Stuart Kerrison, Head Groundsman Essex CCC reports that  23rd January 2023 marked a milestone. It was the day that the 1st placement for the BRADS scheme began.

The BRADS scheme is designed to offer the opportunity for groundspeople to develop their skills across the broader industry and experience life in a variety of areas. Ben Connell from Ipswich Town says that “The BRADS scheme…shows how great our industry is”.  

Starting life with the name STIPP (Sports Turf Industry Placement Programme), BRADS is an idea that initially came into being during a round table discussion at the Turf Business Summit in Portugal in 2019. The aim of the discussion was to generate interest from existing staff and spread knowledge throughout the industry. From this initial concept, the idea was developed and carried on by Steve Braddock, Scott Tingley, and Stuart Kerrison, with some assistance from Andrew Purser at Arsenal FC.  

After the Summit, the team got to work, developing ideas and building on the foundations of what had been suggested in Portugal. The initial paperwork and processes came together quite quickly, although the team found that they hit a rather large stumbling block in the form of the Coronavirus Pandemic. With movement restricted, the programme came to a juddering stop! As the uncertainty and lockdowns continued Steve’s health steadily deteriorated, although he remained a passionate supporter of the programme. 

With the shockwaves of the pandemic still being felt, and the sad passing of Steve Braddock last year, STIPP found itself parked until the most recent Turf Business Summit in Barcelona. Renewed passion and energy led to the suggestion of a name change. Rather than STIPP, the programme would become known as BRADS – Building, Refining and Developing Sportsturf – in memory of Steve and the enormous legacy he has left behind.  

With a small group pushing the project forwards after Barcelona, all the remaining obstacles and paperwork were overcome and the first trial run was arranged. Ben Connell at Ipswich Town FC was kind enough to want to be involved. Ben has been a fervent supporter of the summit and what it’s trying to achieve. Luke Lloyd at Essex County Cricket Club expressed an interest in learning more about the role of a football Groundsperson, and a suitable date was arranged in late January. The process of setting up the placement was smooth and easy to follow. 

Luke found the 3-day experience with Ipswich Town greatly rewarding. He had the opportunity to spend time at their training ground and to help prepare the stadium for a match day. Not only did he learn a lot, but the process also worked to build his confidence and belief in his own abilities; benefits which are invaluable.  

Day one began with frost sheet removal after the -9C icy blast that had covered Suffolk the previous night. While not a glamourous job, it’s an experience that countless football Groundspeople have endured over the years. Once clear of the covers, the training pitch was tested with the POGO stick. Luke helped with this and Ben explained the readings and what they do with the data that is recorded. Some turf replacement was then carried out on damaged/worn areas with Luke having the opportunity to be hands-on with this task. Ben also allowed Luke to sit in on the pre-match meeting with the heads of departments, to get an insight into the various issues that crop up and the interaction of the different departments.  

The second day was match day, which meant an early start at Portman Road. Luke assisted with taking down and storing the MacLeod covering system before walking the pitch and knocking in any scarring or divots, and setting up practice goals, stop netting, and pitch-side advertisements. Luke was given a chance to cut some of the pitch with the Ransome Mastiff and marked the centre and penalty spots. During half time, Luke joined in with the pitch walkers to tidy up any new scaring or divots. With Ipswich winning 4-0 v Morcombe, it was a happy Portman Road that emptied whilst the Groundstaff got to work putting away all the ground items, ad mats, corner flags, etc, before bringing in the grow light rigs to work their magic. A long, but rewarding, day finally came to an end at 11 pm. Although the placement was only originally due to last for two days, Luke asked if he could help the next morning and was readily accepted. This gave him more opportunities to work on the training pitches.  

Reflecting on the success of this initial placement, Ben said, “The grounds staff at ITFC enjoyed showing Luke what we do and hearing about his work at Essex CCC. The placement was simple to set up and carry out, so we look forward to welcoming another mentee in the future”. Speaking about the programme and his time at Ipswich, Luke said, “I feel it gave me a good insight into how the ground staff operates…I got to experience first-hand the work that is required to keep the surfaces to a high quality… feel the experience was excellent for my development and added valuable skills.” 

Luke’s time at Ipswich marks the start of what will, hopefully, develop into a substantial programme so that Groundspeople can experience other sports and practices. It is hoped that the BRADS scheme, alongside other programmes, will help to improve staff retention across the turfcare industry.  

If you would like more information on getting involved in the BRADS scheme then contact martin@turfbusiness.co.uk