The instrumental role a former Blackpool man is playing at the World Cup in Qatar

The club’s former head groundsman Harry Bradley has been based out in Qatar for the past two years helping prepare the pitches at the Education City Stadium.

The 44,000-capacity ground plays host to its final fixture on Friday when favourites Brazil take on Croatia in the quarter finals.

The venue also hosted six group games, including France’s 1-0 defeat to Tunisia, as well as Morocco’s surprise penalty shootout win against Spain in the last 16.

In total, eight games will have been played at the Al Rayyan-based stadium once the winter tournament has concluded.

Bradley left his role at Bloomfield Road in 2020 to move to the Middle East, where he now works as pitch manager for Aspire Sports Turf.

It’s not just the World Cup he’s worked on, he’s also helped prepare the pitch for the FIFA Club World Cup in 2020, the FIFA Arab Cup in 2021 and various other international friendlies.

Bradley, who was Blackpool’s groundsman for almost two years, has also managed training pitches for clubs within the Qatar Stars League, the top level of domestic football within the country.

A former student at Myerscough College, Bradley was on the grounds team at Arsenal before making the move back to the Fylde coast.

He had previously worked as an assistant groundsman with the Seasiders from July 2016 to May 2017 before moving to North London.