rondwisan
06-07-2010, 06:34 PM
persiapan sang Kit Manager menjelang awal musim nih ...
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06/07/2010 07:00 - Manutd.com, James Tuck
Reds gearing up
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa130/bar_1129/albert_morgan.jpg
We begin our look at United's new-season preparations by speaking to stalwart kit manager Albert Morgan...
Now the players are back, is this a busy time for the kit department?
Very much so. We’re still a week away from the pre-season tour to North America, so we’re not quite at the most manic time yet, but usually a couple of days before we go away my blood pressure goes through the roof! All the players are back and naturally they need various kit items, so I’m dealing with lots of requests at the same time.
So do you get much time off during the summer?
Not really! People say to me at the end of the season: “You’ll have eight or nine weeks off now, won’t you?” But that’s not the case. This year I’ve had around four weeks off, which is very rare, but now I’m back and my department is working extremely hard to get ready for the new season.
And this year there are brand new kits to organise for all the players…Yes, and not just for the first team but the Reserves and Academy too. [Assistant kit manager] Alec Wylie and I have just taken a delivery of 60-odd boxes of training and match gear, some of which is for [Academy kit manager] Ian Buckingham to sort out for the youngsters. When United introduce a new kit, it arrives at Carrington at various stages over the summer and we sort it out gradually, but it all needs to be here and ready for the day the players return for pre-season training.
How do you measure new players for their kit?
For new signings, we use our experience to work out what size they need. So we’ve watched Javier Hernandez on TV at the World Cup and can estimate what we need for him. We’ll then make changes if necessary once the players arrive. The players need to be comfortable in what they wear, so we have to get it spot-on before we put the final numbers on the kit just before the start of the season.
How much are you taking on tour?
We’ll be taking 20-25 skips. Tours are a mammoth operation. We are playing five games this year, but we’ll have 10 match kits for each player. That’s because many of the players change their kits at half-time, and then often swap them with the opposition at the end of the game. Of course, we can sometimes make kits up at the end of the tour, but we don’t take that chance because there are no guarantees. On top of that there are all the boots, plus our sports science and medical teams’ equipment, so it all adds up!
So preparation is the key?
We have to be well organised – it’s no use if we turn up somewhere in America and we’ve neglected to bring one item of kit or another. I’d be in real trouble with the gaffer, so it’s better if we cover all bases and take everything with us!
Are you looking forward to the new season?
Yes. When I first took over this role [from Norman Davies in 1996], I was told that the job gets easier once the season starts. Visiting places like the US and the Far East in pre-season with United is really enjoyable, but it’s hard work for us! Once you’re in to the nitty-gritty of weekend-midweek-weekend games in the Premier League and Champions League, you get into a flow and a routine. It’s still non-stop but Alec and I are lucky because we have a hard-working team who all muck in to get the job done.
__________________________________________
06/07/2010 07:00 - Manutd.com, James Tuck
Reds gearing up
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa130/bar_1129/albert_morgan.jpg
We begin our look at United's new-season preparations by speaking to stalwart kit manager Albert Morgan...
Now the players are back, is this a busy time for the kit department?
Very much so. We’re still a week away from the pre-season tour to North America, so we’re not quite at the most manic time yet, but usually a couple of days before we go away my blood pressure goes through the roof! All the players are back and naturally they need various kit items, so I’m dealing with lots of requests at the same time.
So do you get much time off during the summer?
Not really! People say to me at the end of the season: “You’ll have eight or nine weeks off now, won’t you?” But that’s not the case. This year I’ve had around four weeks off, which is very rare, but now I’m back and my department is working extremely hard to get ready for the new season.
And this year there are brand new kits to organise for all the players…Yes, and not just for the first team but the Reserves and Academy too. [Assistant kit manager] Alec Wylie and I have just taken a delivery of 60-odd boxes of training and match gear, some of which is for [Academy kit manager] Ian Buckingham to sort out for the youngsters. When United introduce a new kit, it arrives at Carrington at various stages over the summer and we sort it out gradually, but it all needs to be here and ready for the day the players return for pre-season training.
How do you measure new players for their kit?
For new signings, we use our experience to work out what size they need. So we’ve watched Javier Hernandez on TV at the World Cup and can estimate what we need for him. We’ll then make changes if necessary once the players arrive. The players need to be comfortable in what they wear, so we have to get it spot-on before we put the final numbers on the kit just before the start of the season.
How much are you taking on tour?
We’ll be taking 20-25 skips. Tours are a mammoth operation. We are playing five games this year, but we’ll have 10 match kits for each player. That’s because many of the players change their kits at half-time, and then often swap them with the opposition at the end of the game. Of course, we can sometimes make kits up at the end of the tour, but we don’t take that chance because there are no guarantees. On top of that there are all the boots, plus our sports science and medical teams’ equipment, so it all adds up!
So preparation is the key?
We have to be well organised – it’s no use if we turn up somewhere in America and we’ve neglected to bring one item of kit or another. I’d be in real trouble with the gaffer, so it’s better if we cover all bases and take everything with us!
Are you looking forward to the new season?
Yes. When I first took over this role [from Norman Davies in 1996], I was told that the job gets easier once the season starts. Visiting places like the US and the Far East in pre-season with United is really enjoyable, but it’s hard work for us! Once you’re in to the nitty-gritty of weekend-midweek-weekend games in the Premier League and Champions League, you get into a flow and a routine. It’s still non-stop but Alec and I are lucky because we have a hard-working team who all muck in to get the job done.