The Groundsman of the Year awards is a nationwide competition for non-league football groundsmen.

The awards recognise the contribution of 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 groundsmen themselves – who look at the quality of the pitch while also taking into consideration the skills and knowledge of the groundsman, 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.

The 2018 winners are:

National League
Colin Wilson (Aldershot Town FC)

Isthmian League
Peter Elves (Tonbridge Angels FC)

Southern League
Paul Valentine and Kevin Banks (Weymouth FC)

Northern Premier League
Eric Wilson (Whitby Town FC)

Steps 5&6
Chris White (Andover Town FC)

Step 7 and below
Wesley Matthews (Elstow Abbey FC)

The Institute of Groundsmanship is a membership organisation representing the whole of the groundscare industry, and all those involved in it.