Message Board - Cricket: oes our grounsmen care anymoe? Has h lost interest?
18 Jun 2009 by Sim lad
Traditionally our pitches used to be a quality batting track with a average total been around 250. The pitches were quick and even and the outfield was lighting fast. However over the past 5 or 6 years things have rapidly gone down hill. Pithes are now very uneven, patchy, slow, long grass and a nightmare to bat on and my least favourite to bowl on. Every week we get laughed at by the oposition. Ou highest gound marks this season are 12/20 Very low!!
This is mainly due to the fact that 2 years ago we had our roller stolen. A roller has been hired on and off but still we do not have one of our own despite having enough money in the kitty to buy 2!!
To add to the poblem recently our groundsmens wife past away and understandably he is not spending as much time at the ground.
I am a young local lad who has played for the club since I was 13 (now 22). I am on the comitee, vice cpt of the 1st team and captain the evening league side and cricket is my life. All I want is a respectable wicket to play the game i love on, a wicket which matches the ambition the young talented side that we are.
I would love to take over the gound but fear a long with most other team mates that doing so would just be too cruel.
A few pics to show what we have o look forward to this weekend so far.
As a player i feel helpless. As a comitee member i feel outspoken by older people that dont even play anymore. What can i do?
18 Jun 2009 by Sim lad
Unrepaired foot holes as standard
18 Jun 2009 by Mike
Your first port of call should be a friendly chat with your groundsman. Try to gauge his general feeling or find out what issues if any he has. Good communication is essential, I can't stress the importance of this enough. Once you have established sound communication between players, groundsmen and committee members, you should be able to move in the right direction.
18 Jun 2009 by Vic Demain
Hi Sim,
Sorry you are not enjoying your facilities.
You say the pitches used to be good, what has happened to change that? Has your groundsman got the financial support or has there been cutbacks made? Is your groundsman a full time professional?
"A roller has been hired on and off", how often and for how long at a time?
Your ambition is a credit to you, it is good to hear of youngsters prepared to work for success.
What would you do if you took over the ground, where would you start?
Agree the picture doesn't look good.
I'm afraid committees can be very difficult places. Do you own the ground, lease it, what are finances of the club like and how do you raise income?
Sorry loads of questions but I'm sure your groundsman probably has a story to tell as well.
18 Jun 2009 by Sim lad
To be honest I have gone to see him at the ground every night for he past 2 weeks. I have offered him help. Asked if he is having any poblems with anything and told him how the pithes are playing (dangerous. only a matter of time before a junior gets hurt). I have read up a lot recently about prepaing and repairing pitches, and tried to suggest to him to try one or too things i.e. repaiing foot holes and re seeding, giving himself more time to pepae a pitch but he "knows best".
<<<<<
Pitch from 1st game of the season
18 Jun 2009 by Sim lad
Ascott,
Not sure what has happened to the pitches. In my opinion it is down to lack of attention.
He has full financial backing. Anything he wants, he gets yet he has not moaned once about not having a roller.
He is full time but not a pro. He has played the game for 40 years, umpired and been a groundsman for 20 years so he should know what he is doing.
We hired a roller for a few weeks at the start of the season. We are currently hiring a light (pointless) walk with roller. With the money we have spent so far on hire costs we could have purchased a refurb Auto-roller!!
If I were to take over the ground firstly i would have a decent roller an put in as much time and effort as possible to salvage what i left of the square. Spoken to a few local groundsmen who are happy to offer advice. I like the idea of having a day to day task diary like in the cricket diary section.
We have a 50+ year Leese. financially very stable with good income. few annual fundraisers, subs, vp's etc.
Appreciate the question and response.
Please understand this is not an attack on my groundsman i have a lot of respect for him but pictures say a thousand words
18 Jun 2009 by Grassman2011
Where abouts are you Sim ?
18 Jun 2009 by Sim lad
North Yokshire
19 Jun 2009 by Vic Demain
Sim,
Your last picture looks like many cricket grounds of the 1960's. It is obvious that some work is being done but what cutting equipment do you have in your shed for pitches, square and outfield? How regularly is this equipment serviced/sharpened?
You say the groundsman is full time but not a pro, is he paid a proper full time wage to do the job or is he a volunteer? He sounds to me like a person who has put a great deal into your club over a long period of time.
If you bought a roller would you have any where to store it, could it be maintained and do you have insurance to cover it?
Your enthusiasm is to be applauded but make sure you have the tools to do the job.
19 Jun 2009 by Sim lad
We have two different mowers for the pitches (not sure what the specs are). We have a very good outfield ride on mower. All the equipment was serviced and new blades fitted at the start of the year.
Equipment is stored in a lock up. All is insured.
Groundsman is a full time volunteer.
19 Jun 2009 by wicketdevil
Sim, May be you should offer a hand to him he may bight your hand off. I use to help our club man and he loved the company. Also your learn loads from him. Thats what i did and i now look after a private schools grounds and love my Job. WD
Can you just is the longest sentence in the world !!!!!!!
19 Jun 2009 by OLDZIMMER
So he is a full time volunteer!!
Does this mean he does it for nowt, like the majority of us.
We do it for the love of the game and pride in what we do at what ever level.
If the photographs are an example of your pitch then it looks like hes not full time? Or he's lost interest.
Do what i did, help him on a regular basis, learn from him,far better than any courses??but they are helpful, Then slowly do more and more until hey presto YOUR the groundsman.
You will always get help and advice on here.
20 Jun 2009 by wysiwyg
can sympathise with you, as have had experience of this problem.
if the guy is volunteer, the club must make it known they are unhappy,with the lack of care and preparation of the facilities, if help has been offered... and refused.. the club commitee must decide what they want?
most groundsman are fiercely protective of their green patch, however good or bad it maybe...
i am very sympathetic to the personal circumstances of your groundsman, ( i worked under a great groundsman who lost his wife, and took his own life in one of the sheds at work).
club cricket survives normally due to a dedicated bunch of guys, who love what they do....
if this guy was .. say a fixture secretary, and you had no matches arranged.. what would the club do about it ?
perhaps a club member who knows your groundsman well, can have a word ?
failing that if the club is to survive, and the standard of cricket you play also.. the club has act.
20 Jun 2009 by higgins
sim lad,
all clubs need enthusiastic young people coming through, fresh ideas,helping to shape the future, asking why things are done in a particular ways. Its good you feel you have the knowledge to take over the maintenance of the square,
and improve the square so that you do not get laughed at by visitors.
The groundsman sounds as though he has played a bit of cricket, and once he might of even been as enthusiastic as you in his youth. now is time for club members to offer their support to him. He has just lost his wife, what do you think would happen if he lost his cricket job.
Resolve this working through the committee, you are not trying to take over ,just trying to improve things.
Leave the talking to the groundsman to a member who knows him and is respected by him.
P.S. did the committee know you were going on pitchcare to discuss this situation at the club, and is the groundsman a pitchcare member?
21 Jun 2009 by Sim lad
Great advice guys cheers.
I have informed the comitee on many occaions about pitch care, however i have not yet infomed them that i have discussed this topic. I wanted to gather some inormation/advice so next time we meet i have a structered plan to put to them.
22 Jun 2009 by Aintgottaclue!!
Ascott,
great pitch on Saturday mate, if not a tadge green, but I got 40 on it so wasnt that bad for an old fella like me. Still bloody lost though.
Was gonna pop to the flat to meet you but was warned off!
I may cut grass, but i'm not green !!
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