Profiles

After a decade with Mansfield Town football club Michael Merriman knows the highs and the lows of the game.

In 2009 he's hoping his expertise will help the team win promotion back to the Football League.

Cutting grass

It's Michael's job to make sure the Field Mill pitch is in perfect condition whatever the elements throw at it.

Not that the groundsman is naturally green-fingered. When he first joined the club, being in charge of the playing surface wasn't high on his list of priorities.

"I got made redundant working in a factory," he says.

"I went to sign on, had a look at the job sheets and saw a card about football coaching at Mansfield Town."

He became part of the Football in the Community team, earning several coaching badges but then a vacancy came up for assistant groundsman.

"I didn't like gardening. I just got into it.

"People think you just cut grass for a living but there's a lot more to it. There's feeding, spiking, brushing and drag matting (dragging a rubber mat over the grass to allow fresh air to get to the roots)."

Michael Merriman cuts the Field Mill turf - again

Common ground

Michael's not allowed to prepare the pitch the way he might think is best. He's normally told how long the grass should be by the Stags manager and players.

Some like a wet surface, some dry so it's difficult to please everybody.

It's a bit of a thankless task and if a match is postponed it's often Michael who gets blamed.

"It's very difficult. If you have a game called off certain fans will moan. They don't understand.

"At this level the pitch isn't the flattest in the world. We're not Arsenal spending hundreds of thousands on the pitch. There are a couple of hollows that can be affected by a heavy downpour."

Doubling up

As with many smaller clubs, Michael Merriman is multi-skilled. He's also Mansfield's kit man.

"I have to print all the players kits ready for the season - names, numbers and badges."

That doesn't just include the players' shirts but T-shirts, towels and socks.

One thing that upsets Michael is when players throw their shirts to the crowd.

"It makes me mad. We don't have a lot of shirts, we're not Manchester United or Liverpool. It's an ache getting another one printed.

"Some of the lads like to take one for their aunty or uncle and not tell you."

Future ambitions

Asked whether he'd like to step away from Field Mill and maybe take on a bigger challenge like the pitch at Nottingham Forest's City Ground, Michael Merriman has a swift response.

"I'm going to Anfield (home of Liverpool), straight to the top. That'll do me."