Following the success of last season’s FA Groundsman of the Year Awards, please find below all the information on how to nominate your Groundsman in the 2018 competition. This applies to clubs at Step 7 and 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 and 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.

Summary of Awards

The Awards Day followed in the footsteps of the successful 2016 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 question and answer workshop with professional groundsmen from Southampton and Manchester City along with Karl from Wembley. 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. The winners enjoyed the hospitality on offer before being treated to an opportunity to join the Wembley Ground Staff next to 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.

Cornwall Winners

In 2017 the top three Groundsmen in Cornwall were:

1st Place Wendron FC – Peter Thorne 

2nd Place Porthleven FC – Mark Greet

3rd Place St Dennis FC – David Rickard

These awards provide a great opportunity to recognise and reward Club Groundsmen at Step 7 and below in Cornwall.

The winner of the Cornwall Groundsman of the Year Award 2017 - Peter Thorne of Wendron FC

If you would like to nominate your Groundsman, the closing date for applications is Friday 16th February 2018. Cornwall 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.

Please complete the attached nomination form and return to:

Groundsman of the Year Awards 2018
Cornwall County FA
15 Callywith Gate
Launceston Road
Bodmin
Cornwall
Pl31 2RQ

Or alternatively, send your nomination form to grace.dent@cornwallfa.com

We look forward to receiving your nominations and would like to thank you for your continued support of the Awards.