The pitch at St James Park has been 'Highly Commended' by the EFL for the 21/22 season.
This recognition is testament to the work of head groundsman Chaz Woolnough and his team, who have worked tirelessly on the surface since an extensive renovation of the playing surface in the summer, and the club has certainly reaped the benefits with City being promoted to League One for the first time in a decade!
Pitch marks are provided by the referee and away team manager for all EFL League matches. The top Clubs from each division with the highest divisional average are then visited by Neil Rodger, from STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), where further assessments are carried out, which cover pitch quality, environmental conditions and usage, resources, management and sustainability.
Once all club visits have taken place, in-depth reports and recommendations are submitted to the Playing Surfaces Committee, at which point winners are determined.
Everyone at the club is proud of Chaz and his teams efforts and we will be getting his thoughts on the recognition in his Life's a Pitch interview prior to Saturday's game!
Sky Bet League Two Winners
- Grounds Team of the Season - Newport County
- Highly Commended - Bradford City
- Highly Commended - Exeter City
- Highly Commended - Tranmere Rovers