It would be fair to say that most readers of this blog will not automatically think of Oli McBurnie when they think of land sustainability and maintenance.
Oli is a successful footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United in the English Premier League, as well as appearing multiple times for the Scottish national team. At only 24 years old, he has already achieved what most young men and women can only dream of.
You could be forgiven for jumping to the conclusion that his career choice means he lives a life in the fast lane. Parties, celebrity friends and flash cars. However...You would be wrong!
Oli is known by his peers for his 'down-to-earth' attitude to life, as well as the world around him. This attitude has led to him being referred to, and often nicknamed as, 'Woke' (For our older readers - 'woke' is a new world term for a responsible person!).
Whilst most of his admirable behaviour is carried out behind closed doors, with only his closest friends and family in close enough proximity to praise it, there is one action he has become famous for in recent weeks.
This action is simple, it costs nothing, but it is as sustainable as any high end solution.
Much like many in the golfing world, when Oli dislodges grass from the playing surface, he endeavours to replace it as quickly as possible, giving the grass the best possible chance for survival and recovery.
This practice has only been picked up on in the last couple of matches he has played, but upon viewing previous matches from his career, it seems that Oli has been doing this for some time.
Glen Peddleston was the first person to notice Oli's attention to sustainability, and was the first person to alert social media to his actions.
"I was watching a recent match between Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth. Just after the second half kicked off, Oli had a shot at goal. Unfortunately he scuffed his shot badly, and this resulted in a patch of grass being turfed up and landing a few feet away.
"The next thing I know, Oli has actively walked over to the grass, picked it up, and carefully replaced it into the divot he had created."
Glen said that as much as it seemed a little weird, he didn't think anything more of it until later in that same match.
"As the full time whistle approached, Oli made a sliding tackle, which dislodged some more grass. Once again I witnessed him take the time and effort to replace the grass. After seeing him do it twice in one match I definitely started to think something was going on!"
After the match had finished, Glen searched YouTube to research previous performances from the football star. As his research progressed, he found more and more instances of Oli replacing the grass. He now realised that it was a conscious effort by Oli to sustain the pitches he played on, and it was at this point that Glen decided to put the information he had found on social media.
"It was obvious from my research that Oli does this to help protect the grass, and also it is clear that he didn't intend to advertise his responsible behaviour. However, I just felt that he deserved to receive some credit for the work he is doing and I therefore decided to post what I had found on Facebook."
It didn't take long before this information went viral, attracting hundreds of comments, including this comment from the groundsman of a local recreation ground. He posted:
"I can only applaud this young man for all his efforts. It may seem like nothing, but as a groundsman myself, I can assure everyone that this behaviour drastically reduces pitch deterioration. Thank you Oli McBurnie!"
So, next time you see an apparent flash young footballer on TV, please don't jump to any conclusions. Take a step back and try to remember that just because they are rich and famous, it doesn't mean they don't care for the world around them.
Oli is a successful footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United in the English Premier League, as well as appearing multiple times for the Scottish national team. At only 24 years old, he has already achieved what most young men and women can only dream of.
You could be forgiven for jumping to the conclusion that his career choice means he lives a life in the fast lane. Parties, celebrity friends and flash cars. However...You would be wrong!
Oli is known by his peers for his 'down-to-earth' attitude to life, as well as the world around him. This attitude has led to him being referred to, and often nicknamed as, 'Woke' (For our older readers - 'woke' is a new world term for a responsible person!).
Whilst most of his admirable behaviour is carried out behind closed doors, with only his closest friends and family in close enough proximity to praise it, there is one action he has become famous for in recent weeks.
This action is simple, it costs nothing, but it is as sustainable as any high end solution.
Much like many in the golfing world, when Oli dislodges grass from the playing surface, he endeavours to replace it as quickly as possible, giving the grass the best possible chance for survival and recovery.
This practice has only been picked up on in the last couple of matches he has played, but upon viewing previous matches from his career, it seems that Oli has been doing this for some time.
Glen Peddleston was the first person to notice Oli's attention to sustainability, and was the first person to alert social media to his actions.
"I was watching a recent match between Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth. Just after the second half kicked off, Oli had a shot at goal. Unfortunately he scuffed his shot badly, and this resulted in a patch of grass being turfed up and landing a few feet away.
"The next thing I know, Oli has actively walked over to the grass, picked it up, and carefully replaced it into the divot he had created."
Glen said that as much as it seemed a little weird, he didn't think anything more of it until later in that same match.
"As the full time whistle approached, Oli made a sliding tackle, which dislodged some more grass. Once again I witnessed him take the time and effort to replace the grass. After seeing him do it twice in one match I definitely started to think something was going on!"
After the match had finished, Glen searched YouTube to research previous performances from the football star. As his research progressed, he found more and more instances of Oli replacing the grass. He now realised that it was a conscious effort by Oli to sustain the pitches he played on, and it was at this point that Glen decided to put the information he had found on social media.
"It was obvious from my research that Oli does this to help protect the grass, and also it is clear that he didn't intend to advertise his responsible behaviour. However, I just felt that he deserved to receive some credit for the work he is doing and I therefore decided to post what I had found on Facebook."
It didn't take long before this information went viral, attracting hundreds of comments, including this comment from the groundsman of a local recreation ground. He posted:
"I can only applaud this young man for all his efforts. It may seem like nothing, but as a groundsman myself, I can assure everyone that this behaviour drastically reduces pitch deterioration. Thank you Oli McBurnie!"
So, next time you see an apparent flash young footballer on TV, please don't jump to any conclusions. Take a step back and try to remember that just because they are rich and famous, it doesn't mean they don't care for the world around them.
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