Long-serving Cambridge United groundsman has been going for 43 YEARS gerard pique manchester united jersey and beat Beast from East, earned gong from Queen – The Sun
IAN DARLER was man of the match the last time Cambridge United hosted FA Cup opponents Luton.
But that’s far from the biggest accolade that the Abbey Stadium groundsman has received in his 43 seasons at the club.
4In 2020, Darler was awarded the British Empire Medal for his long service to the U’s and for his charity work.
Beating the weather four years ago so that Cambridge’s League manchester united jersey edmonton Two clash with LItaly National Team Jerseysuton could go ahead was just another day at the office.
Darler said: “It was the Beast from the East.
“I was here just before 4am. We put one floodlight on and using a rubber snow plough I’d made myself over the years, we cleared 200 tonnes of snow off the pitch before 7am.
“But that was just the staFIFA World Cup Gear rt of it because we had to get the stands clear and all the areas around, put salt down.
“To hear the announcement, ‘Man of the match: Cambridge United groundsman Ian Darler and his staff’, was amazing.”
But being told he had been honoured by the Queen was manchester united jersey back view too much for Darler.
He said: “When I got the phone call, I thought it was a wind-up.
“I did teEgypt National Team Jerseysll the chap, ‘Who the hell do you think you’re kidding?’ Because you just don’t expect it.”
4No-one at the club or in the wider community would argue that Darler didn’t deserve the gong.
He was the youngest groundsman in the Football League when he took over at the Abbey Stadium in 1979 at the age of 19.
Darler received his first transfer offer at his very first home game because the visiting Leicester board were so impressed with his pitch.
And in 1987, Coventry joint boss John Sillett pronounced the Abbey turf better than the Wembley surface where his side had won the FA Cup months earlier.
But Darler turned down a move to top-flight HIghfield Road and a number of others down the years.
He said: “Cambridge gave me the opportunity and I thought I should remain loyal.
“And, forgive the pun, I don’t always believe the grass is greener on the other side.”
4The main reason why the grass at the Abbey has (mostly) stayed green is Darler’s devotion.
The multi-award-winning groundsman estimates that he has blagged materials and equipment worth a mi how much is manchester united jersey in nigeria llion pounds from suppliers during his tenure, as well as putting in about £30,000 of his own money.
Legendary U’s boss John Beck did effectively force Darler to down tools at one point, telling him the pitch was too good for his team’s style of play.
But Darler was soon back after manchester united jersey for dogs complaints about the surface. He has a different take on claims in former Cambridge striker Steve Claridge’s autobiography that he let the grass grow longer in the corners, under orders from Beck, to hold up long balls into the channels.
Darler said: “The pitch had been destroyed from them training on it and we were left with a diamond shape that was permanently wat beckham manchester united jersey erlogged.
“The only way thAlex Morgan Jerseysey could play was with an inch of sand on it.
“The only part of the pitch that HAD any grass was the corners!”
