This Is Guernsey

By Rob Batiste

Saints president Henry Davey inspects the damaged Blanche Pierre Lane pitch. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0881908)

SEAGULLS are ripping Blanche Pierre Lane apart and St Martin’s president Henry Davey is at a loss what to do.

The Division One title contenders have already been forced into switching Saturday’s league game against Sylvans to St Peter’s, but Davey is worried about the state of the pitch long term.

‘I’m really at a loss what to do other than have someone up here 24 hours a day to frighten the birds away.

‘It is the worst mess I’ve ever seen it.’

The birds have torn up several areas but the worst affected section is, Davey estimated, about 15 yards by four yards.

‘It is a sea of mud. I’m fighting a losing battle.’

The ground was last used as an emergency venue for the Ambassadeur Bowl Under-21 Muratti.

It is since then that the problems have started.

‘The States [Works Department] came up and rolled it afterwards and it looked OK. Ken Woodhard [the Saints groundsman] then rolled it and cut in an opposite direction and it really looked fine. But since then the seagulls have ripped it apart.’

Davey said that like some other grounds, most notably the College Field pitches in King’s Road and Memorial Field, Blanche Pierre Lane has, on the rare occasion, experienced problems in the past with birds chasing the chafer grubs.

But the target is not chafers this time. Davey reckons the gulls are after worms forced to the surface by the high water table.

‘I reckon there were 30 to 40 birds up here the other day.

‘It is a big, big worry.’

It is believed that the gulls have come inland while the current bad weather is ravaging the coastline.

While Davey does not know how to keep them away, he reckons that the cost to repair the damage could be as much £1,200.

Holes have to be dug into the surface and then 60 tonnes of sand need to be brushed over them before re-seeding.

But Davey said that there has to be a week of dry weather before this can be carried out.

However, after the wettest November on record and with the rain not looking likely to let up for the next 10 days, Blanche Pierre Lane could be out of action for most of December.

With all the match cancellations that are going on, this is yet another problem for the Guernsey Football Association fixtures secretary Garry Cortez.

He has asked the clubs for their support during this difficult period.

‘I will work closely with all clubs to try to keep games playing,’ he said.

‘We will deal with each game as we go, possibly week by week.’

Article posted on 3rd December, 2009 - 2.30pm