When Paul finally retired from playing, he got involved as groundsman at Bolton CC on Green Lane, providing his services for nothing in those days before moving on to Leigh CC and Haydock CC. It was whilst at Haydock CC, Paul finally got some recognition for his work when in 2007 he won Groundsman of the year in Pitchcare Magazine.

Paul is now also an ECB Grounds Inspector who is called upon to give guidance to other clubs who are having problems with their grounds and only last year was further recognized when he won LCB Groundsman of the Year. This award also included an award for his services to cricket.

Paul is delighted with his appointment as new groundsman at Westhoughton and is very impressed with the new surroundings commenting “the gound is absolutely stunning!, in fact it’s the nicest ground I’ve ever seen”, he also went on to say, “it will look even better when the newly planted trees start growing around the ground, it’s very exciting indeed”. So it’s fair to say Paul is happy to be here but he also spared a thought for his former club, “I was disappointed to leave Leigh but when given the chance to come here it was too big an opportunity to miss” .

As you can imagine, Paul has got stuck in to his new job but is keen to get things on track for the new season “I’m playing catch-up a little at the moment”, he said, “it should have had dressing and seeding on it in the autumn but I’ve done that now and I’ve been out watering this week to get the dressing bedded in and with a bit of rain forecast this week it should now be back on course” . Paul is also going to be producing wickets outside the main playing area, Paul explained “there is a plan to produce a grassed practice area near the scorebox, this will be especially beneficial if we want to continue to attract Lancashire CCC to play here and it will also help our own players by practicing on the same surface through the week on practice nights, as the wickets they encounter here at the weekend”. The club would like to welcome Paul and look forward to, as Paul put it, “exciting times ahead”