Student landscapes his dream job

Level 2 Horticulture Apprentice Kieran Morley has landed his dream job as Assistant Groundsman at Barnsley Football Club.

Kieran’s day-to-day activities vary depending on the weather conditions, but his main role is to repair and prepare the football pitches at Oakwell stadium and the Reds’ training facilities to professional football club standard, whilst also making sure the surrounds and car parks are always neat and tidy.

“It’s obviously good being at work and learning hands on but the apprenticeship helps you learn the theory side of the job which is just as important as learning the practical side.”

Barnsley Football Club have recently been awarded an above average score by opposition management and match officials for the quality of their playing surface. The club believes their investment in extra equipment and a superb team of ground staff such as Kieran have helped them ensure the pitch is of a high standard.

Kieran said: “I’m quite proud to be honest that I managed to get permanent position here as before I had this job I was a little lost and didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career. I can’t really see myself doing anything else now. Every day is different. Some days I will be placing frost sheets and working on any divots on the pitches, whilst some days it will be eight hours of cutting pitches. I love it!

“The apprenticeship is useful in a few ways. It’s obviously good being at work and learning hands on but the apprenticeship helps you learn the theory side of the job which is just as important as learning the practical side. I like that there are other groundsmen from other football clubs in my class and people from other settings too so we can all compare experiences and liaise which further helps our learning.”