Lee Jackson Head Groundsman Leaving

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Here is the post:

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That's very sad to read. Hope he can get sorted out somewhere. Might not want to think about it, but he could do a lot worse than drop Omar Berrada a DM?

United have lost a few grounds people at Carrington of late.

 

[give it to gordon]

Consultancy could be a good shout for Lee. Or to work for someone like Desso (if they are still the grass provider).

Losing a dream job that you take great pride in must be heartbreaking and if you can't find anything after that takes a bit of mental strength.

Good luck to him

I was thinking consultancy work. That will be a big challenge though, working away from home, nights in hotels etc, not a steady wage.

 

[leylandblue]

Could be something ?

Work starts on pioneering cricket facility in central Lancashire


Construction has started on a high-quality professional and community cricket facility in central Lancashire, which will be the first of its kind.

Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Cricket are working together to build this new facility at Farington, bringing together elite and community cricket in one high quality development.

To officially mark the start of work, County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet member for economic development and growth, Lancashire County Council, was joined by Lancashire Cricket's Mark Chilton, Tom Bailey and Phoebe Graham for a turf-cutting ceremony on the site.

With a 19-month build time, it is hoped that cricket could be played at Farington in the 2025 cricket season.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Could be something ?

Work starts on pioneering cricket facility in central Lancashire


Construction has started on a high-quality professional and community cricket facility in central Lancashire, which will be the first of its kind.

Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Cricket are working together to build this new facility at Farington, bringing together elite and community cricket in one high quality development.

To officially mark the start of work, County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet member for economic development and growth, Lancashire County Council, was joined by Lancashire Cricket's Mark Chilton, Tom Bailey and Phoebe Graham for a turf-cutting ceremony on the site.

With a 19-month build time, it is hoped that cricket could be played at Farington in the 2025 cricket season.

Is this so Lancashire can be shit in 2 different places?

 

[give it to gordon]

Could be something ?

Work starts on pioneering cricket facility in central Lancashire


Construction has started on a high-quality professional and community cricket facility in central Lancashire, which will be the first of its kind.

Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Cricket are working together to build this new facility at Farington, bringing together elite and community cricket in one high quality development.

To officially mark the start of work, County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet member for economic development and growth, Lancashire County Council, was joined by Lancashire Cricket's Mark Chilton, Tom Bailey and Phoebe Graham for a turf-cutting ceremony on the site.

With a 19-month build time, it is hoped that cricket could be played at Farington in the 2025 cricket season.

Not wish to but a dampener on this but producing a top class cricket table is a different skills set to producing a top class footy pitch

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Spoke to a couple people at United and they said this fella brought in by City from Leicester is an absolute tool and loves himself to bits.

 

[paulchapo]

Spoke to a couple people at United and they said this fella brought in by City from Leicester is an absolute tool and loves himself to bits.

I thought Lee had taken early retirement or something. Why has he left, or City let him go if he was doing such a good job by all accounts?

 

[HelloCity]

I thought Lee had taken early retirement or something. Why has he left, or City let him go if he was doing such a good job by all accounts?

Reading between the lines, it sounds like it's because this new guy from Leicester is a nob.

 

[CC1]

Spoke to a couple people at United and they said this fella brought in by City from Leicester is an absolute tool and loves himself to bits.

So who do we believe - the “United” reports or City’s actions or Lee himself? The new guy’s credentials sound good…

 

[Manc Born & Bred]

Spoke to a couple people at United and they said this fella brought in by City from Leicester is an absolute tool and loves himself to bits.

Kante?

 

[jrb]

If you go on his Linkedin page there are pictures of the Etihad pitch and CFA pitches.

When I say the pitches are like snooker table cloths, I mean they are like snooker table cloths. The pitches are unbelievably good.

John Ledwidge

Head of Grounds and Landscapes at Manchester City Football Club

John Ledwidge is an elite Sports Turf Manager, with specialitise in multi-million pound turf-management and development projects at some of the most advanced sporting facilities and events around the world. He has extensive industry knowledge and a depth of experience from ground to board level.

John has ascertained a Masters in Football Business management covering all aspects of the structural operations within a professionals Football environment.

John has a proven track record of delivering precision management and supervisory projects to achieve objectives on time and on budget.

From reconstruction, redevelopment, training and team building, to designing operations and management systems, John has achieved the kind of industry resilience, efficiencies and strategic advantages that contributed to the remarkable global success story of former Premier League Champions Leicester City FC.

He is driven, ambitious and motivated by a personal pride in developing people which represents one of his strongest motivations.

John formed an integral part of the team that has developed Leicester City’s new £100m training facility, where he delivered the management and development of the 180 acre site. This included 24 turf pitches, synthetic pitches, a nine hole golf course and the worlds first dedicated Sports Turf Academy.

John developed and implemented the concept for the worlds first dedicated Sports Turf Academy that was supported by the club, by the development of a purpose built building containing educational space, cutting edge technology and without doubt will be a leader in the training, education and recruitment in the current and next generation of Sports Turf decision makers.

John’s experience at international level includes preperation of surfaces for UEFA Champuons League, directing pitch preparations for the London 2012 Olympics at the City of Coventry Stadium and the planning and management of various music concerts within stadiums including P!nk, Kings Of Leon and Coldplay

John possesses a clear, calm and focused approach to leadership with an ability to instil confidence and competency between staff and management. He takes pride in advising and presenting at board level, Creation and implementation of structured management approaches for turf and workforces in all aspects of turf management and budgetary management.

 

[CC1]

If you go on his Linkedin page there are pictures of the Etihad pitch and CFA pitches.

When I say the pitches are like snooker table cloths, I mean they are like snooker table cloths. The pitches are unbelievably good.

John Ledwidge

Head of Grounds and Landscapes at Manchester City Football Club

John Ledwidge is an elite Sports Turf Manager, with specialitise in multi-million pound turf-management and development projects at some of the most advanced sporting facilities and events around the world. He has extensive industry knowledge and a depth of experience from ground to board level.

John has ascertained a Masters in Football Business management covering all aspects of the structural operations within a professionals Football environment.

John has a proven track record of delivering precision management and supervisory projects to achieve objectives on time and on budget.

From reconstruction, redevelopment, training and team building, to designing operations and management systems, John has achieved the kind of industry resilience, efficiencies and strategic advantages that contributed to the remarkable global success story of former Premier League Champions Leicester City FC.

He is driven, ambitious and motivated by a personal pride in developing people which represents one of his strongest motivations.

John formed an integral part of the team that has developed Leicester City’s new £100m training facility, where he delivered the management and development of the 180 acre site. This included 24 turf pitches, synthetic pitches, a nine hole golf course and the worlds first dedicated Sports Turf Academy.

John developed and implemented the concept for the worlds first dedicated Sports Turf Academy that was supported by the club, by the development of a purpose built building containing educational space, cutting edge technology and without doubt will be a leader in the training, education and recruitment in the current and next generation of Sports Turf decision makers.

John’s experience at international level includes preperation of surfaces for UEFA Champuons League, directing pitch preparations for the London 2012 Olympics at the City of Coventry Stadium and the planning and management of various music concerts within stadiums including P!nk, Kings Of Leon and Coldplay

John possesses a clear, calm and focused approach to leadership with an ability to instil confidence and competency between staff and management. He takes pride in advising and presenting at board level, Creation and implementation of structured management approaches for turf and workforces in all aspects of turf management and budgetary management.

Maybe the United folk who are apparently mocking him, are jealous of us as usual?

 

[give it to gordon]

Spoke to a couple people at United and they said this fella brought in by City from Leicester is an absolute tool and loves himself to bits.

This doesn't surprise me. It's amazing in sports turf industry how much someone out of college or university with no experience can sweet talk they way into top jobs. They are seen as better than the person who knows his turf in sideout like Lee clearly does

I know a guy who killed off18 greens by getting his chemical mix wrong yet went onto well paid jobs, leader of the councils green spaces !. Another who was selling on the company's equipment and pocketing the money.
I know another guy who has had two top jobs, I went to college with him, his nick name was 'soft hands'.
Never physical done green keeping but a great sales rep. Was the boss at a London club and move to a big club in the Norfolk area.

Both worked for high profile golf clubs who didn't want bad publicity so gave them great references to get rid of them.

It sounds to me like for some reason City's management have been taken in by a sweet talker. I guess Lee worked his way uo from the bottom and it's seen as not being as good as a university bod.

I was glad to be made redundant as I didn't like this way of things. It sounds like Lee has had similar experiences.

Just surprised City have 'allowed' this to happen to a long serving employee.

I wish Lee all the best but fell he will struggle to get back into groundsman work :(

 

[CC1]

This doesn't surprise me. It's amazing in sports turf industry how much someone out of college or university with no experience can sweet talk they way into top jobs. They are seen as better than the person who knows his turf in sideout like Lee clearly does

I know a guy who killed off18 greens by getting his chemical mix wrong yet went onto well paid jobs, leader of the councils green spaces !. Another who was selling on the company's equipment and pocketing the money.
I know another guy who has had two top jobs, I went to college with him, his nick name was 'soft hands'.
Never physical done green keeping but a great sales rep. Was the boss at a London club and move to a big club in the Norfolk area.

Both worked for high profile golf clubs who didn't want bad publicity so gave them great references to get rid of them.

It sounds to me like for some reason City's management have been taken in by a sweet talker. I guess Lee worked his way uo from the bottom and it's seen as not being as good as a university bod.

I was glad to be made redundant as I didn't like this way of things. It sounds like Lee has had similar experiences.

Just surprised City have 'allowed' this to happen to a long serving employee.

I wish Lee all the best but fell he will struggle to get back into groundsman work :(

Why have City been “taken in” by the new guy? Is the pitch in a bad way?

I agree it’s sad to see Lee go but I’d like to know where the bad vibes about the new guy have come from

 

[give it to gordon]

Why have City been “taken in” by the new guy? Is the pitch in a bad way?

I agree it’s sad to see Lee go but I’d like to know where the bad vibes about the new guy have come from

I'm just putting 2 and 2 together going by my experience and knowledge of the turf industry.

I have seen this where a golf committee or club committee think the head greenkeeper/ groundsman has been there to long. Make him redundant and bring in someone with great qualifications and very little hands on experience and alot younger.
From what I have seen it normally goes tits up.
Doing it at a college or university is totally different to working on a course with a couple of hundreds rounds per day !

But who knows what's happened I'm just guessing

Remember the state of the new Wembley pitch when it first open ? It was fucking shit. Why ? Because the fa employed a head groundsman with no experience of desso pitches lol.
He talked a great interview and was probably the one who wanted the least pay deal.
Everyone in the sports turf industry knew it would go tits up because he had no experience of desso pitches, he managed a soil pitch at Nottingham forest !

 

[lefty goldblatt]

I'm sure I saw Simon staring at the grass and watching it grow, in 2006 during a game. Well, it was better than watching Pearce's "football".

As he's a fan, and a grass cutter, I expect he'll still hover around

 

[CC1]

I'm just putting 2 and 2 together going by my experience and knowledge of the turf industry.

I have seen this where a golf committee or club committee think the head greenkeeper/ groundsman has been there to long. Make him redundant and bring in someone with great qualifications and very little hands on experience and alot younger.
From what I have seen it normally goes tits up.
Doing it at a college or university is totally different to working on a course with a couple of hundreds rounds per day !

But who knows what's happened I'm just guessing

Remember the state of the new Wembley pitch when it first open ? It was fucking shit. Why ? Because the fa employed a head groundsman with no experience of desso pitches lol.
He talked a great interview and was probably the one who wanted the least pay deal.
Everyone in the sports turf industry knew it would go tits up because he had no experience of desso pitches, he managed a soil pitch at Nottingham forest !

From other post on here I believe the current guy DOES have experience so no comparison to Wembley situation. I get that everyone has a connection with Lee but we don’t know what happened so surely not a good idea to smear the name of the current grounds man without any real reason ??

I just find all this supposition a bit odd.

 

[Rory Bluelow]

I'm just putting 2 and 2 together going by my experience and knowledge of the turf industry.

I have seen this where a golf committee or club committee think the head greenkeeper/ groundsman has been there to long. Make him redundant and bring in someone with great qualifications and very little hands on experience and alot younger.
From what I have seen it normally goes tits up.
Doing it at a college or university is totally different to working on a course with a couple of hundreds rounds per day !

But who knows what's happened I'm just guessing

Remember the state of the new Wembley pitch when it first open ? It was fucking shit. Why ? Because the fa employed a head groundsman with no experience of desso pitches lol.
He talked a great interview and was probably the one who wanted the least pay deal.
Everyone in the sports turf industry knew it would go tits up because he had no experience of desso pitches, he managed a soil pitch at Nottingham forest !

I know fuck all about this subject (but when’s that ever stopped me posting ;).
It looks like a classic bit of internal reorganisation to me.
The new guy is described as “Head of Grounds and Landscaping” and though he looks good on paper (MBA etc) he also seems to have at least 13 years working experience (2012 Olympics etc). The job that looks most like Lee’s role is described as a “new job” and no doubt reports in to this New Head. I’d say Lee’s duties/reporting line changed which gave him the opportunity to move on…maybe he didn’t fancy the new reporting line etc maybe he thought he should’ve got the big job. After all that service he should get (and has earned) a good wedge. These things happen in organisations and if someone’s not happy with change it’s better they move on. He’s certainly not moved for any lack of capability - City’s pitches are superb.
From all the comments, he seems a really good guy and very capable too - I’m sure things will turn out okay for him. It usually does in the end.

 

[adopted_manc]

This doesn't surprise me. It's amazing in sports turf industry how much someone out of college or university with no experience can sweet talk they way into top jobs. They are seen as better than the person who knows his turf in sideout like Lee clearly does

I know a guy who killed off18 greens by getting his chemical mix wrong yet went onto well paid jobs, leader of the councils green spaces !. Another who was selling on the company's equipment and pocketing the money.
I know another guy who has had two top jobs, I went to college with him, his nick name was 'soft hands'.
Never physical done green keeping but a great sales rep. Was the boss at a London club and move to a big club in the Norfolk area.

Both worked for high profile golf clubs who didn't want bad publicity so gave them great references to get rid of them.

It sounds to me like for some reason City's management have been taken in by a sweet talker. I guess Lee worked his way uo from the bottom and it's seen as not being as good as a university bod.

I was glad to be made redundant as I didn't like this way of things. It sounds like Lee has had similar experiences.

Just surprised City have 'allowed' this to happen to a long serving employee.

I wish Lee all the best but fell he will struggle to get back into groundsman work :(

I wish Lee the best - the pitch always looked superb.

Regarding your post, I subscribe to every line - seems to be so common in all industries these days.

 

[TonyM]

I have heard that Pep has a new tactic of playing on muck. Grass is yesteryear's traditional right back.