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[Skully]

I'm quite interested in how many people on this forum, if any, do the grounds work for their club, and Im not talking about working parties to get the nets and stuff up. I'm quite interested in knowing as I thought like talking about our season, would be nice to talk about the work, as when I went on the IOG cource, we were all in the same boat and helping one another

I wondered as I was doing the work myself tonight. I have been doing our ground for the last 5 years, it all started when my grandad lost his helper, he knew his time was coming so he had to get someone doing it, he got me to do it and Ive been helping him ever since. This will be my 2nd year doing it on my own, he passed away last march, right before the season. I'll admit it was tough and if I'm honnest, I did break down in the final weeks before the first league game and askked why did he decide to go right before the season


anyways, after the first winter of a 4-5 stage renovation to our square. A couple guys on this forum have visited my clubs ground and know what the square was like the last few years. After the first stage our square looks very nice, greener than ever before, the opening strip looks amazing for its "first cut", I have a photo of it and I will upload later. The problem I have is its very green, so Im not sure how it will play

[Howzat]

Much credit to everyone who does any groundwork, about a year ago I just presumed it was a bit of cutting followed by a bit of rolling... then a bit more cutting and rolling. Having read www.pitchcare.com I can see its much much more than that!

[Ayrtek Cricket]

Got landed with ours for the last 2 weeks as our groundsman was away on holiday, were quite lucky as we have 2/3 landscape garde ers at the club (Inc 1st team captain) so it gets done pretty well. Alot of work required tho in regards to scarifying, fertilising, cutting, watering, rolling etc to get it upto scratch....then there's the outfield ontop of that to cut and roll!

[roco]

yeah i help with rolling and cutting sometimes but i get lost in the speak as our groundsmen and half the players are farmers so they really get into it looking forward to our pitch this year as should play better as they moved square 2 years ago to extend playing area so was iffy at one end

[Skully]

Got landed with ours for the last 2 weeks as our groundsman was away on holiday, were quite lucky as we have 2/3 landscape garde ers at the club (Inc 1st team captain) so it gets done pretty well. Alot of work required tho in regards to scarifying, fertilising, cutting, watering, rolling etc to get it upto scratch....then there's the outfield ontop of that to cut and roll!

lol we dont roll the outfield, it would be impossible, its on a slope and bumpy. But we have a bloke who rebuilds old tractors who uses the clubs drag mower

Much credit to everyone who does any groundwork, about a year ago I just presumed it was a bit of cutting followed by a bit of rolling... then a bit more cutting and rolling. Having read www.pitchcare.com I can see its much much more than that!

sometimes, with the crap I have to put up with from some players, I wish it was just cut and roll

[uknsaunders]

I did a bit a year or so back in yorkshire when I was unemployed, mainly rolling the match wickets. However my father is a groundmans in the Thames Valley. He's currently fretting as he has a minor counties game in 2 weeks and his outfield is bone dry. He's probably the first groundman to be praying for heavy raining in April! He's had the sprinklers on for 2 weeks no-stop to green and soften the outfield...

[Skully]

I did a bit a year or so back in yorkshire when I was unemployed, mainly rolling the match wickets. However my father is a groundmans in the Thames Valley. He's currently fretting as he has a minor counties game in 2 weeks and his outfield is bone dry. He's probably the first groundman to be praying for heavy raining in April! He's had the sprinklers on for 2 weeks no-stop to green and soften the outfield...

mate, I know how he feels, the start of the season is when i want rain, any other time of the year I hate it because you two years in a row Ive been forced to do nothing on the square for 2 weeks

[ianbuchanan]

not an easy job. i've only done a little bit and literally hardly any of it was rolling. fertilising, cutting, softening the outfield, mowing etc etc...

makes it even harder at your ground skully, that slope must be a bugger to get the roller on!!

[Timbo]

Thankfully I'm a qualified groundsman at work so I do all the work at our club with the occasional hand! Been a groundsman since 1997 and at the cricket club since 2000.

I love it - 3 hours on a Tuesday evening and 2 hours on a Friday evening every week and then as I play as well, a bit of prep work before the matches : )

Hoping to do my IOG ECB residential course this year. I'm not saying im the worlds best groundsman but if anyone needs any advice please drop me a line

[Skully]

not an easy job. i've only done a little bit and literally hardly any of it was rolling. fertilising, cutting, softening the outfield, mowing etc etc...

makes it even harder at your ground skully, that slope must be a bugger to get the roller on!!

lol trust me, it's very very very slow, doesn't help that due to age 3 years ago we slowd it down, takes about 5 mins to get up there

Thankfully I'm a qualified groundsman at work so I do all the work at our club with the occasional hand! Been a groundsman since 1997 and at the cricket club since 2000.

I love it - 3 hours on a Tuesday evening and 2 hours on a Friday evening every week and then as I play as well, a bit of prep work before the matches : )

Hoping to do my IOG ECB residential course this year. I'm not saying im the worlds best groundsman but if anyone needs any advice please drop me a line

so which iog level is that? I only took the first level, duno what they call it now