Groundsman of the Year 2019/2020 Nomination Form

The time has come to nominate the unsung heroes of grassroots football and nominate a groundsman who goes above and beyond to ensure the beautiful game is played on beautiful pitches. 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 2018/2019 Awards The Awards Day followed in the footsteps of previous competitions 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 presentations from Karl Standley (Head Groundsman at Wembley Stadium) and Scott Brooks (Head Groundsman St George’s Park). The guests were also treated to a question and answer workshop with professional groundsmen from Southampton and Manchester City along with Karl and Scott. 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 Montenegro Euro 2020 qualifier in November. The winners 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 we received from our guests was overwhelmingly positive and we are extremely excited to see what this season brings Derbyshire County FA Winners The top three Groundsmen in Derbyshire were : Winner: Roger Kerry – Sleetmoor United FC Runner-Up: Lee Watson – Clay Cross Town FC Third Placed: Kevin Harlow – Hilton Harriers FC Derbyshire County FA over the last few years has developed the support to Groundsman with regular training / workshops These awards provide a great opportunity to recognise and reward Club Groundsmen at Step 7 and below in Derbyshire*. We also have prizes for the top 3 Derbyshire winners via a partnership with Rigby Taylor Ltd and invitation to our Derbyshire FA Awards Event later in the season. If you would like to nominate your Groundsman, the closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 28th February 2020. Derbyshire County FA will then select their top 3 applications to submit to The Football Association. The first-placed Club will then undergo independent judging along with other regions. * Clubs at Levels 1-4 and 5-6 will be able to access nomination forms and further information via their leagues.