The finalists have been announced
for this year’s prestigious Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards
2018.
This year, celebrating their 10th anniversary, the awards acknowledge
the passion, dedication and challenges faced by grounds staff, volunteers and
professionals across all levels of sport.
“Once again we have enjoyed a bumper number of nominations for the
awards, matching last year’s record-breaking entry,” says IOG chief executive,
Geoff Webb. “The quality has really been exceptional – with the judges
commenting that some of the applications have been the best they’ve seen in the
awards’ history – and a host of new nominees have come to the fore, too.”
He continues: “We should applaud everyone who has reached the
shortlist – and those who have been highly commended – in an annual event that
attracts national and regional TV, radio, social media and press coverage, and
acknowledges the efforts of our armies of grounds people who prepare playing
surfaces at all levels of sport.”
Geoff adds: “The awards would not
be possible without the generosity of our sponsors, and these companies and
organisations have enabled the event to become a landmark occasion for the
whole groundscare industry – especially this year as we celebrate a special
anniversary.”
Independent judging at each venue
will now take place. The winners will be announced Oscar-style at the IOG
Industry Awards dinner by host Mark Saggers from talkSPORT radio at the Hilton
Birmingham Metropole, on Wednesday 31 October – the evening of the opening day
of the SALTEX exhibition at the nearby NEC.
The finalists are:
Toro Most Promising Sports Turf
Student of the Year
Tom Bacon, Devonshire Park, Eastbourne; Matthew Skingle, Coventry
City FC.
Rigby Taylor/Top Green Young
Grounds Person of the Year
Dan Sparks, Bristol Bears (Ashton Gate Stadium); John Wright,
Southampton FC.
AMS Volunteer Sports Grounds
Team/Person of the Year
Crowborough RFC, East Sussex; David Lane, Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social Cricket Club (Norwood Road),
West Midlands.
National Governing Bodies’
Community Sports Club Grounds Team/Person of the Year
Hanwell Town FC, Middlesex; Stanningley Sports & Amateur Rugby
League Club, Leeds.
The National Governing Bodies of
sport (NGBs) award is co-sponsored by the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club),
ECB (the England and Wales Cricket Board), The FA (Football Association), the
LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), the Premier League, the RFU (Rugby Football
Union) and Sport England.
Public Sector Sports Ground Team of
the Year
Gavin Jones Ltd (Aspire Defence, Project Allenby/Connaught),
Surrey; Devonshire Park, Eastbourne.
Bowling Grounds Team/Person of the Year
Burleys (Crouch Bowling Club, East
Sussex); Rolls-Royce Leisure Association, Derby.
SCH Supplies Best Managed
Artificial Surface of the Year
Beversbrook Sports Facility, Swindon; Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow.
Ransomes Environmental and Ecology
Strategy Award
Cardiff University; Forest Green Rovers FC, Gloucestershire.
National Governing Bodies’
Professional Multi-Sports Ground/Facility Team of the Year
Bath Recreation Ground; London Stadium 185; Manchester City FC.
The National Governing Bodies of
sport (NGB's) award is co-sponsored by the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis
Club), ECB (the England and Wales Cricket Board), The FA (Football
Association), the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), the Premier League, the RFU
(Rugby Football Union) and Sport England.
Headland Amenity Professional
Cricket Grounds Team of the Year
Fenner’s – Cambridge University; Warwickshire CCC, Edgbaston.
CubCadet INFINICUT
Professional Tennis Courts Grounds
Team/Person of the Year
Devonshire Park, Eastbourne;
Magdalen College School, Oxford.
John Deere Professional Horse
Racing Grounds Team of the Year
Lingfield Park Racecourse, Surrey; Warwick Racecourse.
Professional Rugby Football League
Grounds Team of the Year
Castleford Tigers, West Yorkshire;
Leeds Rhinos (Leeds Rugby); Salford Red Devils.
Kubota Professional Rugby Football
Union Grounds Team of the Year
Bristol Bears (Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol); Scottish RFU (BT
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh); Leicester Tigers; Yorkshire Carnegie (Leeds
Rugby).
SISGrass
Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year (English Leagues 1 & 2, National League, National League
North/South, Scottish Championship & Leagues 1 & 2, Ireland & Wales
Professional Leagues)
Rotherham United FC; Swindon Town FC.
SGL Professional
Football Grounds Team or the Year (Premier League, Championship and
Scottish Premier League)
Leicester City FC; Manchester City FC.
Redexim
Charterhouse/Kubota University/College Grounds Team of the Year
Loughborough University; University of Leicester; University of St
Andrews, Fife.
Growth Products Independent School Grounds Team of the Year
Abingdon School, Oxford; St Joseph’s
College, Ipswich.
International Ambassador of the
Year
Jonathan Calderwood, Paris Saint-Germain FC; Phil Fifield, iTurf
Management.
The Ransomes/DLF Johnsons Alex R Millar Award – chosen
from the outstanding winner across all award categories – and the Special Recognition and the GrassMaster Solutions
Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement Awards will be announced on the night.
The 2018 IOG Industry Awards are sponsored by AELTC (All England
Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club), AMS (Automated Managed Services), CubCadet
INFINICUT, DLF Trifolium, ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board), Growth
Products, Headland Amenity, John Deere, Johnsons Sports Seed, Kubota, LTA (Lawn
Tennis Association), the Premier League, Ransomes, Redexim Charterhouse, RFU
(Rugby Football Union), Rigby Taylor, SISGrass, SCH Supplies, SGL, Sport
England, GrassMaster (Tarkett Sports), The FA (The Football Association), Top
Green and Toro.
