A variety of opportunities are being promoted for grassroots football groundspersons in the New Year, including nominations for worthy recognition plus an In-Season Pitch Maintenance workshop providing hints and tips.

Nominations are being collected for 2019’s Essex County FA Groundsman of the Year Awards as well as the latest #CelebrateEssex volunteer awards category on Twitter. Then, in February, Regional Pitch Advisor, Phil Jeggo, will be offering advice on looking after grass surfaces.

Groundsman of the Year Awards 2019

Following the success of last season’s Groundsman of the Year Awards, we will again be coordinating this awards programme in 2019 to recognise the volunteer workforce who operate tirelessly to provide the best pitches possible, often with limited resources.

We award feed into The FA’s national stage, and this competition is also a great way for volunteers from Saturday and Sunday clubs to have the opportunity to meet, and talk with, the professional groundsmen who conduct the judging.

Judges examine the quality of nominated pitches and take into consideration the groundsman’s skills and knowledge, their ambitions for the surface, the resources they have available, how often the pitch is used and the amount of time they are able to work on it. They additionally look at their working environment, weighing that up against the quality of the pitch.

Nominations should be put forward no later than Wednesday 30th January. Groundsmen can be put forward from affiliated clubs at Step 7 and below (including youth football) by completing the nomination form available below.

In-Season Pitch Maintenance Evening

Institute of Groundsmanship Regional Pitch Advisor, Phil Jeggo, will be hosting a special evening at Maldon & Tiptree FC on Thursday 21st February to share his top tips around In-Season Pitch Maintenance.

The evening will include advice around restoring and preparing pitches for use and dealing with weather extremes, from flooding to droughts. This is a great opportunity for any volunteer supporting grass pitch maintenance. Book online by clicking here.

#CelebrateEssex ‘Groundsperson’

If you’re nominating for Groundsman of the Year, why not double-up and nominate that individual for our #CelebrateEssex ‘Groundsperson’ hero on Twitter? The hunt is on for individuals, exclusively volunteers, whose dedication and expertise help to make sure local matches take place every season.

#CelebrateEssex promotes inspirational personal examples and stories, encouraging new faces to get involved and grow the grassroots community. They could win the latest category of these monthly volunteer awards, with nominations required by Wednesday 16th January via the @EssexCountyFA Twitter account.