Ground Guy
 

One of the country's most respected groundsmen who has worked for Manchester United is back on his home turf in Wigan.
Keith Porter, from Pemberton, earned a reputation as possibly the best pitch man in the business during a successful spell at Old Trafford, where he ensured the grass was perfect for megastars such as Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.

He has now been snapped up by the management of the multi-million pound Leigh Sports Village (LSV) where he will manage the state-of-the-art pitch as head groundsman, as well as the 3G astroturf pitches.

Keith said: "I was attracted to Leigh Sports Village by the set-up and new challenges of working with a dual-purpose pitch.
"I am also faced with a challenge of bringing the pitch up to Premier League status so it can accommodate travelling clubs as a training facility, as well as international rugby games and high profile football clubs."

Keith also previously worked at Wigan Athletic before his new role at the Leigh Sports Village.

The pitch at Leigh's stadium is of a high-tech fibre sand make-up with underground heating and drainage systems plus a pop-up sprinkler system.

It will be one of the only stadiums in the country to be fully equipped with the latest HD lighting, enabling Sky Sports to broadcast matches without additional lighting.

LSV chief executive Simon Toon said: "I was pleased that we were fortunate enough to secure the services of Keith Porter as it is important to have someone with his skills and ability to manage the high standard facility."

The stadium will be new home to the Leigh Centurions rugby league team and Leigh Genesis FC (formerly Leigh RMI).

The 3G pitches and grass pitches are now open to the public and bookings are currently being taken on 01942 511497.

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