GROW WITH THE IOG
By Karen Maxwell Managing editor
MEET THE TUTOR Andrew Peirson had a long career in cricket grounds management before deciding to tutor for the IOG
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hirty years ago, I helped out at Redcar Cricket Club and then a committee member offered me a full-time role, which included an opportunity to do my NVQ Level 2 in Amenity Horticulture and Sports Turf Management at Askham Bryan College. I also attended IOG/ECB cricket grounds management training days, and I owe a lot to a gentleman called Jack Walsh, who sadly died in the late 1990s. Throughout my career I worked at several clubs in the NYSD Cricket League, including Marske CC and Middlesbrough CC, with both venues hosting Yorkshire CCC 2nd XI games. Middlesbrough CC was also the home of Middlesbrough Rugby Club, which meant I was also able to work on winter sports pitches. In 2000, I moved to Ealing Cricket Club in London, and from 2002 to 2009 I was head groundsman at Kent County Cricket Club’s Beckenham ground. This club was used as an academy ground for all Kent teams, including the 1st XI cricket team, and it won the ECB outground of the year in 2004. It
“I do believe there is an army of very passionate people out there” 26 THE GROUNDSMAN March 2020
Andrew brings a wealth o first han e perience to his IOG courses
was testament to my hard-working team, which included Lee Fortis, the current head groundsman at The Oval. After leaving Kent CCC, Beckenham, I became ground co-ordinator for Kent CCC, spending most of my time at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury and overseeing any ground where Kent played 1st Class cricket. I then became an ECB county pitch adviser. By 2013, I was back in the North East and worked at Seaton Carew Sports Club, before joining Cleveland Land Services as a fine turf advisor. Then, in January 2018, I set up Ap Sports Turf Maintenance Ltd, whose customer base includes Great Ayton CC, Sacriston CC, Durham University and Durham CCC. I’ve also managed end-ofseason renovations at many NYSD Cricket League grounds near Redcar. What courses do you run as an IOG tutor? I have been an IOG tutor for about four years and I mostly run the Level I and Level 2 Cricket courses. What are the key challenges for grounds personnel at cricket clubs? Some clubs are blessed with all the machinery and are able to employ grounds personnel, while other clubs are run purely by volunteers who have limited time to produce surfaces for matches. I do believe that there is an army of very
passionate people out there, but they are often put off because of what others may think about their quality of work. How do the IOG courses address this issue? The IOG courses provide a good level of knowledge to allow ‘everyone’ to learn. The course content highlights best practice in performing certain tasks and allows delegates to learn from each other, too. You’ve recently received your Highfield Level 3 Award in Education & Training – how will this benefit IOG course delegates? It was interesting to be back in the classroom as a student. It reminded me that delegates may be nervous, and it’s my job to ensure that they’re relaxed so that they can enjoy the course and get the most from it. It also highlighted the fact that delegates have different learnings styles, so I learned how to adapt my delivery accordingly. What do you like doing in your spare time? I still play cricket and I’m heavily involved at the club I play at. I also try to watch my two boys play, when work permits. And then there’s nothing that beats a good box set and a nice glass of red wine to unwind. Visit www.iog.org/learning for more on the IOG’s training and sports turf-specific qualifications
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