SUCCESS STORY: Head Groundsman Tom is a cut above for the Shrimps

Image credit: Matt Smith/Morecambe FC

Tom Wells recently became Head Groundsman of the Shrimps, having previously  completed a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sportsturf at Myerscough, before securing positions at high profile employers, ahead of his move to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.

Tom is no stranger to Morecambe, having been part of the matchday grounds team for a couple of seasons, working under predecessor Rob Davidson.

"It's nice to be here as Head Groundsman, I've been helping Rob out for two-and-a-half to three years nearly on a matchday basis," Tom told the club's official website.

"It was great to see the pitch go from strength to strength under Rob and hopefully now we can push it onto the next level."

Tom began his career as a 16 year old volunteer at a local cricket club before studying and learning his trade at Myerscough College, before gaining valuable experience across a number of positions.

He continued: "I went to work at Stonyhurst College, a private school in the Ribble Valley, where I was Head of Cricket Grounds for about four years.

"I then moved over to Lytham Sports Club as Head Groundsman; we had cricket, grass tennis, astro tennis and football.

"I've also spent two-and-a-half years as casual groundstaff at Manchester City, and then I come into Morecambe where I hope to push things on.

"It's nice, on a matchday, to get it looking as good as it can be, then you get the rewards hopefully when the team come away with three points."

"I've got a great lad in Elliot Marshall (also a Myerscough student), who, for the last two to three months, has basically been working on his own near enough and has kept the pitch up to very good standard.

"Looking ahead, we've got contractors coming in who will be coring off the top of the surface, double verti-draining, sand and re-seeding so we'll get a nice fresh surface.

"Then it's a case of putting into place fertiliser and maintenance plans which we're in daily discussions about with the goal of pushing this onto the next level if we can.

"At the training ground, it's getting triple scarified, a double verti-drain, 140 tonnes of sand and re-seeded, so that's due to start shortly with the aim of being ready by the time the players return for pre-season."