Interview with Harry Bishop

 Interview with Harry Bishop 

For this weeks programme, we interviewed on of the most important members of staff at Gainsborough, someone who’s efforts and time mean so much to the club and someone who gives the club a good reputation. This is the young groundsman, Harry Bishop, and today he will be speaking more into his role and a little bit about him.

The first question that we asked Harry was a personal one about the length of his support for the Holy Blues, he gave us this answer, ‘I have supported Gainsborough Trinity for as long as I can remember, from when I was coming on with my grandad when I was little’. A lifelong supporter and he gets to be a groundsman for the club, you couldn’t ask for anything better than that. 

Harry is a groundsman at the KAL Group Stadium and he has been volunteering with us since September 2021 where he volunteers alongside Woody. So we wanted to know what he has learnt in his time here, ‘I have learnt everything I know about groundskeeping from Woody, and hopefully, one day, I will win as many awards as Woody has’. Great words from the young lad who is motivated by his colleague, Woody, and it shows how close the Gainsborough Trinity family is. 

Woody, our senior groundsman, has won three Institute of groundsman awards between 2002 and 2015 and Recognition from Vitax line markers for one of the leading ground for the National League North, it’s a pleasure to have him at our club. What a man to have at our club, we couldn’t thank him enough as well for his efforts and his guidance for the young lad Harry. 

Then we asked Harry a bit about volunteering and his opinions on it, ‘The benefits of volunteering for me are that it will help my career progression, and hopefully, one day, I will be a groundsman in the premier league. 

My favourite moment was either the bus ride home from Hyde United last season with all the supporters last season when, even though we lost, it was a good atmosphere, or when we secured a playoff spot at Radcliffe last season. 

Finally, One of my proudest moments volunteering was on the 2nd of December 2023 against FC United of Manchester when we were the only team in our league with a grass pitch to play on that day’. Lots to be proud of by Bishop, he is very passionate about his work which is lovely to see. 

Every job comes with benefits and downsides, so here are some of his best and worst parts of  being a groundsman, ‘The best bit of being a groundsman is seeing the team you support win on the pitch that you have prepared. 

The worst bit about being a groundsman is probably that if it’s a frosty game or rainy game, we have to be there really early, and you get wet through, and you're stuck like that for most of the day unless you bring a change of clothes’.

Then finally, the opportunities that he receives when volunteering with Gainsborough, ‘When Richard Kane was chairman of Gainsborough Trinity Football Club and the Gainsborough Trinity Foundation , he gave me an opportunity to work across both sites on an apprenticeship, and I can’t thank him enough for it, and everything has just followed on from that’. 

Everyone from the Gainsborough family appreciate what Harry is doing, without him, the club would not be where they are today and they definitely would not have as many good results as they have. Everyone from the fans to the kitchen staff to all the players and coaching staff thank Harry for his efforts in volunteering for the club. 

Keep up the good work Harry and keep that pitch up to the best standard so we can keep seeing the Trinity thrive to success.