For his outstanding contribution to the cause WBAFC is proud to nominate Bob Wood for The FA Groundsman of the Year Awards 2010 / 2011

For Clubs at Step 7 or below the nomination reflects the drive, enthusiasm, time and effort Bob has put in over the last couple of seasons to make Whaley's pitch renowned as probably the finest you are likely to get at this level.  There's a long way to go yet and no doubt there will be lots of other very strong candidates across the County aiming to bag this prestigious award but whatever the outcome we consider Bob's efforts deserve recognition.

Last season, winners were presented with a trophy at their home ground on the day of a pre-season friendly or league game. These winners were then invited to the FA Club for the England v Montenegro European Championship qualifying fixture in October.  In addition, the top 6 Groundsmen in each category attended a ‘Winners Day’ at Wembley, which included a tour of the stadium, a pitch walk led by the Wembley Stadium Ground Staff, a question and answer session and a trophy presentation ceremony.

This is a great opportunity to recognise and reward Club Groundsmen at Step 7 and below in Derbyshire. This season all nominations will be considered regardless of whether a pitch is maintained by an external contractor or maintenance company. However, each participating club must nominate a Groundsman who is a member of that Club, in order to be included in the competition. The judges will use their discretion to score the Club Groundsman based on their individual contribution and ambition to improve the pitch.

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