IOG BEST PRACTICE
16
the Groundsman January 2015
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henever Bob Smith talks about
his 16 years as head
groundsman at Derby County's
Baseball ground, he reflects as much
about how much he enjoyed working
with team manager Brian Clough as he
does about his achievements in football
pitch groundsmanship. Never mind the
fact that, he says, he was the first
groundsman to soil test on a regular
basis, the first to use an automatic
overseeder, the first to manage a sand-
filled pitch and one with automatic pop-
up sprinklers, and the first to sow a
football pitch with pure ryegrass.
Bob clearly prefers to spend as
much time talking about his experiences
under Cloughie. "Brian or 'Boss' as
everyone called him, was a great
manager and a great man," says Bob,
now 72 years of age. "He was a very
generous person and he considered
and was concerned about everybody at
the club – not just the players. There's
no doubt he was, as they say, the
greatest manager England never had."
W
Back to the future for Bob
IOG stalwart Bob Smith looks back on his time as head groundsman at
Derby County FC's Baseball Ground, and how his actions then have
impacted many of today's groundscare routines
By: Colin Hoskins
Bob Smith in his early years (above) and present day (right)
