Swindon Town are delighted to announce that it has been awarded League Two Grounds Team of the Year.
Long-serving groundsman, Marcus Cassidy has kept the County Ground surface in incredible condition all season long with the help of apprentice Connor Collins who has now taken a job at AFC Bournemouth.
Marcus, who picked up the ‘Highly Commended’ Award last year was delighted with the accolade:
“We’ve had a great season with the pitch and we’ve adapted to the weather really well. Apart from the snow, which is unavoidable, we haven’t been close to a call-off.
“Connor did a great job while he was here to help with everything but the Chairman and Steve Anderson have really backed me – as they always have done – and that is a huge part of keeping the surface as good as it is.”
The EFL's Grounds Team of the Season Awards are determined initially using marks from referees and away managers for each Sky Bet EFL game and are then followed by detailed pitch inspections and a review of management operations.
These visits were carried out by Dr Neil Rodger, Head of Sports Surface Technology at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI).
The awards recognise the importance of the quality of pitches for professional football and acknowledge the clubs and their ground staff who consistently produce the best playing surfaces in the EFL.
In the Sky Bet Championship, Swansea City win the award for producing a perfect pitch at the Liberty Stadium this season. Aston Villa and Middlesbrough are both highly commended.
In Sky Bet League One, Bristol Rovers' ground staff take top honours for the excellent surface at the Memorial Stadium. Doncaster Rovers, Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers are highly commended.
