This and That!
Just to put the record straight and let people know that I am the Manchester City Club Head Groundsman, I have two other Head Groundsmen who work well both for me and with me, one at the City of Manchester Stadium and one at Carrington, as do all my staff. Between us, we attend seminars etc where possible, and not deprive members of the team a chance like some do.
Unlike some clubs we have a settled staff who all get on with the job and take pride in the fact that everything we do is as a team, not as individuals. We are lucky to have several long serving members of our team, not people who want to leave as quickly as they arrived or go to work wondering when they will next see their colleagues. People would obviously like to think there is backstabbing going on, but not every grounds team is run like certain ones are, or aren’t as the case may be.
If a member of my staff chooses to contribute stories to this website, it is not to glorify himself or the groundstaff as a whole, it is doing what this site is designed for-helping others and sharing experiences. Contributions are made as and when individuals feel they want to, not ‘all the time’-this club, unlike other organisations we don’t employ ‘celebrity groundsmen’.
After spending a lot of money with suppliers, we do not expect the same people to go elsewhere and make comments to others about things behind our backs and make money out of us at the same time-particularly when they are wrong.
My staff are first class and back me when needed, whilst we may have concerts, rugby etc and may not agree with them, we recognise the need to bring revenue in as well.
Yours
Roy Rigby-the quiet one from Lancashire
Manchester City Head Groundsman
18 Nov 2004 by JB
Here, here
Well said Roy!
If there were more people like you, this industry would be first class and there wouldn't be a synthetic pitch in sight!
18 Nov 2004 by shaka
well done
Well done Roy! I myself have fallen foul of the type of people you are talking about! what will ever make this industry change its blinkered views and mindless fools who of course could do every bodies jobs better! Well that is apart from Me!! coz I aint got one!
Any way well done for standing up and telling it how it really is, I do bet you !that the mindless few will think you are moaning like they do with all people that have good things to say!!!!!!
thanks
I would like to offer my full support to Roy Rigby the Head Groundsman of Manchester City. Having joined Roy's team nearly 2 years ago, i have found Roy most supportive in helping me develop both my skills and as a person. I also believe this is the feeling of all the groundstaff at Manchester City Football Club.
18 Nov 2004 by stephen johnson
question
just thought i would ask a question, with 99.9% of football pitches in the premiership in first class condition, how do the groundsman prefer to cut there pitches. i think the way ipswitch and also the way wembley used to cut with small squares looks great.
18 Nov 2004 by JB
steve
I think you've chosen the wrong thread to post on!!!!
18 Nov 2004 by shaka
steve
JB maybe your wrong! steve could be 1 of the wind up gang who wants to wind it all up? Maybe he isn't, but in answer to his question what the club groundsman mows the pitch with is down to lots of situations that we dont all fully know! time, training etc and the 2 locations that steve has mentioned. may have or could have had loads of time to spare, to mow with those little mowers that produce those types of pattern(but we must ask the head groundsman of those locations)And yes JB he has missed the point to this subject?????????
19 Nov 2004 by us
them
other peoples jealousy-thats what causes comments like this to be said, people dont like others getting on whilst they get left behind-well done Roy!
19 Nov 2004 by stephen johnson
question
wrong thread but only a question
This and That
For the benefit of those of us subscribed and not quite up on the goings on in England...... what was said and by whom, about what ?
this and that
I've just got back off holiday - who has been upsetting you?
ps your pitch, and indeed stadium, always look in top notch.
this and that
I like Peter and Grounders who be intreseted to know the story behind the comments my by Roy. If we know then we would be in a position to make some informed comments. I would like to add that I totally agree with Grounder the pitch is very good
this and that
roy in my opinion you are one of the most respected grondsman in this country for the quiet way you go about producing a top class pitch so why lower yourself to justify what you do and have achieved,i would work for you without hesitation.take care mate.mark.dcfc
not naming and shaming...
...why name people/companies/organisations-they know who they are, I suspect some may already be backtracking realising what they have been saying is nonsense and have only served to make themselves look stupid to those who really know and impressing those who dont with their idea of 'humour'.
What's going on?
This thread and Lee J's are very silly, and reflect no credit on anyone.
I've never heard of Roy Rigby but have read and been impressed by Lee Jackson's articles. That's all I know (apart from what's written here of course).
Then on here comes Roy Rigby with his piece. Paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 5 make some statements which are good to hear but nothing out of the ordinary, but paras 1, 2 and 3 all end with little digs at unamed others who apparently don't do things the same way. Paragraph 4 is the big statement and the big problem. It may mean something to you, Roy and Lee, and perhaps to others, but it certainly means nothing to me and I suspect many others who read these pages.
What, then, is the point of all this?
Lee, you ask 'why name names.., they know who they are'. Well, why not tell them then instead of coming on here, stirring something (but I don't know what) and leaving most readers in the dark.
You both may be angry, but this is not the place to vent your anger if you are only willing to tell us snippets of information.
In my eyes it makes you both look silly.
Far from it
Hipper, glad you like find the articles of interest. The reason people havent been named is that these people know who they are-and unlike them we wont go spreading things around as they do in their idle chit chat. Whilst most readers are as you rightly say 'in the dark', the message has served is purpose as I myself have seen at first hand in the last few days. Like the vast majority of others who use this site, I just want to get on with the work I am paid to do-unfortunately other people dont like to see others progress and see this as a way of having a go, though never having the guts to do it to Roys, mine or any of our staffs faces. It upsets people to see a club like ours who up till four years ago had nothing, and now despite being over £60 million in debt, still find the money to help us give the players half decent pitches to play on, admittedly most did this some years ago when our pitches werent too clever, though not so many have had the vision to do it in the last 3-4 years like ours, and that is something we are grateful for-we dont make the pitches what they are, everyone involved does-be it the groundstaff,pitch contractors,consultants, suppliers, right down to the machines we use. Unfortunatley, as Roy doesnt take all the credit himself, others see this as wrong and thing more of it than what it actually is-a well structured team doing their best for their employers. Whether we have made ourselves look silly is for others to talk about, and it wouldnt be a bad thing to say about us compared to what has been said in the past! We all need to concern ourselves though with our own job and other things such as artificial surfaces rather than talking nonsense about things we dont know about as the original comment was intended to put the message across as.
Whilst on about my message, I think the fact that it has been on for 36 hours and I left my numbers if anyone had anything to say to us directly goes to show how shallow the coments were in the first place, as not one person has rung me to back their comments up.
this and that
Roy
I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar on your lighting grid system used for encouraging grass growth and found the subject and the personnel conducting the meet (yourself and Lee Jackson) both informative and courteous.
In Industry we all get back biters and it's understandable to see your frustrations, but we all get it no matter what or how well we do it.
Keep on doing all your good works and let the work speak for itself, your team is obviously well respected by your peers as shown on numerous occasions in Pitchcare, and as as the Romans said, 'Non illegitemi carborundum'- translation not available in full but don't let them grind you down.
Good Luck!
The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train
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