The sports fields are currently deserted due to the corona virus. In the “Our Sports Fields” series, they now get the attention they deserve - today: Wildsteig.
Wildsteig - Mathias Mayer already made his rounds over the Wildsteiger soccer field as a boy. At that time Papa Norbert was still at the wheel. "It was fun," recalls the 31-year-old. But one thing is even more fun: driving yourself. And so Mathias Mayer has been ensuring that the lawn doesn't get too long for 15 years. Father Norbert is still drawing the lines on the field. And there is a third place keeper: Christian Mayer. Yeah right. Another Mayer. He is Mathias' brother - the 21-year-old has been helping for six years, taking care of the training ground in the east of the municipality. “The legendary place with the hole,” says Mathias Mayer with a smile. Because the lawn is not quite flat there, the center is lower than the rest of the field.
You can't say that about the main square. The site was built in 1989 in the south of the municipality. In addition to the lawn, there is also a club house, a tennis court, a playground and a mini-field with artificial turf. The fact that it is currently very quiet here is due to the blockage of the sports fields due to the coronavirus pandemic. But otherwise it would have been quiet on the Wildsteiger lawn in the first half of the year. "There were only seven youth games scheduled," says Mayer.
Norbert Mayer passed on his knowledge
Because the three men's teams form a syndicate with Rottenbuch. For six months they kick in one place, then another. "And wherever they play, they also train," says Mayer. In the beginning, the teams had been divided, but it quickly became clear that it didn't work out that well. For example, if a player in the reserve team sat on the bench and played in the first on the same weekend - the amount of time was enormous. Now the teams play in succession on the same field. "The players are closer together and more fans come," says Mayer.
Meanwhile, he, his father and brother maintain the lawn in Wildsteig. "Of course it is less work if nobody breaks something," says Mayer. This year he had to start the cylinder mower first. In weddings, he circles up to six times a week. Or trains. Depending on. Mayer always drives a different pattern. "You better catch the stalks," he says. If you always drive the same distance, "the stalks are always pushed in the same direction". He was given the tip by an employee of a company that works on the lawn every three years. On top of that, Mayer attended a seminar for grounds attendants. "But you can find out a lot yourself over the years" - or he gets tips from his father.
The Wildsteiger clubhouse has had a balcony for three years
After all, he knows exactly what a lawn should be like. Not only has Norbert Mayer been a field keeper for 35 years, he also played 991 games for SV Wildsteig. His son Mathias was also a footballer. But because of work and two injuries, he stopped.
He didn't want to say goodbye entirely. “It's a lot of fun to work as a groundsman, I'm in the fresh air.” And he also likes to watch his former team. It's been going particularly well for three years. Then the balcony at the clubhouse was opened.
The cylinder mower is moving ahead
There are two cabins in the building. They are set up so that two teams can share a room. In the basement, the SV also has rooms that can be used for further changing at tournaments or for celebrations - three times a year, things go up here, reports Mayer. At the entrance there is still a poster for one of the celebrations - it has to be canceled.
Top view of the soccer field in Wildsteig. The men's teams always play here for six months, then they move to Rottenbuch.
© Hans-Helmut Herold
Just like the soccer games. The spectator benches have therefore not yet been set up, most of the space is still in hibernation. Only the lawn is freshly mowed. Mayer gave him the right cut with the reel mower. The 31-year-old loves the vehicle that the club bought in 2012. "Something is going ahead now, unlike the predecessor." If the training ground had to be mowed earlier, the Mayers needed half an hour for the outward journey. In the meantime, cutting the stalks on the 90 by 55 meter field, including the outward and return journey, takes 40 minutes. It is 25 minutes in the main square.
It is mainly intended for games. For training sessions, go to the old square next to which there is a small hut. It has two cabins, but no shower. Now and then the footballers knock on the Mayers' side because they want to train on the big field. "Very rarely do I say yes," says Mathias Mayer with a smile. "And only if they are well behaved and the lawn is dry." The amount of work shouldn't be in vain.
The series
Here people cheer, swear, scold and celebrate: victories are won, defeats are won and friendships are made. There is life on soccer fields. So ... actually. Because of the corona virus, the places are currently empty. In the “Our Sports Fields” series, they get the attention they deserve. We present the soccer fields in the region.
Report sports field: Your place was not yet there? Then get in touch with us. Send us an email with your club name and the contact details of a contact person to sport@schongauer-nachrichten.de.
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