Earning his Spurs - Pitchcare

ALAN Hamilton looks after
two cricket grounds on the
island and was project
manager of the new, state
of the art Indoor cricket
facility.
Originally from
Northampton, he moved to
Guernsey four years ago,
bringing with him his desire
to improve the provision of
cricket on the island. Last
year he was voted ICC
Cricket Groundsman of the
Year for his services to
cricket on the island.
Alan’s opportunity to
come to the island was
through Jason Shambrook,
Guernsey’s Cricket
Development Officer
against whom he used to
play in Northampton. They had
been on cricket courses together
and, when the Guernsey Cricket
Association started talking about
bringing someone over in a
groundsman role, Jason
recommended Alan.
His assistant is the island’s
current international cricket
captain, Stuart Le Prevost who,
last year, oversaw two highly
successful World Cricket League
divisional campaigns, including
wins over the likes of Malaysia,
Norway, Nigeria and Japan.
Alan has been kept busy
overseeing the building of a brand
new square at Port Soif, home of
Rovers Football club. The square
came into play this summer. The
main cricket facility on the island
is at the King George V playing
field.
A comprehensive article on Alan
featured in issue 28, but here’s
what he has been up to recently:
“After an extremely wet winter,
we find ourselves watering like
mad after having around seven
weeks with no significant rain
here in ‘sunny’ Guernsey!
How quickly things change!
Saying that, temperatures have
not been as high as we had hoped
(as I’m sure is the same on the
mainland), so seed germination
hasn’t been as good as it could
have been - especially when we
have to get from football and
rugby pitches to cricket outfields
in about two weeks!
On the cricket wicket front, both
King George V and Port Soif have
produced an encouraging amount
of runs for early season games.
Having taken some advice from
Andy Mackay (Sussex CCC Head
Groundsman), we have tweaked
our rolling programme and pitch
preparation slightly, and it seems
to be doing the world of good. It is
amazing to think that such small
adjustments to our daily routines
can have such a big effect on the
way our pitches play. Simply
GuernseySport
Island cricket...
Alan Hamilton
(left) with Stuart
Le Provost
rolling for different amounts of
time, and leaving more grass on
wickets in the build up to games,
has produced drier, harder wickets
which, in turn, have produced
more runs and higher scoring
games.
At Port Soif recently, we were
lucky enough to host the Sussex
2nd XI for two fixtures which was,
hopefully, a forerunner to hosting
a First Class game in the not too
distant future. All went really well,
and the tourists were very
impressed with the facilities, both
on the pitch and off it. Grass
practice wickets, fielding nets and
a general training area are all par
for the course in a first class
match, and the Sussex coaches
and players reported that all were
very much to their liking. Watch
this space!
With the ICC European Division
2 Tournament looming (July 13th-
19th), we have to be more aware
of our wicket usage on the
squares. On our nine wicket
square at KGV, we will use five
wickets in the space of two weeks
during the build up to, and during
the tournament. It is a similar
situation at Port Soif, where we
have eleven wickets.
This event is the highlight of our
cricket season and, having
successfully hosted a European
tournament and, more recently, a
World Cricket League tournament,
we are looking to maintain the
high standards we have set for
ourselves. Hopefully, our national
side can do us proud on home soil
and become victorious on July
19th.”
On you marks ...
Funding
for sport
Thanks to the States of Guernsey, the island is well
provided for in terms of facilities, despite the fact
that there is no financial support at all from the
UK government.
The Channel Islands are independent of the UK in
the same way Gibraltar is, with its own government
and laws. The link between Guernsey and the UK is
through the Crown.
It means that all the revenues required to finance
the island’s services, such as health, education and
sport, have to be self generated. Sources of funding
available for sport in the UK, such as the National
Lottery, are not available to Channel Island sports. In
fact, it is not possible to buy a National Lottery ticket
on any of the islands.
The Culture and Leisure Department has a rather
modest £3.6 million annual budget, of which just
£967,000 is allocated to the Leisure Services section.
The department also receives £250,000 a year for
capital items, but this has to be shared between
various sections and is not just for sports facilities and
services. Nonetheless, the facilities are extensive and
of a high standard.
The independent, Guernsey Sports Commission,
provides development officers in a number of key
sports.
The island, along with Jersey, operates a Channel
Island lottery, but the amounts raised are relatively
modest. The leisure centre does receive some funding
from this source, but the bulk of the proceeds goes to
Guernsey charities.
The States attracts significant help from the local
business community, and many support sport through
sponsorship.
Online gambling company, Sportingbet, moved its
European operation to the island three years ago.
Employing 100 staff at its headquarters in St Peter
Port, the company has become heavily involved with
local sport.
In its first year on the island, the company secured a
three year sponsorship deal with the Watson family to
help their daughter and local rising tennis star,
Island football...
THERE are currently ten clubs on the island, all very
active and very much involved with the community in
running teams (senior, juniors, girls and womens) playing
at various levels. All have reasonable standard stadium
and social facilities, and generate their own funds to
maintain their operations.
During my visit, I was able to see a number of these
grounds which, on first impression, looked in good
condition. However, when it came to a closer inspection
of the playing surfaces, they all lacked the polish I was
expecting. Presentation, grass cover and levels were
poor. Admittedly, it was coming to the end of a long
playing season, after a poor winter and a very heavy
fixture list.
Talking to some of the clubs, it was apparent that the
lack of resources was a contributory factor. Equipment is