Are you able to assist with maintenance of the club’s pitches and facilities?

A REQUEST FROM THE CLUB’S GROUNDSPERSON

A little story from Terry Whyte, Seaview Groundsperson, Ex-Coach, Assistant Secretary and Trustee of Tankerton Football Club.

I originally got involved with Tankerton FC when I took my young son to a training session at Seaview, along with Tim Elgar and his son in 2005. We have been with TFC ever since! Both boys joined others to make a team after a few sessions, played in a couple of tournaments and then entered the Faversham League the following season as U8s. Oh, forgot to mention that Tim and I were now Coaches!

Tankerton FC at that time was a small club with four or five teams and it was interesting to note that when we needed to play a game at home, we were responsible for white-lining the pitch (the same for every ‘Coach’). So, we had our lesson on using the equipment and away we went, wobbly lines and all!!



Because of the nature of my job at the time, I was able to spend some time in the week to line our pitch for a Saturday game. One day, as I finished our 5v5 pitch, I still had some liquid left in the machine, so decided to line the other three or four pitches. Strangely, from that moment I seemed to do the same every time I lined our pitch!! This, therefore, developed into a ‘habit’ that has lasted nearly 20 years!



In those days the ground at Seaview was ‘looked after’ by Seaview staff, meaning they cut the grass whenever they had the time. This was not very often so was always frustrating for us as a Club; hence the need to do it ourselves. It wasn’t until 2016 that we bought our own second-hand ride-on mower, and I began to take on the role of ‘groundsperson’. We are currently using another second-hand mower which has been more reliable than the first; however, it is nearing the end of its useful life!



We also have an old tractor with a mower attachment which is a backup.

Facilities in those early days were very basic, with kit and equipment housed in old leaky caravans at the bottom of the field, along with hired Portaloos.



As the Club grew, so did the need for better facilities. We were donated and acquired modular buildings for kit storage and changing rooms. Part of the home changing room was later converted into our Medical Room.



We added a machinery container and were donated a Ladies’ Toilet block, thanks to the donation from our Chair of Trustees, Richard Miller. The small container we acquired was converted into a Catering Hut.



Adaptions and conversions of the units were undertaken by volunteers within or connected with the Club.

Alongside Seaview, our quest for a ground of our own was being progressed (albeit slowly, through no fault of our own) but now in 2024 the ‘Bends’ are finally being developed with our new pitches, to eventually be called our home.

The ambition is still to create a purpose-built Club House with changing rooms which will require further funding; in the absence of a National Lottery win our Trustees are working so hard with grant applications for this to happen and pursuing potential donors.

In the meantime, we will still be using Seaview and then gradually moving some activities to the new ground over time. 

BUT we will need assistance in keeping Seaview operational along with preparation work on the new ground. 

At present, looking after Seaview has been a single-handed job which I have happily engaged with.  I now have a little more time available, but it is necessary to get more done than I can achieve on my own and with the limited skills I possess. 

We have, in the past, had some fantastic assistance from certain individuals with building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and general DIY skills, many of whom were also Coaches. We would like to build a ‘workforce’ again so we can keep Seaview running, alongside the new demands that will occur with the ‘Bends’ development. 

What do we need? Volunteers to help with…

• Lining the pitches at Seaview
• Cutting the pitches at Seaview and eventually on the new ground 
• Monitoring and repairing pitches at Seaview throughout the year
• Repair and refurbishment of the containers, changing rooms, toilets and Medical Room at Seaview. 
• Cleaning and ongoing maintenance of the containers, changing rooms, toilets, Medical Room and Catering Hut at Seaview. 

If you are interested in helping and/or know someone who might be willing to help, then please get in touch. This request is not confined to Coaches but to anyone whether they like football or not so that our young players, parents and friends can have facilities that are up to the job. Spread the word!?

Please contact the Club by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.