U P D AT E
NEWS
JOINT EFFORT
Win for Beccles Town FC BECCLES TOWN HAS been crowned winners of the Suffolk FA Groundsman of the Year, sponsored by Ransomes. Chris Brown and Shaun Soloman are joint groundsmen at the club, which plays in the Premier Division of the Hadley & Ottaway Anglian Combination. Tony Adams of Claydon, the 2017 winner, was runner-up and Bryan
Chris Brown (above) and Shaun Soloman (right)
Simmonds of Bacton United 89, who won the competition in 2016, was third. Beccles Town will receive £200 to be spent on groundscare equipment, with Claydon receiving £100 and Bacton United 89 £50. Beccles Town director Mark Jermey said: “I am so delighted for Chris and Solly who have transformed College Meadow over the past few years. Their most outstanding quality, aside from hard work, is their ability to enthuse others to donate time and resources.” The groundsmen from all three clubs will be invited to attend the Suffolk FA Awards Ceremony later this year to receive their prizes.
OBITUARIES
SID BROOMFIELD SOUTHEND UNITED MANAGER Chris Powell has paid tribute to the club’s former groundsman, Sid Broomfield, who has died aged 94. Powell said Broomfield would forever be a massive part of the club’s history. “This is a man who built the ground. Rest in peace, Sid,” he said. Sid was only 30 when he was handed the task of building a new stadium for Southend United – Roots Hall. A member of the Broomfield family laid a wreath in the centre circle before a minute’s applause prior to kick off at Southend United’s match against AFC Wimbledon on 16 March.
MALCOLM SLANEY TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to an ‘unsung hero’ who spent more than five decades helping to keep his beloved football club going. Malcolm ‘Malc’ Slaney, a former groundsman and honorary president of Awsworth Villa FC, has been described by colleagues and fellow volunteers as “one of the most loving and heartwarming” people you could ever meet. Club chairman Kev Buxton said Malc did every single job he could to keep everything running smoothly. “Malc was the heart and soul of the club and he will be sorely missed by everyone,” he said.
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Institute of Groundsmanship
NEWS MEMBERSHIP
NEW SYSTEM UPGRADE EXCITING NEWS: the IOG’s new membership system goes live in April! We’ll be in touch with new log-in details to all members, so you can continue to access our services, within the next few days. If you have any problems, contact the IOG team on 01908 512 311 and we’ll be happy to help.
LEARNING
IOG TRAIN A TRAINER DAY THE IOG RECENTLY hosted some of its training course deliverers at the Milton Keynes’ head office to improve the delivery of training courses, update course materials and update the trainers themselves on IOG products and services. According to Dan Prest, IOG head of membership – learning and consultancy, the IOG operates around 100 courses each year and although the feedback is always high, he says: “It’s good practice to have regular standardisation meetings to ensure the quality of delivery is maintained.” If you can offer the IOG a training venue or you’re interested in becoming an IOG trainer, please contact Anita Parker at aparker@iog.org
Pictured from far right: Julien Morris, Richard Churchman, Andy Peirson, Chris Westbrook, Martin Deans, Alex Vickers, Anita Parker and Chris Gray
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www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 7