Ian Darler has been named FA Groundsman of the Year.
This year's awards, in partnership with Carlsberg, reached their conclusion at Windsor Racecourse on Wednesday when over 140 groundsmen from around the country gathered to find out whether they had been recognised by their industry peers.
Ian was the winner in the category encompassing all clubs in the Conference National, North and South.
This is his sixth nomination for a national award in eleven years and the third time he has won, underlining the high quality of the pitch he and his team - mainly volunteers - produce each season.
The FA awards were set up five years ago to recognise the contribution of these unsung heroes of the grass roots game who are out in all weathers all year round, and encourage the development of groundmanship.
The Judges are not only looking at the quality of the pitch, but also take in to consideration the Groundsman's knowledge, the resources available to them, how often the pitch is used and whether they are full or part time.
The National Awards also include clubs from across the National League System, with judges including Tottenham Hotspur Head Groundsman, Darren Baldwin, and his Manchester City counterpart Lee Jackson, along with The FA's Head of Facilities Steve Williams.
"Quality pitches are essential for the development of the game at every level" Steve Williams commented, "and these awards have played a big part in motivating groundsmen up and down the country, encouraging them to maintain their high standards, and if they do, their efforts will be recognised. "
With 97% of all affiliated football played outside of the Football League, grassroots groundstaff play a huge role in ensuring pitches are in their best possible condition week in, week out around the country.
Speaking about the criteria for judging, Steve Williams continued, "We travelled around the country, looking at the pitches, equipment, their overall knowledge and the level of financial support they receive.
"We discovered that we were dealing with a wide range of people, from those who are top experts in this field, to those doing their very best on an extremely limited budget and little machinery, but still commit countless hours voluntarily to providing the best quality surfaces."
The National winners not only received an engraved trophy and a crate of Carlsberg, they also received travel vouchers from The FA for a well earned break, and will also spend a day behind the scenes with Groundstaff at Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton Football clubs in the next couple of months.
In June, the Abbey Stadium's playing surface won the 2005/2006 Dream Team Best Kept Winter Sports Pitch competition, winning a Kubota B1610 compact tractor and Charterhouse Verti-Drain 7110 with a combined value of over £16,000.
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