Foxed - Leeds Rhinos groundsman gets to grips with four-legged invaders

A brush with the local fox population is keeping Leeds Rhinos’ groundsman Ryan Golding busy during the coronavirus crisis.
Leeds Rhinos' head groundsman Ryan Golding with groundspug and chief pigeon scarer Sherman. Picture by Tony Johnson.Leeds Rhinos' head groundsman Ryan Golding with groundspug and chief pigeon scarer Sherman. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Leeds Rhinos' head groundsman Ryan Golding with groundspug and chief pigeon scarer Sherman. Picture by Tony Johnson.

Most of Rhinos’ 150 employees have been placed on furlough, a form of paid leave, but Golding is among a handful still working - and vulpine pitch invaders are giving him plenty to do.

“They are a nightmare,” Golding said of the four-legged hooligans.

“They live near the railway track, in all the bushes there.

Ryan Golding is ploughing a lone furrow as the only member of Rhinos' grounds staff not on furlough during the coronavirus shutdown. Picture by Tony Johnson.Ryan Golding is ploughing a lone furrow as the only member of Rhinos' grounds staff not on furlough during the coronavirus shutdown. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Ryan Golding is ploughing a lone furrow as the only member of Rhinos' grounds staff not on furlough during the coronavirus shutdown. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“On a night, when they are scavenging for food, they come into the stadium and they always dig in the same place on the pitch.

“They are digging bones into the pitch - I am finding bones all the time.”

The urban foxes are sometimes spotted on the terraces after games, which is one reason why cleaning crews are brought in so quickly following the final whistle.

Golding hopes fencing will deter the pests and noted: “It’s a unique problem, with it being an inner-city stadium.

Ryan Golding repairs damage done by foxes to the Emerald Heaidngley pitch. Picture by Tony Johnson.Ryan Golding repairs damage done by foxes to the Emerald Heaidngley pitch. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Ryan Golding repairs damage done by foxes to the Emerald Heaidngley pitch. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“You wouldn’t have a problem like that on an industrial site, it’s just another thing we have to deal with.”

On the other hand, the foxes do keep Emerald Headingley’s pigeons - another traditional groundsman’s enemy - at bay.

“They are stalking around the pitch on a night, waiting for the pigeons to land,” Golding reported.

“There are feathers everywhere! On a morning I have to go around picking pigeon carcasses up.

One of the Headingley Stadium fox holes. Picture by Tony Johnson.One of the Headingley Stadium fox holes. Picture by Tony Johnson.
One of the Headingley Stadium fox holes. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is like a war zone, but they don’t go near our feed, fertilizers or chemicals, which is good.”

Even without the foxes, Golding has his hands full restoring the pitch to its usual glory following unprecedented rainfall last winter.

“My assistants have been furloughed, so it’s just me,” he said.

“I am having to look after all the stadium and all of Kirkstall [Rhinos’ training base] on my own.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is challenging, but it’s quite enjoyable - it is taking me back to when I was younger, getting my hands dirty.

“It is very negative circumstances, but it is what it is - there’s people dying, so you can’t really moan.”

The last few months have been tough for Rhinos’ ground crew who, as well as looking after Headingley, had to cope with flooding at Kirkstall.

Golding recalled: “We had a record three months of rainfall - around 300-350 millimetres.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“That is a hell of a lot - and it wasn’t necessarily the weather, it was the timing.

“We always seemed to get downpours the night before games and the morning of.

“We weren’t really getting any luck and the game where it turned was the double-header [when Headingley staged Rhinos’ Betfred Super League opener against Hull immediately after Castleford Tigers had faced Toronto Wolfpack].

“We had a lot more rain than expected after the first game.

“I had two choices, to leave it as it is and have a slow surface, or take it on the chin and make it a fast one.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rhinos scored 154 points in their three home games after the loss to Hull and Golding added: “People say it looks like a beach, but it plays really well.

“That’s something I had to discuss with the management team, Rich [Agar, Rhinos’ coach] and Kev [Sinfield, director of rugby].

“I am not bothered what people say if it allows us to play fast rugby and get two points.

“That’s what we did, we applied sand quite regularly to make a fast, stable surface to enable the players to gain purchase - rather than it turning into a mudbath.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The break has allowed Golding time to work on the pitch, but - with no clear indication when rugby will resume - he explained: “I don’t want to throw everything into recovery yet.

“It’s a bit like a finely-tuned athlete, you don’t want to hand it all the supplements and everything it requires now because it’s going to keep needing that.

“It is a sand-based surface so it drains very quickly and leaches nutrients very quickly, so I have to be careful with what I am applying.”

Life won’t get any less hectic for Golding - and his team - when the season eventually resumes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Midweek matches are likely as Super League clubs race to make up for lost time, but Golding has no concerns over having to prepare the ground for multiple games in a short space of time.

He stressed: “I don’t see it as a bad thing.

“You get some groundsmen who are very much ‘keep off the pitch’, but I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the sport so let’s get as many games on as we can and get back to enjoying sport.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty. So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes- from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Laura Collins

Editor

READ MORE: https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/opinion/were-therewithyou-now-your-yep-needs-your-support-too-laura-collins-yep-editor-2521777