Groundsman award for Stocksbridge's Mick

He visited St George’s Park recently to collect the award, beating off stiff competition from Trafford FC counterparts Graham Foxall and Adrian Halliwell, and Matlock Town’s Richard Lomas.

Whitby Town’s Eric Wilson and Loughborough Dynamo’s Joe Griffin were also “Highly Commended”.

The Football Association's (FA) Groundsperson of the Year Awards is a nationwide competition for non-league football groundsman with 2018 representing the 17th time that these awards have taken place.

The Awards recognise the contribution of Groundspeople, these ‘unsung heroes’, who work in all weather, often as volunteers, all year round, to make sure that thousands of matches can take place on a high standard of playing surface and with a very limited budget.

The FA has a panel of judges - professional groundspeople themselves, who look at the quality of the pitch while also taking into consideration the skills and knowledge of the groundsperson, their ambitions for the pitch, the resources available, how often the pitch is used, and the amount of time they are able to work on the pitch.

All the award winners, runners-up and highly commended groundsmen for 2018/19 season were invited to an awards day at St Georges Park in August which included presentations from Karl Standley – Wembley head groundsman and Scott Brooks – head of grounds and estate St George’s Park.