Steels groundsman picks up award

STOCKSBRIDGE Park Steels groundsman Mick Grimmer has won the Northern Premier League groundsman of the year trophy.

Mick was recently presented the prize at the FA awards ceremony at St Georges Park England training centre. And Mick said he’d like to give special thanks to his assistant, Barrie Gosling.

The Football Association’s (FA) Groundsperson of the Year Awards is a nationwide competition for nonleague 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.