Behind The Warriors: The Kitmen
Ahead of this Saturday’s Betfred Super League Grand Final, we’ve had a chat with some of the busiest people preparing for the big game – The Kitmen – Roy Dickinson and Steve Reeves.
One of the first jobs to complete on Grand Final week takes place on Monday morning when match shirts are taken for embroidering. While the exact wording to embroidered is selected weeks in advance, the kit Wigan will defend their title in could only be confirmed once the second semi-final between Hull KR and St. Helens had finished.
“Preparing for the Grand Final is certainly a busy time,” said Roy, who has been the Club’s kit man for the past 15 years. “We had to have a home and away set packed and ready to be embroidered. I always make sure the players have a new shirt to wear in the Grand Final so they are looking good. Afterwards it’s great for us because the players keep their shirts and you wouldn’t believe how many supporters go mad for shorts and socks.”
Roy began working for his boyhood Club after a phone call from long-serving kit man, and British Telecom engineer colleague, George Unsworth, identified him as the perfect replacement for the position he’d held for more than two decades.
“George called to say he was thinking of finishing and that he needed someone to take over,” Roy described. “I came in, but George carried on for quite a few years after. I stayed helping out and have been doing this now for 15 years.”
Alongside Roy stands Steve Reeves, whose connection to the Club began in 1983 on the turnstiles at Central Park before holding Steward and Ticket Office managerial roles in the now called The Brick Community Stadium.
“I started pressing turnstile pedals which turned into working in the matchday office helping with the attendance and money handling,” Steve explained. “People were paid in cash back then so once all the stewards had been booked in, I could start putting their money into envelopes. That started a few hours before kick-off and would take until the end of the game – for years I never saw a match.
“I retired in 2018 but three months later I was back as Scholars and Academy Team Manager which involved putting kits out, sorting things with the referee, keeping scores, timekeeping – everything. Darrell Goulding – Head of Youth at the time – asked if I’d be interested in helping full time when George was stepping back. I initially worked three days, but after the first week we realised it wasn’t a three-day job so we’ve been doing whatever hours make everything work.”
Located deep inside The Brick Community Stadium and Robin Park Arena, Roy and Steve work hard printing and washing kits for all teams representing Wigan Warriors across the Men’s, Women’s, Wheelchair and Community game.
“I spend most my time at the stadium in my little room printing shirts,” Roy explained. “People think players get new shirts every game but they don’t. I do a lot of repair to shirts – patching up numbers, letters, badges – through the season.”
“We can have five teams playing in one week at which point our room is a pile of kitbags,” laughed Steve. “We’ll be chiselling away, but we have two machines now to speed things up. We don’t wash training wear as that’s on the players, although, we still have them asking to use the dryer for wet clothes from the night before or to borrow a towel they forgot to bring.”
“Sam Tomkins occasionally changed his full kit at half time,” Roy recalled. “Mike Cooper would wear a different shirt in the second half. On the whole our lads are quite good. Cutting socks is something we used to do, but now you can get them with no feet as so many players wear grip socks. We still need a list because almost half the squad wear socks with no feet.”
With thousands of miles clocked up on the kit van used throughout the season, Roy and Steve discuss the changes in time and the need to be in work mode before, during and after matches.
“It’s changed a lot since I first started as now there’s so much more involved in the role,” Roy said. “You used to just take the kit and a few posters for the walls, but now the players are needing more.”
“We used to have a small transit van packed front to back, side to side, top to bottom – you couldn’t fit a piece of paper in,” Steve laughed. “We ended up getting a bigger van, but that’s the same. We are constantly getting told at other stadiums that nobody brings as much gear as us.
“We aim to arrive at least four hours before kick off so we have enough time to set up and take a deep breath. We’re lucky with the changing room we have at Wigan as some of the stadiums we visit are so small and come in all different shapes. Sometimes you just take a step back and let everyone else do what they need to first.
“People think we stand on the side watching the game, but you’re constantly watching the players. A few weeks ago Brad O’Neill cut his head, and as soon as it happened Roy ran down the tunnel to get the blood shirt ready. We’re constantly nipping back and forth making sure the players have cold towels, water, electrolytes or whatever they need when they come off.
“Sometimes you’ll have no idea what a player has asked, you just try and work it out. They are that focused from the minute they arrive that after a handshake and hello, we step back. If they need anything, they give us a shout. It’s a privilege to be stood there and be a part of it.”
As the Club awaits a third straight Super League Grand Final, Roy and Steve’s preparations are well underway. The kit van will be packed tight as the duo set off with hopes of witnessing the Warriors lift yet another title at the Theatre of Dreams.
“It’s a pleasure to work with Steve,” Roy said. “He’s a similar age and we share the same sense of humour so we have a good laugh together. A lot of players don’t get our sense of humour, but they’re all very respectful. They’re a credit to their parents which is what Matt wants. He doesn’t just want a good team, he wants good people.”
Tickets for Saturday evening’s Betfred Super League Grand Final remain available to purchase online HERE.
