More than 350 of the UK’s and Europe’s leading groundscare experts from both the professional and volunteer sector, as well as dignitaries from the governing bodies of sport and influential sports administrators, have honoured the expertise, dedication and passion of the country’s grounds profession at the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) annual Industry Awards.

Now in its fifth year, the prestigious ceremony at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena recognised leadership, innovation and outstanding achievement across every aspect of groundscare – from grassroots pitches to professional stadia.

The awards also celebrated the quality standards of groundscare achieved in public and private sports venues, and highlighted the progress of young/student grounds professionals as well as entrants’ innovative developments.

The award winners at the IOG Industry Awards held at Coventry’s Ricoh Stadium.

Hosted by BBC TV and radio presenter Mark Clemmit, the sell-out IOG Awards ceremony followed a day-long series of IOG ‘Raising the Game’ Conference presentations by some of the biggest names in the sports, parks and groundscare industry from both sides of the Atlantic.

The winners of the 2013 IOG Industry Awards are:

The IOG Professional Sports Ground Team of the Year

Winner: Wembley Stadium

Finalists: Huntingdon Racecourse; Leeds Rugby; Liberty Stadium, Swansea; The Hurlingham Club, Fulham

The Wembley Stadium grounds team is charged with producing and maintaining a world-class playing surface for a myriad of elite sporting events. With the stadium’s multi-use calendar, the four full-time team are kept busy all year-round and, in addition, Wembley’s consultancy work ensures the team is also now involved in groundscare advice for venues around the world.

The IOG Professional Cricket Groundsman of the Year

Winner: Gary Barwell, Warwickshire CC

Finalist: Steve Birks, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club (Trent Bridge)

Gary Barwell is responsible for the preparation of the pitches for international and domestic games at Edgbaston as well as its sand-based outfield. His remit also includes the preparation and maintenance of two international standard net facilities, and he oversees the preparation of pitches at Warwickshire outgrounds.  He manages a six-man team of groundsmen plus additional temporary staff on match days, and develops an on-going pitch plan for the ECB and for Sky televised games.  

The IOG Professional Rugby Union Groundsman of the Year

Winner: Myles Landick, Jersey RFC

Finalist: Martin Knight, Worcester Warriors RFC

In addition to being a first team squad member at Jersey RFC and being involved in all that entails in terms of training and gym conditioning, Myles Landick is also the club’s only paid groundsman at the St Brelade ground. So, he says, time management is critical to ensuring that the work on the pitch is carried out appropriately and at the best time – and fits in with the weather! His day-to-day efforts to maintain the club’s three full-size pitches and one colts’ size pitch in the best possible condition are aided by two volunteers. 

The IOG Professional Rugby League Groundsman of the Year

Winner: Jason Booth, Leeds Rugby

Finalist: John Lupton, Castleford Tigers

Jason Booth, head groundsman at Leeds Rugby, carries overall responsibility for the development, management and maintenance of the playing surfaces at the stadium – which hosts both codes of rugby for Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie – and the training ground where there are seven pitches, plus a pitch at nearby Stanningley ARLFC: in total, 35 acres. Jason works and communicates closely with the stadium management team, and is also heavily involved in the Rugby Football League’s pitch improvement programme in his area.    

The IOG Professional Tennis Groundsman of the Year

Winner: Neil Stubley, All England Lawn Tennis Club (Wimbledon)

Finalist: Ian Wall, Bank of England Sports Centre, Roehampton, London

Neil Stubley is responsible for all the playing surfaces at the world famous Wimbledon venue, plus the grass verges, car park areas and the AELTC’s gardening department in addition to the AELTC’s multi-sport ground at Rayners Park. He is also involved in a grass court venue strategy with the Lawn Tennis Association, which sees grass court county venues being supported in improving their playing surfaces. He aspires to continue to showcase Wimbledon’s grass courts globally and to help maintain the UK’s reputation as having the world’s leading turf managers, in all sports.

The IOG Campey/Imants Professional Football Groundsman of the Year

Winner: Darren Baldwin, Tottenham Hotspur FC

Finalist: Tony Stones, Wembley Stadium

Being responsible for all of Tottenham Hotspur FC’s playing surfaces and landscaped areas, Darren Baldwin manages a team of 27 staff across the North London stadium and the training centre in Enfield.  He is a passionate advocate of the groundscare industry, having for example, established the Premier League’s grounds managers group eight years ago and he represents the group on the Playing Surfaces committee. For the last 10 years, Darren has also been a judge for the FA’s non-league groundsman of the year awards and is currently in the process of establishing the London Sports Turf Academy which will involve talented young groundsmen gaining work experience at top sporting venues in London. 

The IOG John Deere Professional Horse Racing Groundsman of the Year

Winner: Adrian Kay, York Racecourse

Finalist: Shaun Reilly, Huntingdon Racecourse

Adrian’s remit at York Racecourse embraces responsibility for the presentation of the complete estate which includes 10 hectares of racing surface, high specification lawns, floral displays, roadways, running rail and crowd barrier. He and his team are charged with presenting the best possible racing surface for the 17 race days, while Adrian also oversees maintenance, budgets, capital expenditure and the management of his staff. 

The IOG Governing Bodies Professional Spectator Sports Ground of the Year – co-sponsored by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Football Association, the Football Foundation, the Lawn Tennis Association, the Premier League, the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union  

Winner: Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Finalist: White Hart Lane, London

As well as being Manchester City FC’s home ground, the Etihad Stadium also hosts events such as the Rugby League Magic Weekend (when there are seven matches over two days) as well as closed season pop concerts, of which there were six in 2103. Among its features, the stadium provides access to 199 disabled places and a wireless induction loop is available for visually impaired fans. Visitors also have access to easy car parking, which includes a shuttle service to/from certain car parks. Plans going forwards include an expansion of capacity from 48,000 to just under 61,000, which has proved significant in the stadium being chosen to host an England pool game for the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup.

The IOG Rigby Taylor/Top Green Young Groundsman of the Year 

Winner: Ryan Golding, Leeds Rugby

Finalist: Will Graves, Merchant Taylors’ School, Middlesex

Ryan Golding, assistant head groundsman of Leeds Rugby since 2012, works closely with his head groundsman, head coaches and coaching staff to ensure that the sporting timetables, fixture lists and quality standards are maintained at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium and at the Academy training ground. His wide-ranging duties include monitoring the structural and playing performance of the pitches and training areas by undertaking feasibility studies and relevant tests and research. He is qualified to NVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 (technical certificate) in sports turf.

The IOG Toro School, College, University Sports Club Groundsman of the Year

Winner: Stephen Fidler, St James Independent Boys’ School, Middlesex

Finalist: Adam Tester, University of Leicester

Stephen Fidler assumes total responsibility for the 14-hecatre St James Independent Boys’ School site in Ashford – which has a cricket square, two rugby pitches and several training areas plus 400m and 100m running tracks in the summer term. Other facilities within Stephen’s remit include a floodlit sand-filled hockey pitch, five tarmac tennis courts, four synthetic surface cricket net areas and a 1.8 hectare lake plus ornamental lawns and garden areas. 

The IOG School, College, University Sports Club Grounds Team of the Year

Winner: St Albans School, Hertfordshire

Finalist: Hampton School, Middlesex

With six members, the St Albans School groundscare team consistently produces first-class playing surfaces on the 73-acres Woollam Playing Fields site which accommodates fixtures seven days a week for the school, sports association and as a training centre for the Saracens rugby team. The school fields are used for rugby, cricket, football, athletics and cross country – there are also artificial surfaces for tennis and hockey – plus athletics. 

The IOG Most Promising Groundscare Student of the Year 

Winner: Martin Stephenson, Ashbrooke Sports Club, Sunderland

Finalist: Dean Bryce, Sports Ground Services, Milton Keynes

Martin Stephenson makes no secret of the fact that he continually strives for perfection in the work he undertakes at the multi-sports Ashbrooke Sports Club in Sunderland. In looking after the general day-to-day running of the sports field, his duties include renovating the cricket square, bowling green and football pitch, as well as maintaining two rugby pitches and artificial tennis courts. With a Level 2 award in work-based Horticulture (sports turf) already under his belt, Martin is currently studying a Level 3 Diploma in Sports Turf.

The IOG White Horse Contractors Grass Roots Sports Ground of the Year 

Winner: Beversbrook Sports Facility, Calne, Wilts

Finalist: Aspatria RUFC, Cumbria

The 95-acre Beversbrook Sports Facility is a multi-sport hub that embraces football, cricket, netball, tennis, archery and running, for example. Indeed, such is the standard of the playing surfaces that Swindon Town FC will be using the site next year as its training facility, and four new pitches are currently under construction to meet rising demand from local teams that want to play there. 

The IOG Vitax Supaturf Volunteer Sports Groundsman of the Year

Winner: John Heyworth, Aspatria RUFC, Cumbria

Finalist: Mark Jones, Falmouth FC, Cornwall

As chairman of Aspatria RUFC, John Heyworth not only has overall responsibility for leadership of the club’s management committee – which involves, for example, ‘overseeing’ its facilities and relationship with the local community – but he also heads up the team responsible for maintaining and improving the playing surfaces on the three pitches. 

The IOG Ransomes Jacobsen Environmental Project/Innovation of the Year 

Winner: The Harefield Academy, Middlesex

Finalist: Forest Green Rovers FC, Nailsworth, Glos

By creating purpose-built teaching areas for horticulture and groundsmanship, the ambition at The Harefield Academy is to establish a school-based vocational course that encourages young people disaffected by school to enter a career in the industry. The aim is to improve the employability of young people. With allotment plots, a turf area, a polytunnel and using a wide selection of tools and equipment at the Northwood Way site, the outside facilities have all been constructed by the students and are maintained by them. The project is achieving its initial objective to stimulate young people and give them a new career option, and the plan now is to encourage other schools to follow suit.

The IOG Kubota/Redexim Charterhouse Best Maintained Artificial Pitch of the Year 

Winner: One Leisure, St Ives, Cambs

Finalist: Hampton School, Middlesex

The 52-acre One Leisure site in St Ives features nine grass football pitches, one rugby pitch, 24 cricket wickets and an athletics stadium plus two full-size artificial playing surfaces. The artificial surfaces are heavily used – between 60-70 hours each week, including up to 10pm on Mondays to Fridays – so a well-planned and well-executed maintenance schedule is employed to ensure they remain in excellent condition.

The Alex R Millar DLF/Johnsons Professional Groundsman of the Year 

Winner: Adrian Kay, York Racecourse

As well as being responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the York Racecourse site, and overseeing budgets, capital expenditure and his staff, Adrian Kay’s six-year tenure as head groundsman has also seen him lead or be involved with a number of major projects at the course.

The IOG Everris & Syngenta Lifetime Achievement

Winner: Len Smith

After 20 years at Glamorgan County Cricket Club, Len Smith joined the IOG as Regional Advisor for Wales and, since 2009, he has successfully developed the IOG’s training, education and membership in the area as well as established strong links with governing bodies, colleges and local authorities.

Len started out as a greenkeeper at Radyr Golf Club and has also been responsible for grounds at Pennylan bowling and lawn tennis club, the Polytechnic of Wales (now the University of Glamorgan), Cardiff Athletic Club, Cardiff City then Glamorgan CCC. 

His vast experience as a groundsman is backed up by a host of training and qualifications including the coveted IOG NDT, he is a renowned IOG trainer and he is highly respected throughout the industry.

The prestigious UK-wide IOG Award scheme highlights the high standards of volunteer and professional grounds professionals and facilities, from grass roots to professional stadia level. The awards are judged by an independent panel on criteria that included effective use of resources, budgetary control, presentation and housekeeping standards, as well as environmental considerations.

The IOG is the leading membership organisation for everyone involved in the management of sports pitches, landscape and amenity facilities – the annual awards embrace categories of entry covering sport, young people and the environment.

The 2013 Awards are sponsored by the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC), Campey Turf Care Systems, DLF Trifolium, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Everris, the Football Association (The FA), the Football Foundation, Imants BV, John Deere, Johnsons Sports Seed, Kubota, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the Premier League, Ransomes Jacobsen, Redexim Charterhouse, Rigby Taylor, Rugby Football League (RFL), Rugby Football Union (RFU), Syngenta, Top Green, Toro, Vitax Supaturf and White Horse Contractors.

Visit www.iogawards.com for more details.