Meet... the Carrington crew

• marcteng

  2 Jul 09, 21:36

   

  Our interviews with United's training ground staff kick off with facility manager Clive Snell and his colleagues Graham Kitchen and Stuart Slater...
  
  Hi guys… so firstly, what’s the best thing about working at United?
  CS: Aside from it being a great club with great staff, we’re lucky enough to meet some amazing people who visit Carrington on the odd occasion. One that stands out for me is former South African rugby union captain Francois Pienaar, who was a really genuine guy.
  SS: I once had ten minutes with the late George Best just sat in the canteen, he was a lovely guy. Former Formula 1 champion Jackie Stewart is another I enjoyed meeting.
  GK: There’s just a wonderful atmosphere about the place. It's is a great facility and all the staff are lovely. The players are great fun to be around, they're just normal people.
  
  What exactly do your roles entail?
  CS: I coordinate all the different activities at the training centre. This includes managing staff, dealing with budgets, ensuring that the site is secure and managing health, safety and environmental issues. There are seven Group Property Services (GPS) staff here – three in the Academy and four in the main building including myself, Graham and Stuart.
  GK: The training schedule controls our work – we’re in whenever the players are in. I make sure the training facilities, including the gym, sports hall, treatment rooms and dressing rooms, are ready for the playing staff on a daily basis. I also manage the arrival of daily deliveries and generally assist all the different departments around the building.

   

  SS: The fact that we’re ‘out in the sticks’ means we’re not connected to the main sewers. I therefore make sure the sewage treatment system is working properly. A big part of my job is to look after the four swimming pools which involve a lot of managing and I also oversee the maintenance of all the facilities and equipment.
  
  Are you guys the first on site in the morning?
  CS: We’re certainly among the first to arrive, usually around 8am. The manager and some of the coaching and medical staff are also usually in by then as well.
  SS: We often find the boss in the gym when we get here – he’s always on the go!
  
  There seems to be great camaraderie among everyone at Carrington – can you tell us any funny stories that have happened over the years?
  CS: One that stands out for me happened a few years ago. I was lured into the pool area under false pretences by the GPS lads and coaching staff and ended up being thrown in by TC [former goalkeeping coach Tony Coton] to mark my upcoming wedding!
  
  Finally, we hear you have some special visitors to deal with…
  CS: Yes, we have an influx of Canadian geese around the end of April, as well as a few resident ducks. There is a nature reserve within our boundaries that has all sorts of wildlife including frogs, toads and newts. We’ve also got two lagoons on site which are used as part of our waste water treatment system. The reed beds in there attract the geese who fly in and lay their eggs. They hatch soon after and on the odd occasion some of the goslings and the ducks wander onto the training pitches!