0 Simon Crow again named as top Cambridgeshire groundsman

Simon Crow has been awarded Cambridgeshire FA's groundsman of the year title for the second year in a row

Simon Crow (left)The Cherry Hinton groundsman spends up to four hours a week voluntarily maintaining the pitches at the Recreation Ground, with his efforts again being recognised.

Crow was one of several groundstaff nominated in January and February, with Cambridge United stadium manager Ian Darler and Institute of Groundmanship regional pitch advisor Danny White visiting the nominated sites to decide the winner.

Their judging was based on aspects such as usage and number of games played on the pitches, budget, technical knowledge, use of machinery, use of resources and presentation standards.

White was particularly impressed with the work done by Crow, saying he "displayed an inspiring attitude to improving pitch quality".

Five other groundsmen were also commended for their work.

Andrew King was honoured for making visible improvements at Cottenham Recreation Ground whilst working to a limited budget, as was Chris Wilson for working with challenging soil conditions to produce good quality pitches at Girton Recreation Ground.

Dave Bridgeman received a commendation for producing well-presented pitches for junior football at Over's Village Green, along with Alan Poole for positively working with local clubs and the parish council at Spicers Sports Ground in Sawston.

Meanwhile, Paul Atherton and Colin Miller earned praise for utilising space to accommodate and overlay different sized pitches at West Wratting.

"The time and effort that goes into maintaining pitches often goes unnoticed," said Cambs FA's facilities and participation manager Joanne Bull.

"We'd like to thank all ground staff who ensure good quality pitches are available for games, week in and week out."

Cambs FA aim to improve 23 pitches as part of the FA Pitch Improvement Programme, which provides a range of support services to grassroots clubs, club volunteers and groundsmen, including on-site evaluations with practical advice and recommendations.

For the original article, visit www.cambridge-news.co.uk.

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Contact Kerry Haywood

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kerry@pitchcare.com

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