Getting Personal with George Mills
Who are you? My name is George Mills. I'm 24 years old and Head Groundsman at West Herts Sports Club.
Family status: In a long term relationship with no children.
Who's your hero and why? My dad, Bob Mills (Head Groundsman at The Honourable Artillery Company). I've always looked up
to him and I'm very grateful for the patience he showed me and the path he paved for me.
What would you change about yourself? If I could change anything about myself, I would change pretty much everything because I'm my biggest critic! I think maybe two or three days a year I walk around West Herts and I'm happy with it, the rest of the time I have a list of about 100 jobs in my head.
What's your guilty pleasure? Love a few beers on a Saturday after playing cricket.
What's been the highlight of your career so far? Very difficult to say. I have had lots of praise from professional tennis players to county cricketers. I think the biggest thing is probably one I now see regularly. When I started at West Herts, the biggest criticism of the work carried out by my predecessor was the wickets were slow and low. I was told that getting the ball to bounce over the off stump took some doing. Now, I watch the first team, and they have one bowler that opens who is partial to digging one in short and watching it fly past the batsman's face and this proves how much of an improvement has been made in terms of pace and bounce.
If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be? Anywhere with cricket, football, golf, tennis or any other sport being played.
What's the best part of your job? I'm very much left to get on with the job. I come and go as required and I don't have set hours. I'm employed to get the job done. I always end up doing more hours than I'm supposed to by the end of the year, and I think my boss Dennis Lock understands that he doesn't need to tell me off; if it's not right, I will already be cross with myself.
… and the worst? Litter picking. I don't actually mind doing the job, but it drives me crazy. You spend all week making the site look as good as possible and then some of the members can't put a water bottle in a bin!
Do you have a lifetime ambition? Just to carry on in the same career. I don't mind where I end up or if I stay at West Herts.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Invest heavily in the facilities at Thorley Cricket Club and West Herts Cricket Club. I would definitely carry on as a groundsman though.
If you were to describe yourself as a musical instrument, what would you be and why? Drums; they're loud, they're simple and best suited to brute force and ignorance!
Which three people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party? My dad, my mum and my girlfriend; best company in the world.
Do you go to bed worrying about the next day's workload? Regularly, but not so much in the last year or two.
What do you do in your spare time? Play lots of cricket. I am also a qualified cricket coach.
What's the daftest work related question you have ever been asked? Why have you planted dead hedges? When I planted some young copper beach at West Herts last October.
What's your favourite piece of kit? Auto Certes wicket mower. It's absolutely bomb proof, older than me and will probably still work when I'm gone.
What talent would you like to have? Still to be a groundsman but control the weather.
What law/legislation would you like to see introduced? Groundsmans' minimum wage to be in line with highest paid footballer's.