The Grounds Management Association (GMA) announced that London Stadium won the prestigious Grounds Team of the Season accolade for the first time in the venue’s history.
GMA worked alongside the Playing Surfaces Committee to determine the winners of the Grounds Team of the Season Award. The Playing Surfaces Committee consists of representatives from the Premier League, English Football League, Professional Footballers’ Association, Football Association and the Grounds Management Association.
The London Stadium team consistently delivered outstanding surfaces for all home fixtures this season, which included 19 Premier League matches for West Ham United.
The award is determined by several factors, including amount of usage, environmental conditions, assessment of resources and management, marks given by the referees and match delegates at each fixture, and a pitch-quality inspection conducted by independent sports turf experts.
In addition to the challenge of preparing a world-class surface, the team had the added responsibilities of managing and installing the pitch as part of the summer transition in 2024 from Major League Baseball, to concerts, to monster trucks and elite athletics, back to football in time for the first friendly fixture on 10 August.
The London Stadium team consisted of:
- Alfie Gooch – apprentice groundsperson
- Jack Barnard – skilled groundsperson
- James Williams – head groundperson
- Bailee Meadows – deputy head groundsperson
- Aaron Stevenson – deputy head groundsperson
- George Signal – ex deputy head groundperson
- Spencer White – groundsperson
The team embraced all the tools at its disposal, from cutting-edge technology, such as the HERO Hybrid Grass “lay and play” system, to more sustainable practices, such as the introduction of electric mowers, contributing to the overall work at the venue to lower carbon emissions and switch to renewable energy sources. The pitch will be recycled in the same way as each year, composting and using environmentally friendly methods.
