Following the success of last season’s FA Groundsman of the Year Awards, we're pleased to announce they have returned for another year and the window for nominations is now open! You can find all the information you need to nominate your Groundsman for the 2018 competition below.

Each County FA will be collating nominations over the next couple of months and will then submit their top 3 applications to The FA, for independent judging as part of The FA National Awards. 

The Groundsmen at this level of football are nearly all volunteers who give up hours of their time to provide the best pitches possible using very few resources. This competition is a great way for these volunteers to get recognised on a local and national level whilst also having the opportunity to meet and talk with the professional Groundsmen who conduct the judging.

FA National Summary of 2016/17 Awards:

The Awards Day followed in the footsteps of the successful 2017 competition and took place in mid-August at St George’s Park. The nominees were given a guided tour of the site as well as an insightful presentation from Karl Standley (Head Groundsman at Wembley Stadium) and also a Q&A workshop with professional groundsmen from Southampton and Manchester City. The awards ceremony took place in the afternoon with members of The FA Facilities Committee presenting the winners with their certificates and trophies.

The winners were then invited as special guests for the England v Slovenia friendly fixture in October. They enjoyed the hospitality on offer before being treated to an opportunity to join the Wembley Ground Staff on the pitch at half time. The feedback received from guests was overwhelmingly positive and we are extremely excited to see what this season brings.

If you would like to nominate your Groundsman, the closing date for applications is Thursday 1st March 2018.

We will then select our top 3 applications to submit to The Football Association. The first placed Club will then undergo independent judging along with other regions. 

Please complete the attached nomination form and questionnaire and return to:

Groundsman of the Year Award

Email: kelly.ellis@leicestershirefa.com