Broadstreet RFC

Keith Kent is the current head Groundsman at the RFU tending to the playing surface at Twickenham. Keith left school at 16 and joined Leicester City as a trainee groundsman. Keith also spent 15 years at Old Trafford as head groundsman for Manchester United Football Club, having worked for 17 years as the Head Groundman for Leicester City . Having worked in Football for over 30 years Keith was given the opportunity to look after the best playing surface in World rugby and junped at the chance. Keith's main job is to oversee and maintain the pitch at Twickenham. Keith will be bringing his popular series of pitch maintenance workshops to Broadstreet RFC's Ivor Preece Field on Wednesday March 23rd at 7pm. 'An Evening with Keith Kent' will be staged at our Binley Woods ground and will focus on end-of-season renovations and maintenance for rugby and football pitches.

The challenges at Twickenham have got me excited again and over the past 7 years the workshop have visited more than 200 local rugby clubs doing seminars on groundsmanship — machinery, maintenance, fertiliser, everything — and worked with volunteer groundsmen and committees. Judging by the letters we get they are enormously grateful for the help and advice.

The sessions are free of charge and include a workshop with Ross Baxter, the RFU Funding and Facilities Manger for the Midlands, on funding pitch improvement projects.  He will also be joined by Dave Saltman, director of Pitchcare.com and a Football Association Premiership head groundsman.

The workshop promises to give club volunteer grounds staff his advice on how to manage and maintain their club pitches to ensure that they are playable.

Places at the Broadstreet session can be booked by contacting Charlie McGinty via email or telephone on 07801 869730.