2010
The Best Groundsman in England
DLF-TRIFOLIUM is main supplier of grass seed at the world championship in soccer in South Africa. Their grass is already at many other famous stadiums - among others the Aston Villa. Here is chief Groundsman Jonathan Calderwood, aged 31 just named the best groundskeeper in England. There is a good reason for this, because when Jonathan Calderwood maintains the football grounds at the football academy, Bodymoor Heath, and the Villa Park stadium he does genuinely care how things are done
First opened in the 1970s, Bodymoor Heath underwent a reported £20m revamp, opening officially in summer 2007 with a mix of indoor training pitches, swimming pool, fitness centre and changing rooms.
Among new £5m-plus floodlit facilities were created three full-size first team practice pitches, one a replica of Villa Park's Desso surface including its camber undersoil heating and irrigation, two Fibresand pitches and various practice areas and a 3G full size synthetic pitch - all established in spring 2008 - while the original training areas accommodate academy teams on seven full size pitches laid on a 70:30 sand:soil substrate.
The fleet of equipment and machinery helps Calderwood and his team maintain the pitches to the premium standards required.
"Millions have been spent on the new pitches and we have a duty to maintain them in line with that level of investment," Calderwood says, "so we now have the confidence to achieve exceptional standards of maintenance."
Keep the ball at the ground
Each of the first team pitches was constructed to specifications matching those of other Premiership grounds - "the traditional 70:30 sand:soil mix, the 98% sand-based Desso surface, with its three per cent synthetic inclusion, the Fibresand pitches laid at Old Trafford and Chelsea, for example, or the 3G synthetic surface of the specification laid at CSK Moscow's stadium, where Villa played in the EUFA Cup.
"The philosophy is to utilise the first team practice pitches to acclimatize players to the conditions they'll encounter at other Premiership clubs or in Europe," explains Calderwood. "Players will train on the appropriate surface for three days before an away game to become familiar with it. We can try to reproduce a match day situation every day of the week.
After using Johnson's mixes at Villa Park since he arrived in 2001, Calderwood chose to seed the new surface with J Premier Pitch. "I did my homework and looked at several options, choosing the Premier mix of cultivars because the grass holds good winter colour and has a bristly, upright, hardwearing sward that springs up immediately after its stepped on - in contrast to some soft lush grasses - encouraging really good ball roll."
"It is essential to keep the grass perfect and to cut it in a way that the ball may glide over the surface. Players become better this way, our results hopefully improve and we attract more television viewers for broadcast matches."
No doubt about the fact that Jonathan Calderwood has good conditions given by the owner of Aston Villa.
"They know how important the grass is for our players' performance and consequently our results, so they allow me to do my job properly. They can see for themselves that it pays off," he says.
A great and very young leader
As one of 12 senior managers, Calderwood mixes comfortably with the good and great at Villa and is given the opportunity to do so, he says, in part because of a more streamlined mode of management that encourages dialogue, although he admits that "a suit's not for me".
However, management style clearly plays a key role in Calderwood's success, although typically he prefers to cover his team, rather than himself, in glory.
"I joke that they have a good boss but they see that I maintain very high standards for myself, that I work probably as long hours, if not more, than anyone else and get my hands dirty," Jonathan Calderwood says. "When they appreciate how good the training ground is, that the England under-21s use it occasionally and other visiting teams, they know that's all the motivation they need."
After working closely with Calderwood for some time, DLF regional technical manager Phil Seedhouse respects his work ethic and style:
"Jonathan leaves nothing undone and I believe he probably knows more about the maintenance of grass than anyone else in England, so I fully understand why he has won the award."
Facts:
Jonathan Calderwood's background
Born and raised in Northern Ireland
Gained his NVQ in horticulture from Greenmount Agricultural College, Antrim
Moved to Myerscough College, Preston, to study for an HND in turf science and sports ground management
Worked as Groundsman at Wembley Stadium and later at Wolverhampton Football club
Started as Groundsman at Aston Villa in 2001 and became Head Groundsman in 2006
