Cricket: Ex-Ireland manager Roy Torrens helps out old club

Ahead of the start of the current campaign his former club Brigade asked Roy if he fancied taking on a committee role at the club and he duly obliged and the fruits of that decision are already beginning to show.

Despite the worst summer in years the Limavady Road venue has rarely looked better and Torrens is content that things are very much heading in the right direction.

Speaking recently before a home game with Drummond he agreed that improvements had been made but that more was in the pipeline.

“As a club Brigade were always reliant on a dedicated band of hard-working people but for one reason or another the number of helpers had dwindled down through the years. The ones that remained carried as much of the burden as they could but it definitely needed new blood.

“One of the first things I looked for the club to do when I joined the committee was to really try to freshen the place up. We beg, stole or borrowed as necessary and started to replace the bench seating at the far side of the ground and will be working our way around.

“My wife, Joan, came up to lend a hand and she scrubbed the showers and bathrooms clean which made a real difference too, while a number of us cleaned out the visitors’ changing room and put down new carpet there.

“The ground itself is looking in top nick too and that is because of the work that Andy Britton, Bertie Faulkner and the team have been putting in. Andy has done a fantastic job having taken over as head groundsman and those two, along with Hayden Campbell and Geoff House have the field in great shape.

“Everybody knows the contribution that Bertie has made to this club and he is here every single day and happy to do whatever needs to be done. It’s probably fair to say Bertie is now getting the help he needs to keep things going in the right direction.

“We hope to start getting the tin fencing painted the whole way around and bit by bit we’re trying to give the place a fresh look.

“One of the other aspects we want to work on over the close season is the formation of a woman’s committee. This club always had a thriving woman’s committee and if we’re to bring Beechgrove back to its best we really need the ladies’ help.

“I would also like to start a regular gathering for our male members, even if that’s just one afternoon a week to meet up and maybe chew the fat over a cup of tea. They’re simple things, but important for the success of what we’re trying to do overall.

“I’m enjoying my involvement for sure and after 11 years as Ireland Manager I’d like to think I’ve picked up a few things that might be useful as we go along. We’ve started well but we also know there is plenty more to do, however as the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

“All things being equal I’d like to think that as a club we’ll be in good shape for the start of next season.”