It is with deep regret that Arsenal FC have reported the death of Head Groundsman, Steve Braddock, after a long illness.

The thoughts of Turf Business and everyone in the turfcare industry go out to  Steve’s wife Shuk, their daughters Jasmine and Lily, and all Steve’s family and friends.

As reported in The Guardian, Steve Braddock was a man “who did more than anyone to bring about a world in which flawless football pitches are the norm”.

The Arsenal website went on to say:

Born and bred an Arsenal fan, Steve joined the club in August 1987, after a chance meeting with George Graham, who informed him that the club was looking for a new lead to be responsible for the pitch at Highbury. After getting the job, he set about creating a playing surface at Highbury that would be the envy of the footballing world – and he achieved exactly that.

Under Steve, Arsenal’s pitch at Highbury became the game’s gold standard. He understood the art of preparing a pitch better than anyone in the game. Indeed, his skill and passion for groundskeeping earned him many individual accolades: numerous Premier League Pitch of the Season awards, Turf Business magazine’s prestigious Turf’s Top Influencer Award – voted for by his peers in the turfcare industry – in 2019, and in 2020 he became only the second person in history to enter the Grounds Management Association’s Hall of Fame.

Typically, any awards that came Steve’s way would be met with a self-effacing shrug followed by a few words praising those who allowed him to continue with his work at Arsenal and how wonderfully talented the next generation of young groundskeepers he mentored were.

Steve ensured the Highbury pitch was perfection for our final season at the stadium, but by then his role as Head Groundsman saw him dedicate most of his time to the 11 pitches at London Colney. Ensuring the pristine surfaces the players trained on during the week were an exact match for those they played on at the weekend.

His dedication to the Arsenal pitches was truly remarkable – every Arsenal colleague who knew Steve well has a story to tell about the great lengths he would go to guarantee the pitches could be at their very best.

Always keen to discuss ideas with grounds teams from a whole range of sports, he knew that researching and embracing the latest technology and methodology could be beneficial to his playing surfaces and to those who worked alongside him. He was also passionate about finding sustainable solutions through groundskeeping, showing a great interest in biofuels for example.

Not only was Steve a truly great groundsman, he was also a wonderful teacher and mentor. Many groundskeepers Steve has developed at the club over 30 years have progressed to the very pinnacle of their profession – all educated and still inspired by the best in the business – including Paul Burgess, Darren Baldwin and Scott Tingley at AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and Watford FC respectively as well as the former Head of Grounds at the FA’s St. George’s Park, Scott Brooks.

And Steve’s mentor? He always said that after losing his parents at a young age, Arsene Wenger became a father figure and the pair enjoyed a wonderfully productive relationship, remaining very close until the end of Steve’s life.

In the Premier League era, it’s no understatement to say that one of the key characteristics associated with the era was that Arsenal’s  pitch – be it at Highbury or Emirates – was perfection – ‘the carpet’ as it became known to many because of Steve Braddock.

RIP Steve Braddock