dont know there **** from there elbows or prehaps worked for the council. People who play sport even to international standard can be remarkable ignorant of whats required to prepare pitches ect.

Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!

31 Aug 2006 by rooster69

your'e not wrong, i told the cricket team they do more moaning and bitching than the county i used to work for

1 Sep 2006 by Wayne Lumbard

Last weekend, we enjoyed Luton Town's foul mouthed Goalkeeper Marlon Beresford. He refused to listen to me when I explained the FA Guidelines on warm-up's, telling me and the FA where to go.
He barged me out the way and threw the rope and fence pins that we use to protect the immediate goal area behind the pitch.
This isn't a regular problem for us as most of the visiting teams are courteous and obliging, but it annoys us that there doesn't appear to be any recourse in the event of the above happening.

1 Sep 2006 by Big D

Report him th the F.A. officially and see what come back if any you get

Big D

4 Sep 2006 by STAFF - John Richards

Dear All - the ICC have passed their judgment on Ireland's Niall O'Brien. He has been banned for one ICC Intercontinental Cup match after being found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.

Fuill details can be found on the ICC website - http://www.icc-cricket.com/icc-iccic/content/story/258527.html

12 Sep 2006 by Wrighty

One whole match eh? No monetary penalties? Surely they are the key.....the size of fines meted out tends to bear a direct relationship to the amount of zip applied to the mouth.
There's also community service - say 100 hours work on a ground somewhere???

Sadly my biggest abuse comes from members of my own club committee - who I despise more than the endless stream of chavvy vandals from nearby housing estates.

25 Sep 2006 by wicketdevil

News this weekend kent has let mr obrien go , im not sure there will be a que to get his services.

Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!