Page 14 - RPVFC v Hilltop FC
P. 14

Around The Club
                                                                                          How important is the pitch            looking after it for hours
                                                                                          in football? Without a pitch          what do you think about?
      Who are ya?!                                                                        you cannot play football. The         I guess the same thing most
      You’ve seen them around the club. Sometimes they look                               pitch and the quality of the pitch    people think about when they’re
      angry. Sometimes they look happy. Sometimes they are just..                         represents the club and is its        working a combination of general
      there. Interested? Of course you are. This week it’s RPV                            biggest asset.                        stuff and concentration on the
      miracle-worker, Steve Regan!                                                        What other involvement                task with your working on. Oh

      What do you do at Raynes                                                            have you had or do you                and what am I going to have for
      Park Vale? I am the head                                                            have in football? I am the            dinner.
      groundsman - in fact the only                                                       chairman of Nork Park Rangers         What music do you listen
      Groundsman!                                                                         football club which was founded       to when you’re working?
      How did you get into                                                                in 2011 since then I have been        I don’t always listen to music,
      groundskeeping? By                                                                  coaching various teams and            quite often I don’t listen to
      maintaining my own clubs                                                            building the club to what it is       anything, when I do I like all
      pitches and preparing them for                                                      today.                                genres from classical, blues,
      our teams to play on.                                                               What is the best thing                jazz, house and techno a bit of
      What’s the biggest                                                                  about your job? Spending              everything I guess. When I’m
      challenge in your job?                                                              my working day in the great           not listening to music I will be
      Weather patterns dictate what                                                       outdoors throughout all four          listening to talk-SPORT
      work I can and can’t do. Working                                                    seasons of the year. Also being       Do you ever get annoyed
      around the weather and fixtures                                                     able to visually see the fruits       with players for how they
      is probably my biggest challenge.                                                   of my labour. Makes it all            treat the pitch? I’m not gonna
      We hear a lot about the                                                             worthwhile.                           lie yes I do but not very often at
      quality of the RPV pitch                                                            How do you relax? I’m                 RPV as they are good boys most
      what’s your professional                                                            totally relaxed when working so       of the time!
      view on it? I’m not sure what         PV Head Groundsman, Steve Regan               I guess being at work is how I        What advice would you give
      you hear good or bad. The pitch       with his Surrey FA Grassroots Foot-           relax.                                to someone who wanted to
      is a work in progress and the         ball, Groundskeeper of The Year               What do you think of 3G               get into groundskeeping?
      club is committed to improving        award.                                        pitches? There is no substitute       Go for it. I wish I’d been a
      the playing quality of it. Since I    to have one of the best grass                 for grass. However they are very      Groundsman all of my working
      took over maintaining it I have       pitches in the league.                        practical for being able to use in    life. Be prepared to work very
      been pleased with the progress        What are you doing at                         almost any weather conditions.        hard all year round. It is the most
      we are making and look forward        half-time poking the pitch?                   Like most things there are pros       rewarding job I have ever done.
      to personally overseeing all the      Repairing the divots caused                   and cons.                             If you didn’t do this what
      end of season maintenance work        by play. Divots can be very                   People don’t usually see              would you be doing or
      for the first time and preparing      dangerous for the players - ankle             you taking care of the pitch          want to do? I’ve got no idea - I
      it for the 2022/23 season. My         breakers - so I have 15 mins to               when you’re dragging                  couldn’t imagine doing anything
      goal, if you pardon the pun, is       repair the worse ones.                        mowing or otherwise                   else.               Continued...



                                                                                                    WWW.RPVC.COM
                          WWW .RPV C.COM                                        14                   WWW .RPV C.COM                                                15
                      WWW.RPVC.COM
   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19