One year on - How times have changed - Ian Darler

How times have changed

When I first  started at the club in 1979,  I was blessed with a high number of volunteers, Keith Wisbey, Brian Mansfield, Tom Tingey, Wally Wookes, Wally Warren to name a few but these fellas put hours of their time into ensuring the stadium always looked at its best. Over the years they slowly dropped off  until we were left with just a couple.
 
However, a new squad of skilled volunteers has been put together who at times would not look out of place in the Last of the Summer Wine or Dads Army. This group are led by our very own Captain Mathews-Jones who has drilled this group in to a well oiled machine.

Dave has everybody standing to attention at role call as the jobs are dished out. These skilled volunteers have certainly turned the clock back for me and proved what a great asset they all are to the football club, to me and Mick Brown personally.

The squad are as follow.

Team captain Dave Mathews Jones  ( Always up for the challenge and a problem solver full of wit)

Alan Amber Burge - Totally committed to painting anything amber has just undergone therapy to change colours to Red, totally committed to the cause and a great photographer recording a daily diary of events with Captain Jones. Weakness is that he cannot start work without a brew first.

Les Weston A man at the heart of our defence who is quality itself, who’s attention to detail is spot on. Happy to play up front on his own and work away until tea break is called, a person that you always want in your squad.

Wendy Twinn - CUFC very own Dot Cotton who is always busy in and around the stadium be it washing the kit or cleaning up areas of the stands , car parks etc. The group  realise that Captain Jones is a little fearful of Mrs Twinn.

Mick Radford - A man who has come under a little stick due to his height but makes up for in stature, a man of pure quality who can turn his hand to any job and when paired with Les are an unbeatable team. Mick is the early bird of the group.

Brian Thorby - A mild manner of a man who has one pace but again excels quality and is happy to paint in any colour unlike Mr Burge. Brian. Totally committed to the group and the cause.

Emma Smith - A very quite person who worked as Alan Burge’s apprentice during the first few weeks at the stadium but has now progressed to working on her own. Again using all colours when painting. Emma has been a shining example of what this group of volunteers has achieved with her commitment whilst having a home to run and a young family, picking the children up from school etc. another outstanding performance.

Terry O' Dell - A man who is very passionate about CUFC and could quite easily present Jackanory, Terry has again spent months on the brush painting areas around the stadium.

Margaret & Frank Pearson - two of the first members of the group to work at the stadium. Margaret and Frank really don’t mind what they do always 100% committed to the cause and a very high standard of work

Brian Darler - Another early bird who helps out generally with keeping the stadium clean and tidy. Offering his services whenever required, he does, however have one fault and that is he never knows when to stop.

Paul Harrison - A man who uses CUFC as a break from his role at Addenbrookes Hospital.  The hours this fella puts in at the stadium is simply amazing and he again is so supportive with all aspects of work at the ground.

Peter Ankin our yellow safety line painter who for a number of years has helped out around the stadium painting all the yellow edges to the steps around the stadium along with the Habbin stand walkways, and Pete deserves a further pat on the back as not only has he painted these areas he has in the past also purchased the paint to help the club out, Pete along with a number of the other volunteers also helps out with the cleaning of the stadium after games.

Jason & Fiona Neville again a brother and sister family partnership that help out around the stadium on their days off from their full time work.

To each and every one of you ladies and gentleman I salute you for firstly turning the clock for me , secondly making the stadium such and enjoyable place to work again with your light hearted humour and sarcasm but most importantly the standard of work you have all delivered over the past months.

It’s Coming Home

Thanks you all so very much for your support and to Dave Mathews Jones and everybody within the group you have become a great friends.
 
Ian Darler
Stadium Manager