New groundsman at Rosenhöhe

He has been with GBM since 2017. He has been groundsman at the Rosenhöhe sports facility since 2019 and has been a permanent contact for clubs and visitors there since this summer. On May 1, Lakhouane took over the position from Kurt Goy, who retired after 36 years. There can be no question of an insignificant change, as the groundsmen fulfill important tasks and are the first point of contact on the site.

Lord Mayor and Head of the Department for Culture and Sports Management, Dr. Felix Schwenke, is well aware of the indispensable work of the groundsmen. "It is important for the sports city of Offenbach that we provide our athletes with well-maintained sports facilities. GBM has been doing this very reliably for years," he says. "Because we employ the groundsmen ourselves and don't outsource the service, we can react quickly and at short notice to the needs of the users. This is a conscious political decision. In addition, our employees identify with the facilities they look after on a daily basis. This means that we not only carry out care and maintenance more efficiently, but also more individually and with a great deal of commitment."

As a groundsman, sooner or later you become closely connected to the place you look after. Especially if, like Kurt Goy and soon Abdelali Lakhouane, you live here. The small, flat house stands between the changing rooms and the main pitch. If you look out of the living room window, you have a VIP view of the pitch, the playground, the cinder track and the adjacent forest. When you step out of the front door, you are right at your workplace. Is it even possible to have a party or weekend like this? "I'll find out soon," says Lakhouane and laughs. His new home is still being renovated before he moves in with his wife and three young children in September. Like their father, however, they already feel right at home: in dark blue jerseys with the SG Rosenhöhe crest, they dash along the paths. On Fridays, they train here with the soccer department's early intervention team.

Professional groundsman Kurt Goy spent ten months intensively training his successor and explaining all the processes to him. He let him in on the little secrets and peculiarities and revealed the habits of the many different users that make it easier to be together. The long-serving employee has passed on a wealth of knowledge and experience to his successor. Now Abdelali Lakhouane has to make his own experiences. "It's very important to me that I get on well with everyone here," he says. He knows all the coaches and players who come regularly. He knows who clears their stuff properly and who leaves goals standing. He knows the rivalries between the players and settles disputes when necessary. He knows almost by heart which team trains where and when. He remembers changes quickly.

Keeping the facility well maintained is his top priority. He regularly checks the bathrooms and changing rooms, ventilates, repairs bent coat hooks, checks the play equipment, gullies and heating systems, collects garbage, marks the pitches, the running track and the jumping facilities and mows the outdoor area. His colleagues from GBM take care of the lawn. Irrigation is automatic. He only waters it again on special request. Like in mid-June, when the women's national soccer team trained on "his" pitches in preparation for their international match against Chile. "If the team had lost, I would have been angry," he says with a grin. He receives specific instructions for this from sports pitch inspector, Stefan Schummer. The head of the department and his team are responsible for 12 sports facilities and training grounds in the city. "When an employee leaves after 36 years, they take a wealth of experience and expert knowledge with them," he says. "Or passes it on. And I think that has been successful here."

Stefan Schummer is a turf professional in two respects: years ago, he played professional soccer for the OFC. Today, as a sports pitch inspector, he ensures the best conditions at the city's training facilities. He also helped to introduce safety management at the sports facilities. For his groundsmen, their places of work are often also their second home. The guests also closely associate the place with the person who looks after it every day. Schummer knows that the job quickly becomes a vocation. He makes sure that they take enough time off for themselves and their families.

There is a lot to do at the sports facilities all year round. Some jobs, such as cutting back hedges or trimming shrubs, are only permitted from October to March. There is also winter maintenance and repair work. "We also leave even the natural grass pitches open until December, weather permitting," says Stefan Schummer. "A good groundsman has to do his job responsibly, know his facility inside out, see himself as a good service provider for all visitors, users, tradesmen, etc., but also enjoy nature and sport," says the supervisor.

To ensure that the pitches remain of high quality, "Ali", as everyone calls him, gives tips and reminds the teams to take good care of the turf. His standards are high. That's why he's not just the nice groundsman who helps out and keeps an eye on everything, but also strict when necessary. Anyone who drives onto the site in their car because they are too comfortable to carry their equipment will definitely be reminded of the rules. Again and again, he has to find solutions to problems at short notice. "But that's exactly what I'm there for," he explains and adds: "I love my job." When it gets quieter in the evening, he likes to sit on the bench in front of the changing rooms and enjoy the peace and quiet. Everything is in its place. The games have been played and the lights are out. Only the foxes and ducks come out at night. He sometimes encounters them or their droppings early in the morning, before the grounds come back to life and his working day begins.

August 3, 2021