Scottish grass guru Ferguson makes his pitch at the World Cup
Roy Keane loved him, Graeme Souness was an admirer, Gareth Southgate would pick his brains over lunch and now he has Vladimir Putin on the end of a phone. Well, in a manner of speaking. Meet Alan Ferguson, the grass guru from Scotland delivering on behalf of a small company from Cumbria.
More of Keane et al shortly. Did you know there are 20 million blades of artificial grass, or five per cent of the total, binding the turf at the Luzhniki Stadium, Russia’s World Cup show home that opened proceedings and will see us out on 15 July? This is just one element in the world of football agronomy, led by turf experts SIS Pitches, which has rolled out the most advanced playing surfaces in the history of the tournament.
Ferguson has mowed his way twice around the world since starting his working life as a greenkeeper at the home of golf. His first job in football was at Rangers, where he made a carpet of the Ibrox pitch. He later transformed Portman Road from a field fit only for tractor boys to the best natural surface in England, before cultivating the hybrid pastures of St George’s Park in a seven-year stint with the FA.
Since last September he has been responsible for half the 12 stadia in use in Russia, headed by the pristine Luzhniki. And,three months hence, Ferguson will assume the newlycreated role of head of pitch management at Fifa, where he will oversee the World Cup in a place where nothing grows organically, Qatar.
“My grandfather had an interest in greenkeeping and horticulture generally. I had a fascination with green stripes as a kid. That’s what got me into it,” he said during a stolen hour in the bowels of the Luzhniki. “I have won 12 industry awards in my career, seven came at Portman Road for groundsman of the year. I’m very proud of that. Greenkeepers came from a stronger turf impeccable. His biggest frustration at Portman Road was he didn’t have Neville, Beckham, Butt, Giggs and Scholes playing alongside him. They weregoodchampionshipplayers but did not have his skill set. He just wanted his pitch to be top notch every day.
“Graeme and Walter [Smith] were pretty good [at Rangers]. I have a responsibility to the players who step out on to that field and if I get that wrong I’m in the sh**. I accept that. That’s the pressure of the job. You do feel it. I feel it here.
“The expectation is massive. The Russians want to put on a show. This is the biggest competition in the world, a lot of people watching around the world. I get this wrong I’m for the high jump.
“I even have my wife texting me from home. She is watching on TV, reporting back, colour’s a bit off etc.”
“The expectation is massive. The Russians wanttoputonashow. This is the biggest competition in the world. I get this wrong I’m for the high jump”