Leicester City, Blackpool and Swindon Town were awarded the EFL’s 2025/26 Grounds Team of the Season for their dedicated work across the season, ensuring pitch surfaces remained of the highest quality.

Pitches are assessed by the referee for all EFL League matches. The top Clubs from each division with the highest divisional average are then visited by members of the team from STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), where further assessments are carried out.

Following assessment of pitch quality, environmental conditions, usage, resources, management and sustainability, Leicester City were recognised in the Sky Bet Championship, with Blackpool honoured in League One and Swindon Town in League Two.

Meanwhile, Watford were highly commended for their outstanding upkeep for a second successive season, while a further five clubs — Ipswich Town, Stockport County, Bolton Wanderers, Accrington Stanley and Barnet — were also recognised across the divisions.

Championship
Winner: Leicester City
Highly Commended: Watford
Highly Commended: Ipswich Town

League One
Winner: Blackpool
Highly Commended: Stockport County
Highly Commended: Bolton Wanderers

League Two
Winner: Swindon Town
Highly Commended: Accrington Stanley
Highly Commended: Barnet

Bolton said in their statement: “The team, led by Head Groundsman Chris Simm, won the award last season and have followed that up by producing another top quality playing surface throughout the 2025/26 season to be Highly Commended this campaign.

“A massive well done to all ground staff at Wanderers who put so much dedication into not just the playing surface at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, but also our training facility at Lostock throughout the week.”

Reflecting on the award for him and his team, Blackpool Head Groundsman Mark Shuttleworth said:

“Our job is to ensure that the players have the best surface possible, both at Bloomfield Road and the Equity Energies Training Centre, to get on and do their jobs on the pitch.

“Investing in the best products available to help us achieve these aims is of course vital, so I’d like to thank Simon and the Club for the continuous support.

“Winning this award highlights all of the hard work and dedication both the previous and current grounds staff have put in over the past five years in particular. It’s a really big achievement from everyone, and we’re delighted to win such a prestigious award in the industry.”

Ben Connell, Ipswich’s Grounds Manager, said: “It’s great for the team to get this recognition for all the hard work which has been put in across the season.

“Andrew Cubitt, Harry Groves and Owen Woollard at the stadium go the extra mile each and every day to produce the best possible results and deserve so much credit for this award for everything they do.

“There has been significant investment from the club on our pitches in recent years and we are delighted we have been able to produce playing surfaces which meet the needs of the team.”

Accrington Stanley Head Groundsman, Ben Kay, said: “As another tough season comes to an end, we are absolutely over the moon to find ourselves in the top three pitches of Sky Bet League Two.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t win it this season, but I’m immensely proud of our small team of myself, David (Worthington), Kian (Jones), and Simon (Woodford), along with our matchday helper, Dez (Damien Barker), and I thank them for all the long hours and their dedication in helping us be recognised once again in the end of season awards.

“We’ve again had many outsourced games, with Accrington Stanley Women, Blackburn Rovers, and Rochdale hosting home games, but the real highlight was our first international game, when England Women Under-23s played their USA counterparts.

“To hear the national anthem blaring was a really surreal moment.

“We now look forward to renovations, planning, and to hopefully being in the top three again come 2027!”

Fans reacted as the EFL reveal winners for Best Grounds Teams of the 2025/26 Season…

PREVIOUS WINNERS:

2024/25

WINNER – Championship – Watford
WINNER – League One – Bolton Wanderers
WINNER – League Two – Accrington Stanley

Highly Commended – Championship – Burnley & Middlesbrough
Highly Commended – League One – Stockport County & Blackpool
Highly Commended – League Two – MK Dons, Notts County & Chesterfield

2023/24 – Championship
Winner – Leicester City
Highly Commended – Leeds United
Highly Commended – Watford

2023/24 – League One
Winner – Carlisle United
Highly Commended – Portsmouth
Highly Commended – Exeter City

2023/24 – League Two
Winner – Stockport County
Highly Commended – Harrogate Town
Highly Commended – Notts County

2022/23 – Championship
Winner – Burnley
Highly Commended – Watford
Highly Commended – Stoke City

2022/23 – League One
Winner – Derby County
Highly Commended – Portsmouth
Highly Commended – Ipswich Town

2022/23 – League Two
Winner – Newport County
Highly Commended – Carlisle United
Highly Commended – Stockport County

2021/22 – Championship
Grounds Team of the Season – AFC Bournemouth
Highly Commended – Middlesbrough
Highly Commended – Nottingham Forest

2021/22 – League One
Grounds Team of the Season – Bolton Wanderers
Highly Commended – Ipswich Town
Highly Commended – Lincoln City

2021/22 – League Two
Grounds Team of the Season – Newport County
Highly Commended – Bradford City
Highly Commended – Exeter City
Highly Commended – Tranmere Rovers

2020/21 – Championship
Grounds Team of the Season – Watford
Highly Commended – AFC Bournemouth
Highly Commended- Stoke City

2020/21 – League One
Grounds Team of the Season – Doncaster Rovers
Highly Commended – Plymouth Argyle
Highly Commended – Portsmouth
Highly Commended – Shrewsbury Town

2020/21 – League Two
Grounds Team of the Season – Forest Green Rovers
Highly Commended – Carlisle United
Highly Commended – Cheltenham Town