Lawn saver Manfred Keckeis: How he helps SC Röthis to be successful!

Lawn saver Manfred Keckeis: How he helps SC Röthis to be successful!

The Regionalliga West is in full swing and a special eye-catcher is Manfred Keckeis, who has been working as a groundskeeper and in marketing for the club for over 22 years Röfix Röthis Sports Club is active. Keckeis ensures that the football pitches at the Vorderländer sports complex are always in optimal condition. His responsibilities include marking the pitch, installing goal nets and rolling and mowing the grass. He also takes care of the care of the artificial turf and clearing snow in winter.

When Keckeis took over the position of groundskeeper in the early 2000s, he initially did so on an interim basis and was ultimately able to impress with his meticulousness and passion. He works every day to keep the main playing field as well as the training field and the neighboring playing field of FC Weiler in excellent condition. To date, in his many years of service, not a single game has had to be canceled due to pitch conditions, which demonstrates his exceptional abilities.

Versatile tasks and continuous training

In addition to his practical work, Keckeis regularly takes part in further training courses. By interacting with other groundskeepers and attending classes and stadium meetings, he stays up to date on the best care and maintenance practices. His commitment goes beyond just caring for the lawn: he was actively involved in the completion of the new building at the sports facility in Röthis and is also active in the club's marketing department.

Keckeis also predicted the upcoming games in the Regionalliga West. He predicts a 3-1 win for SC Röthis in the upcoming match against Reichenau, accompanied by other tips such as Kitzbühel against Lauterach with a final score of 1:2 and Imst against Pinzgau/Saalfelden, which he sees as 3-0 for Imst.

SC Röthis in regional football

The SC Röthis, founded in 1976, is located in Röthis, Vorarlberg. The club wears the colors blue and white and plays in the Regionalliga West. He is currently in 11th place in the 2023/24 season. Under coach Ali Özkan, SC Röthis has grown steadily in recent years. The team plays its home games on the sports field on the Ratz, which has a capacity of 1,300 seats.

The club's successes are significant, such as promotion to the Vorarlberg League, in which it finished as runner-up in the 1st regional class in the 1993/94 season. SC Röthis also has experience in higher leagues, but has occasionally faced challenges in recent years, including the migration of members to neighboring clubs that have more modern artificial turf pitches.

The challenges of football pitches

These problems are not unique to SC Röthis. According to that DFB Many amateur clubs are struggling to maintain their pitches, for example because games have to be canceled due to the grass being too wet. In order to improve the quality of sports fields, the German Football Association (DFB) has published a compendium that deals with the construction and maintenance of sports fields. The fifth, revised edition of the compendium contains almost 350 pages full of specialist knowledge and practical tips on maintenance and servicing.

DFB Vice President Erwin Bugar emphasizes the essential role of good infrastructure in order to hold around 1.6 million games in Germany every year. It is essential that amateur clubs like SC Röthis receive support in order to continue to be successful in football.