Everton goodison park
After decades of dedicated service, Everton’s beloved groundsman is set to retire, leaving behind a legacy of meticulously maintained turf at Goodison Park. The 66-year-old, who has been a fixture at the club for nearly 40 years, is now ready to turn his attention to his own garden. His career has been marked by the pressure of preparing the pitch for some of the world’s finest footballers, with every manager and spectator having an opinion on the pitch’s condition on matchday.
Bob Lennon said: “Howard Kendall used to ask me to have the goal mouth at the Gwladys Street nice and wet and the one at the Park End dry. Every manager up to probably Walter Smith would say to me how they wanted it on the morning of a match. Joe Royle might ask me to make sure I leave it a bit longer if we were playing in the cup and the kids were getting a go, it would be to try to slow the pitch down a bit.”
Bob Lennon continued: “Of the players, one stood out for the interest they displayed in his work – title-winning Mikel Arteta, perhaps unsurprisingly given his reputation for focusing on intricate details as a manager himself now with Arsenal. He would say: ‘When I am manager, we will get the pitch cut.'”
Bob Lennon recalled: “I’d decided to mow the Goodison pitch in circles, rather than lines or diagonals. It was before we played Leeds at home and the pitch looked beautiful. But Walter turned up on match day, stared at it and said to me ‘What’s this Bob?’ Apparently it was the same way Celtic Park was mowed and as a Rangers man he hated it. He told me that if we lost that day it would be my last day as groundsman. It was 0-0 and then late in the match a ball span past Thomas Myhre and was heading to the goal when it hit the nap of the grass where the line curved and span wide. My heart was pounding. I’m convinced if the grass had been cut in a straight line it would have gone in. Walter saw it too and told me afterwards ‘you were lucky today Bob. I saw the way that ball moved.'”
Throughout his tenure, Bob played a crucial role in the club’s fortunes, often adjusting the pitch to suit tactical plans. His meticulous attention to detail and dedication to the club’s success have made him a cherished figure at Goodison Park. As he transitions to the next chapter of his life, Bob looks forward to supporting Everton as a fan, confident in the club’s potential to be one of the top teams in the country.
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