How long have you been working at Wembley Stadium?
I started at Wembley on the 1st March 2006, so nearly 15 years – I’ve almost grown up with the stadium through the years. When I first started it was a building site and we didn’t even have a pitch. Now it’s one of the world’s most recognisable stadiums!
How would you explain your job to a child?
We grow the grass on the pitch for people like Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Harry Kane to play on. It’s a pitch where memories are made, and trophies are lifted. For concert season, it’s the stage where the world’s biggest bands and artists say those famous words “Hello Wembley” in front of a sea of people all standing on the world’s most famous piece of grass.
Favourite thing about working at Wembley Stadium?
It’s constantly challenging, and no two days are the same. The events are so diverse and there is no better feeling then preparing the pitch for a game, when the teams walk out of the tunnel onto the pitch and the crowds roar, it’s spine tingling. We work for those moments. But to share that with my Grounds team is even more special, a fantastic bunch of people.
Best memory of Wembley Stadium?
Away from sport it has to be the first note played by Muse in 2007, our first real rock band in the new Wembley and the place was electric. But more recent, we had paramedics and firefighters use the stadium for training in March 2020 due to Covid-19. On one of the training days they walked onto the pitch - seeing real hero’s walking onto our pitch, having photos, facetiming family it was amazing. They were exhausted but just seeing them excited meant the world to everyone involved.
Dream Wembley event?
FIFA World Cup Final with England winning.