12 years (and counting) for OfficeCare at 3aaa County Ground

I am delighted to note that the sponsors of this blog, OfficeCare, have extended their current deal for cleaning the 3aaa County Ground to a twelfth successive year.

While still behind the contract held for Derby County FC by two years, such longevity is laudable and indicative of a job well done and competitively priced.

The contract includes the cleaning of all indoor facilities, as well as the cleaning of all five thousand seats prior to the season starting. One should not underestimate the latter and I have first hand experience of the alternative, when we played Yorkshire at Scarborough two years ago.

My son and I arrived in reasonable time before the game but took considerable time in finding a seat as many of them in the stand behind the bowlers arm were quite badly mildewed. Those who got there before us had grabbed the better ones, so it was a case of working along rows until we could find a couple that were clean enough to sit on.

I mean no criticism of what is, after all, a club ground in this, but I have never gone to the ground at Derby in recent memory and found a dirty, as opposed to wet, after rain seat. Nor have I visited the toilets and regretted the experience, while the function facilities are always pristine.

It speaks volumes for the standard of work and explains why the contract keeps getting renewed.

Congratulations to all involved. Like Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst long ago, tick 'em off in singles...