Groundsman Joe's turf is really on song

Every team in the league looks forward to playing there and five cup finals will be played at the ground this year alone.

The architect of that success is 58-year-old Joe Wilson, who has nurtured the pitch since it was dug 28 years ago.

And he is now groundsman of the year for the North Riding area and the entire North of England - an area made up by Cumbria, Northumberland, the North East, the three ridings and Sheffield and Hallam - for clubs below Northern Counties East League level, not including council-run facilities.

Said Wilson: "In the old village where we used to play, there used to be animals grazing on the field and we had to clear the bullock dirt off before every game.

"We always said when we get our own pitch we would make it good."

Drains were dug in and changing rooms built and the pitch has gradually improved to the standard it is now with the biggest issue facing Wilson and his team that of the occasional mole or rabbit damage.

He said: "When we did it, the grants weren't available that you can get now so it took us about ten to 15 years to get it like it is.

"It's a good pitch, a good field and I enjoy doing it.

"I was absolutely delighted to win. We knew we had got the North Riding award when we went to the ceremony but the North of England one was a surprise."

The born and bred Tockwith man played on the hallowed turf for 19 years until the age of 49 as a centre-forward, and he continues to clear Friday afternoons from his day-trade as a self-employed builder to get the pitch up to standard for the coming weekend for the first team, reserves and junior sections.

It's not been a single-handed effort. A local farmer sprays the field with pesticide and fertiliser during the summer, club member Russ Tobin frequently lends a hand and a golf club greenkeeper from inside the village offers advice where needed.

Wilson will now travel down to Windsor in September for the national final.

Updated: 09:48 Tuesday, April 04, 2006