Now he's growing places...

HAPPY Chappy . . . Les in his garden

FROM Boundary Park to the Etihad Stadium, Latics legend Les Chapman has devoted his life to the hallowed turf.

But the former midfielder and Manchester City kit manager has decided to pitch his wits against it in a different way ­- by becoming a gardener.

Les (68) is branching out into a new line of work and has set up "Chappy's Gardening" in a bid to keep himself busy in between his jobs as an interviewer and analyst for the City website and Chronicle football columnist.

"I just love gardening," said Les, of Delph, who played for Latics as a youngster between 1967 and 1969, then from 1974 to 1978 and made 749 Football League appearances.

"I work 80 days a year for City so I've got some spare time and thought I'd set up my own garden business."

Moved

"The bug bit when I moved into a new house about 30 years ago and the garden was a bomb site. I'd never gardened before but I had to do something with it and my love of gardening grew from there. I've got a client over in Sowerby Bridge with a big garden so that's keeping me busy but if anyone needs someone to just tickle up their garden and keep it tidy with planting, trimming and cutting and so on, I'm up for it."

Les's potting shed prowess is coming under scrutiny in Oldham Council's Bloom and Grow private garden competition after he put forward his plot for consideration and was judged this week.

He is awaiting the results with bated breath.

"I saw the competition in the Chronicle for the small gardens award so I entered," he said.

"I started this garden from scratch just over a year ago. Who knows, it might win a prize!"