Marron to depart Lancashire

Lancashire have announced that head groundsman Peter Marron has decided to leave Old Trafford after 30 years with the club.

Marron will depart at the end of the year to pursue other opportunities as a freelance groundsman.

The 53-year-old is viewed as one of the best groundsmen in the UK having produced Test pitches to encourage batsmen, spinners and seam bowlers in recent years.

Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes said: “Peter has been thinking about this for sometime, and it’s something he and I have discussed at length over the past couple of months.

“He has been head groundsman here for 25 years, and there are things away from Old Trafford he would like to do, and felt if he didn’t do them now, he never would.

“To my mind, he has been the best groundsman in the country for years. I know he doesn’t win the top awards, but they tend to go to those with the flattest pitches, not necessarily the best cricket pitches.

“You just need to read the comments made by the England team and touring sides over recent years, and they are always full of praise for the pitches at Old Trafford.”

Peter Marron has worked at Lancashire for 30 years and been head groundsman for 25

Marron’s decision comes a month after Lancashire announced ambitious plans to redevelop Old Trafford which includes rotating the square by 90 degrees.

Cumbes added: “Pete has just completed installing our new £600,000 state-of-the-art drainage system and outfield, and will be kept busy over the coming weeks overseeing the turfing and maintenance of this.

“It’s not the last we will see of him, as I fully expect him to be driving the re-orientation of the square when that takes place at the end of 2009. It’s just he won’t be here on a full-time basis.”

Lancashire showed how much they value Marron in 2006 when they awarded him with a unique benefit year to honour the work he has done for not only the club, but the county as a whole.

Marron said: “Not many people can come to work each morning and honestly say they love their job, but I can.

“However, when you’ve been doing it for as long as I have, you get to a point when you need a new challenge and want to use your knowledge in a different capacity.

“Lancashire County Cricket Club and Old Trafford is a massive part of who I am.

“I’ve had the best and the worst of times whilst working here, and over the years some work colleagues have become my closest friends.

“But there is a big wide world out there, and you just know when it’s time to pass over the reigns and try something new.”

No decision on a replacement has been made as yet. There is a scheduled general committee meeting in the next fortnight, where Marron’s replacement will be discussed.