CEO Dane Murphy has praised the Nottingham Forest grounds staff after their work was recognised by the English Football League.
The Reds were awarded a Highly Commended certificate at the EFL Grounds Teams of the Season awards. And Murphy has hauled the work done by grounds manager Ewan Hunter and his staff during a busy season at the City Ground.
“It is great testament to the skill and efforts of Ewan Hunter and his team that the club has received a Highly Commended status from the EFL,” he told the club’s official website. "With an unprecedented six additional home cup matches this season, it has been a particularly challenging campaign for the ground staff.
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"The picture-perfect playing surface adds to the beauty of the City Ground and has certainly helped the team produce some flowing football at home under Steve Cooper. We thank all the ground staff for their unstinting efforts with the pitch.”
The EFL awards honour the staff who have produced the best quality playing surfaces across the 72 Football League clubs. Marks were provided by the referee and away team manager for all league games.
After the marks were totted up, those with the highest divisional average were assessed in person by a representative from the Sports Turf Research Institute. Pitch quality, environmental conditions and usage, resources, management and sustainability were all looked at. Reports were then submitted to the EFL Playing Surfaces Committee to determine the winners.
Bournemouth clinched the Championship Grounds Team of the Season gong, with Middlesbrough joining the Reds in receiving a Highly Commended certificate. Bolton Wanderers triumphed in League One and Newport County in League Two.
