LCFC Grounds Team Highly Commended By Premier League

The pitch is marked out of 10 during every league game by match officials and Premier League delegates, with the overall score placed into a league table.

Leicester City were ranked amongst the top five teams, who are all judged by the STRI group – an organisation that are experts in enhancing playing surfaces – based upon characteristics including the amount of games played on the pitch and the severity of weather it has endured.

King Power Stadium Grounds Manager John Ledwidge said: “For our grounds team, our main target is to be consistent and they’ve delivered that. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved over the last couple of years because we’ve been in and around the best teams in the country.

“We’re focused on delivering high standards year on year and we’re doing that. We’d obviously have liked to win the award, but it’s quite a mean feat being in that top five because every pitch is so good at this level. You really have to stand out to come as highly as we have.

“It really has been a team effort from everyone within our grounds team and there’s a lot more to our job than people often realise, so we’re trying to not only represent the Club but also the industry in a good light too.

“We pride ourselves on trying to change perceptions of people outside the industry and we do that by using the platform of the Premier League, which is seen by millions across the world.”

While pipped by Manchester United to the award, John says the Club’s grounds team can take plenty of credit for being scored amongst the top five teams in the country.

“It’s important to us to be in that top five every year,” he added. “We want to be in amongst the clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.

“It’s nice to be up there with them and if we win the award one year, we’ll obviously be over the moon, but I think it’s an achievement in itself if we’re in that top five each year.

“Anything that gives you recognition is great, but ultimately we’re here to provide the players with a playing surface of the highest standard, as well as ones they train on at Belvoir Drive.”